Q: “Usually I do my workouts in the afternoon, but I’d like to start doing them earlier in the day to avoid the heat. The problem is that if I eat a regular breakfast, my stomach is too full for me to workout, but trying to go on an empty tank just doesn’t work for me and I end up bonking. What do you recommend eating before an early morning workout to ensure having enough nutrients in your system to finish the workout?“

A: Coach Patrick [www.performancetrainingsystems.com/blog]: First off, I definitely recommend eating something before exercise for several reasons. One, you’ll burn more calories because you’ll be drawing fuel from both carbohydrate and fat stores. Two, you’ll have the energy and endurance to complete or even lengthen your workout (as well as perform better!) without leaving you feeling dizzy or shaky. Three hree, when you are maintaining a regular workout schedule, your body needs fuel to keep it functioning optimally even when you’re not working out so when you wake up your body is already running on “low.” Four, successful triathlon racing requires that you be able to eat + compete…this is something you can “train” on a daily basis with a proper pre-workout meal.
That being said, if you know you will be working out in the early morning plan your dinner the night before accordingly. A dinner high in carbohydrates will help to ensure that your muscle glycogen stores are full. If you are running low on time or simply cannot stomach that much first thing in the morning, try something small. My favorite is a piece of toast with a tablespoon of all natural peanut butter and some honey. If I have a really big workout coming up, I might add some sliced banana.  Other options include ameal replacement drink, a glass of a sports drink, or a packet of energy gel.
On the other hand, if you have a few hours between waking up and working out, try eating foods that are high in carbs, low in fat, have a moderate amount of protein, and are easily digested. Foods such as, cereal and milk, a slice of bread with peanut butter, yogurt with fruit, or an energy bar would fit the above qualifications. These pre-workout meals should contain approximately 400-800 calories and be easily digested. All the options should fuel your body to allow you to finish your workout. One last key tidbit of information regarding morning workouts, drink plenty of water (before: 10 ounces, during, and after your workout) to compensate for sweat losses and prevent dehydration from occurring later in the day.