Early AM Warriors Blog 1: Nutrition
We have gathered a group of people that are passionate about fitness, health span, and health. Each of us is time-starved from busy schedules that include family first, work, and training. This has led to a lifestyle of early AM training sessions out of necessity. To us, this is not a fad, a New Year’s resolution, or a quick fix. This is our life. We would like to share some ideas and secrets we have learned from this development. We have all learned from mistakes and benefited from maximizing this time.
The first topic will be early AM nutrition. If you get up very early, does your body need nutrition to get through a session? Does the nutrition depend on the intensity of the session? Do you need caffeine in the form of pre-workout or coffee, and what does that do to your insulin/glucose levels for later in the day?
Your body needs glucose or carbs to function. The higher the level of intensity, the higher the carb demand. If you have a hard session planned and you are not eating, then that session will not be maximized. Use of simple carbs with a higher glycemic index will be utilized quicker by the body for fuel. If you are planning a steady-state (fat-burning) session, then you may choose to not eat. You will teach the body to burn fat if the intensity of the effort is correct and you have not eaten. If you are time-starved, then each workout should have a purpose. Fuel correctly, and you will maximize the benefit. This is especially important in the early AM when your body has to survive the rest of the day.
Moose Herring, MD (Sports Med. Ortho Surgeon)
Because of family, work, and desire for fitness, I always wake up early. I get up at 4–5 AM with no alarm. I have changed my early AM nutrition over the last couple of years. I have always been a coffee-first thing with 10–20 minutes of reading or writing. I would go immediately into my workout session. The length and intensity did not change my nutrition. I would drink water or some electrolytes. I rationalized this as “fasted training,” and I was teaching my body to use fat. This habit changed drastically in 2022. I was part of a Supersapiens glucose study prior to the Ironman World Championships. I wore a continuous glucose monitor for six months. My early AM “fasted” sessions were clearly compromised by stupid decisions in fueling. Harder sessions would show my glucose drop long before the session was over. NO FUEL—NO SUCCESS!
This significant drop in glucose led to poor control during my busy days. Now, I fuel based on the intensity. If I am training less than 1 hour and steady, I do this fasted with only coffee/cream and MCT oil (readily usable fat). If I have planned any intensity, weights, or am going longer than 60 minutes, I will add in a simple carb (Clif or Styrkr bar). If I feel like I need more, I will quickly add a gel. I also believe that electrolyte replacement is key. I have added LMNT after the session to replace sweat loss.
Mistakes: I would train the house down early with no nutrition. This led to dehydration and some hypotensive issues during the day. This ridiculous “strategy,” as shown by the continuous glucose monitor, affected my workout session and my functioning during the day. I have eliminated these issues with LMNT and fuel. If you are going to train early, then you must fuel the machine.
Tricia DeNardis (Dr. of PT, Pullup/Pushup Queen, Fitness Badass)
I’m a creature of habit to the max. Every morning starts around 4am, with water first (16-20 oz), followed by coffee and carbs. I eat something, regardless of the intensity or duration of my run or workout. I usually reach for something that is easily digestible and quick to throw back before I start. (a few handfuls of dry cereal (shout out to Cinnamon Chex), or a banana most weekdays, a bowl of oatmeal and honey before long runs)
For longer runs (>90 minutes), I’m carrying LMNT for hydration, which makes a world of a difference, particularly on hot/humid runs! I mostly use gels to fuel longer runs, aiming for 30-40 g carbs every 30 minutes. I’ve been a big fan of salted potatoes for distances >26.2 :-)
Mistakes: Not sure if we have time for all of the mistakes I have made ;-)
My pre workout fueling routine has varied drastically over the years. I worked out and ran on empty for years, intermittent fasting was my jam. It worked- until it didn’t. I started to frequent the injured reserve list, dealt with A LOT of gut issues, hormonal imbalances/crashes and major burn out. It wasn’t until I started being more diligent and purposeful about training my gut to use fuel in a smarter way (before/during and after), that I began to eliminate ALL of these issues.
Fueling before and during runs has also made a massive difference in my overall energy levels throughout the day. Where I used to experience that mid afternoon crash, that rarely happens any more. Don’t fear the carbs guys, they make a world of a difference for us as endurance warriors.
Jodi Cash (Nutrition Coach, Fitness Addict, Integrative Health Coach)
I have always worked out early in the morning, whether it was due to organized sports schedules, family commitments, or work schedules, and my body loves moving this time of day! I have found that my body does best in these workouts if I’m fasted (since dinner the night before). I have a history of gut issues, so working out in a fasted state just feels better for me, especially if I’m running. I do make sure that I get plenty of fuel (fats, carbs and protein) the night before, so I get the most out of my workout. I will say that when I was training for Half-Ironman competitions and doing much longer workouts, I would use gels and carbohydrate drinks during the workout to keep from bonking. One of the biggest changes that I’ve made in the last year is that I hydrate with electrolytes (LiquidIV) immediately after the workout to help with recovery. The addition of the electrolytes has made a huge difference for me, in my energy level and removing any significant drops in blood pressure throughout the day.
Mistakes: I’ve made my share, but I think my biggest mistake has been going for long periods following my morning workout without replacing my nutrients. You can’t do a fasted workout, then keep on fasting and expect to come back the next day and do it again. Another mistake was trying to train for a half-Ironman with the same nutrition strategy that I used for general training…not a great idea and where I learned what my body could use effectively throughout the workout and stay strong. My most important lesson…your nutrition plan for your morning workout really starts the day before!
Ryan Nelligan (UltraRunner)
Most mornings look about the same for me. Wake up around 4 - 4:30am & make Nespresso coffee (200mg caffeine). It typically takes ~45 minutes until I’m out the door running.
For nutrition, I will eat a high carb snack before every run, no matter what the intensity is. Recently this comes in the form of a Styrkr Rice Bar (300 calories & 50g of carbs). Timing doesn’t matter for me (I can eat this 30 minutes before I start or 1 minute before).
For longer runs, I will drink an LMNT packet in the morning which contains 1,000mg of sodium & other electrolytes.
Most of the events I’m training for are long (50k - 200 miles), which requires me to be eating a lot the entire race.
I want to train my gut to be able to take in a high volume of calories and carbs on the run at all times. The same goes for fueling during a training run, which is why I usually don’t do any runs fasted.
Even if I’m doing an hour-long run, I’m going to be taking at least 1 gel, maybe 2, to simulate the race.
Mistakes:
Personally I hate running hungry. When I feel my stomach growling on a run, I feel like I’m doing a disservice to myself by underfueling. We know proper nutrition is important for recovery and healing.
I think there is more benefit to eating if you’re hungry than trying to fuel differently based on the type of workout you have planned. Training without eating enough can lead to muscle loss and potentially higher risk of injury.