Running in the morning before breakfast: OK?

[ScatterBen]

I've recently started doing a half hour run every other morning, but I'm concerned because I go before I eat breakfast. The problem is, everybody knows you need to eat breakfast or else you'll get fat due to your body storing glycogen, or whatever, over night, and eating breakfast stops this process. However, if I were to eat breakfast before I went, I'd be running on a full stomach, which we all know is a bad thing as well. My question to you all is: can you lose weight and get fit efficiently if you're skipping breakfast before a morning run?

Also, for the sake of discussion, when in the day do you like to exercise and what is your opinion on the general laziness of society today?

I prefer to go for my run in the morning or night, so that it doesn't get in the way of my day and, while I am in no way the Exercise Poh-leece, I do think it's good when people decide that they want to get fit (I am one of those people) because, contrary to what Tyler Durden might think, self-improvement is not masturbation (I suppose he's allowed to say that, since he's already buff-tings). I also don't mean to judge any of you who don't care about fitness - I'm a pro-choice kind of guy.

I recognize that this topic might exclude a large portion of The Escapist, so sorry for that but it can't be avoided.

 

[Blackadder51]

I dont bother with breakfast in general but i still go to gym work etc. Fuck it, ask a real gym person not me. That said i heard you should though.

 

[Buffoon]

I've heard it can be a good thing to exercise before breakfast too, something to do with making yourself 'hit the wall' thus increasing endurance. I am no expert, though, I go to the gym regularly but I take it pretty easy.

 

[ottenni]

I would say that it is a good thing, especially if you are running to loose weight.

After running your metabolism is going to be very high, so your breakfast will be all nicely digested as opposed to just being stored as it is most likely to do with your average inactive lifestyle.

Of course you will probably hear that it is better to exercise in the afternoon as opposed to in the morning, but personally i would advise you do what you prefer.

 

[ScatterBen]

Interesting, thanks for the advice. I'll try and continue with the morning - the idea of my breakfast being properly assimilated without me doing anything is a nice one.

 

[Pegghead]

My sister does that usually, personally I don't think I could for love nor money.

Ke$ha may wake up each morning feeling like P Diddy but I wake up each morning feeling groggy and tired.

 

[johnsom]

My uncle told me to wait 4 hours after eating to run so I would assume it would be better to run before. He is a big runner. Ran in the Boston marathon

 

[Plurralbles]

half a poptart or a tiny little bit of cereal just to have something to digest and fuel ya' until you can get a better amount. I'm pretty sure you won't be hurting from that little. or a half cup of juice.

I can't exercise without at least a tiny bit. I dont' do well not eating for more than 9 hours, which would be if I slept, exercised, then ate.

 

[10zack986]

LOL. I just got done doing the same thing. Eat after running. If you eat before, you'll cramp up and running will suck. If you run before, you'll just be a little hungry. Don't stress it, if you're running a half hour every other day, you shouldn't have to worry about getting fat.

 

[HSIAMetalKing]

Seems like a lot of people in the military do this, but that's only from my limited experience. I think rewarding yourself with a nice breakfast after a grueling run is probably a great motivator.

 

[Marowit]

I bike into work, usually about 20mins of uphill mostly, every morning. then I grab a cup of coffee and something when I get to work. So, I don't eat breakfast before my morning exercise, and I feel great during the day (unless I stayed up way late gaming the night before).

Humans went for millions of years evolving to eat scarcely, and opportunistically, so I vote for whenever you like to run is the best time to run (basically your body isn't going to do something wonky if you exercise first thing in the morning before you eat something).

edits to remove tangents 8)

 

[Jasper Jeffs]

I'm going to start running soon, and I'd probably eat my breakfast (which is only cereal), wait half an hour or so, and then go running. I hate doing exercise on an empty stomach, it makes me feel sick. I'd imagine I'd run at around 10/11am (ish). As for other exercises, I do weights an hour a day at 9pm (ish), about 30/45 minutes after my dinner.

I don't really think people who don't do exercise are "lazy", it's not a requirement. Some (fat) people don't feel the need to be physically fit, it's their body and their choice. I'm in no position to tell them either way. The same goes for drugs, alcohol etc.

 

[StBishop]

Currently studying a dual degree in both Sport Science (No it's not an oxymoron) and Health and Physical Education.

From a physiological perspective, as long as you're eating breakfast at all, it won't affect your burning of fat.

Most important thing, get into what's know in laymans terms as the ideal training state, stay there for about 30 minuites, as a general rule you should be able to speak, but it shouldn't be easy.
It shouldn't make you feel discomfort.

If you feel better running on an empty stomach, then do that, your body is reacting negatively to having a full stomach.

Also, the reason you need breakfast to keep weight gain to a minimum isn't to stop your body storing fat or sugar, it's to keep your hunger levels low, which makes you less likely to over eat when you have food in front of you.
Also, many people are surprised to find out that your stomach will stretch or contract over time depending on how much food you put in it at a time.

ie. eat 5 small meals a day rather than a light lunch and huge dinner (which many people do).

Why would it not be?

Protein (to repair the damaged muscles) is not absorbed instantly - certainly not in the space of time it would take you to finish your morning jog.

I would bet a kidney that eating breakfast before or after a jog makes no discernible difference at all.

You just won a kidney.

Ever hear that it takes 12 hours to digest your food? It's pretty accurate. Also, metabolism doesn't mean digestion, metabolism refers to all chemical reactions (from digestion, to anabolism of muscle) that occur within the body.

Basically, exercise won't make you digest food faster, in fact it stops digestion while you're exercising. It does increase the rate at which you break down Carbohydrates, Fats and as a last resort, Proteins.

 

[Icecoldcynic]

Yes, exercising in the morning is good because it kickstarts your metabolism for the rest of the day.

 

[StBishop]

I think I'm going to quote all of the myths in this thread.

Gimme a moment to edit them in....

I've heard it can be a good thing to exercise before breakfast too, something to do with making yourself 'hit the wall' thus increasing endurance.

Myth

After running your metabolism is going to be very high, so your breakfast will be all nicely digested as opposed to just being stored as it is most likely to do with your average inactive lifestyle.

Not really a myth, but not really accurate. Your metabolism will be high durin exeecise, I think you were refering to Digestion, which is a myth

Of course you will probably hear that it is better to exercise in the afternoon as opposed to in the morning, but personally i would advise you do what you prefer.

Exercise is equally beneficial at all times of the day, this is good advice.

Best time to exercise is, apparently, after 4 pm. Supposedly, your natural heart rate is already at it's peak and not at it's lowest point like in the morning.

I would like to see the research, you'd be surprised what they can say in "Documentaries" due to it being entertainment rather than educational.
According to two of my lecturers, (both published Exercise Scientists, one's got a Ph.D) disagree, I believe them.

Therefore, myth.

My uncle told me to wait 4 hours after eating to run so I would assume it would be better to run before. He is a big runner. Ran in the Boston marathon

Although it's a good idea to allow time between eating a meal and a large run (eg. Marathon), it won't affect most people if they're only taking a 30 minuite run.

half a poptart or a tiny little bit of cereal just to have something to digest and fuel ya' until you can get a better amount. I'm pretty sure you won't be hurting from that little. or a half cup of juice.

I can't exercise without at least a tiny bit. I dont' do well not eating for more than 9 hours, which would be if I slept, exercised, then ate.

The food you eat, although making your hunger feel sated, has nothing to do with exercise, you won't break down that food while you're running.

Yes, exercising in the morning is good because it kickstarts your metabolism for the rest of the day.

Myth. Exercise at any time of the day will increase your rate of catabolism (breaking down sugars, fats and other chemicals).

 

[caselj01]

Iv tried both ways and for me running before breakfast is definitely better. Running after breakfast felt like I had an anvil in my stomach.