Running in the mornings.

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by tonyv107, Feb 4, 2011.

  1. tonyv107

    tonyv107 Valued Member

    Hey guys. Getting back into a training routine now and will be training 3 days a week an probably lifting twice a week. I'm thinking of trying to get some roadwork early mornings. Do you normally eat breakfast before the morning jog or is it better to have a small snack. I'm talking 500-530 am.
     
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2011
  2. ecytkd

    ecytkd Valued Member

    Depends on the individual really.

    Running on an empty stomach is a good way to drop bodyfat as the body will need energy and will turn to the fat stores for fuel, just wouldnt go overboard on the distance at first.
    i always ran on an empty stomach an was ok.

    Again down to the individual some people have to eat before running { diabetics} others just feel stronger after a light snack.
     
  3. Hapuka

    Hapuka Te Aho

    I prefer running in the afternoon, once I've got some food into me. I tend to feel sick running without consuming some form of carbohydrates beforehand. You could probably get away with a protein shake and a small piece of fruit before your run and not feel bogged down.
     
  4. righty

    righty Valued Member

    Depends on you and what your goals are.

    Some people can't handle activity on an empty stomach. Some people can't handle activity with a food bolus in their stomach. Each to their own.

    Generally though if you are going for performance (sprints, intervals etc) you should try to eat something at least.
     
  5. tonyv107

    tonyv107 Valued Member

    Normally I would run later in the afternoon. But with my current schedule I want to get my cardio in early morning so I can do my 5x5 later in the afternoon.

    I've never ran early morning so I am unsure how I will do on an empty stomach. I've never had any issues later in the day but as you say Hapuka, ts because we are well fed up to that point. The reason I ask is because I'd like to
    get the jog out of the way with out having to wait after having a big
    breakfast meal.

    Tomorrow I'll go for a light 3 mile jog in the morning after having maybe a 1/2 cup of yogurt with some nuts and I'll carry some water with 1/2 cup of Gatorade. Hopefully all goes well.

    Thanks for the input guys
     
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2011
  6. righty

    righty Valued Member

    Hmm there's not a whole lot of carbs you are planning on having before your jog. I'd have a piece of fruit instead and leave the yoghurt and nuts until afterwards.
     
  7. tonyv107

    tonyv107 Valued Member

    I don't know much about nutrition lol, I thought the yogurt was a perfect choice. I have taken a liking to grapefruits so maybe I'll eat a half before the jog.
     
  8. liero

    liero Valued Member

    Not sure about you but a yoghurt right before an early morning run sounds like a bad idea to me. Could get messy. When I run in the morning I'll usually donut empty stomach, or as others said I'll have a protien shake.

    When I do morning sport specific training sessions however I try to get up earlier and have a decent breakfast of fruit or cereal.
     
  9. tonyv107

    tonyv107 Valued Member

    Ok thanks. I'll stay away from the yogurt till after. So I'm gonna go with a 1/2 grapefruit and a small protein shake
     
  10. seiken steve

    seiken steve golden member

    The simply sugars could interfere with fat mobilisation.

    Ideal mix IMO would be cassien monohydrate a couple of BCAA'S and caffeine.

    Up to you how you configure them. A shot of espresso, a glass of milk and some caps, or a caffeine pill casien shake and cars etc.

    Worked for bodybuilders for a long time now and they achieve some fairly low body fats.
     
  11. Master Betty

    Master Betty Banned Banned

    I would generally say that, for most people, running within half an hour of breakfast would be a good way to be sick. Most people wont have the time in the morning to wait for breakfast to settle correctly. I used to go for a run first thing in the morning - it's difficult but for some reason you just feel awesome for the rest of the day. Assuming you get enough sleep.
     
  12. Ste_88

    Ste_88 Valued Member

    I usually just have a quick sip of water and get on my way before I can talk myself out of it.
     
  13. seiken steve

    seiken steve golden member

    haha good point!

    Anyone here NOT find road work mind numbing?
     
  14. Socrastein

    Socrastein The Boxing Philosopher

    I don't understand why so many people do it when it's so boring, so useless, and when sleeping a little longer is so much better for your health, recovery, joint health, energy levels, hormone levels, and attitude.

    Oh yeah, because everyone else does it :p
     
  15. tonyv107

    tonyv107 Valued Member

    Haha I agree with what Ste said, once I'm out on the jog however I enjoy it.
     
  16. tonyv107

    tonyv107 Valued Member

    Trying to burn some extra fat off =P. Also I'm not sacrificing any sleep to get up earlier since I go to bed early most of the time. I don't do well without my 8 hours of sleep

    Also forgot to add in I have a 1 yr old Doberman who I will be taking on my jogs as well so it is as much for me
    As it is for him. He gets way to antsy if I don't exercise him daily.
     
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2011
  17. Socrastein

    Socrastein The Boxing Philosopher

    Walking the dog is great. In fact, that's fantastic, especially if it's a Doberman :) Glad to hear you're not sacrificing sleep too, as many people do so without actually having a solid reason as to why.

    As for fat loss, low intensity aerobics should come after nutrition, resistance training, and anaerobic training are all in place. If you're doing all that already though, you don't have extra fat to lose, and therefore no need for aerobics.

    Keep taking the dog out, but don't fall into the trap of thinking your morning runs with Fido are helping with fat loss. More likely they're elevating your already high cortisol levels (cortisol is highest in the morning around 8 or so, which I imagine is approx. when you are up) which can make it harder to lose fat long term. Not to mention the negative impact it has on strength levels, neural activation, and for the vast majority, joint health.

    Running in the morning to lose weight is not much better than doing 1000 crunches before bed to flatten your stomach.
     
  18. tonyv107

    tonyv107 Valued Member

    So would the morning jog kill my strength for 5x5 lifts or my judo training later in the day? As I said before its a light jog, 3 miles at a 10 minute pace. Im at 203 trying to drop to 185 before June for a sports JJ tourny. I'm working in nutrition swell but I'm trying to get some cardio in as well.
     
  19. Socrastein

    Socrastein The Boxing Philosopher

    The more time you spend jogging at a 10 minute pace, the more you're signaling your body to produce tiny amounts of force for sustained periods.

    A heavy set of squats for 5 reps is the exact opposite of a tiny amount of force over long periods. So is trying to throw someone close to your size over your hip explosively.

    If you're lifting 2 days a week, and doing judo 3 days a week, AND eating well, you should be dropping body fat very effectively. If you're falling into the "more is better" mindset and trying to speed things up even more, then you're going to end up exceeding your capacity to recover and yes, you will kill your strength gains and judo will also suffer.

    However, if you're exercising 5 days a week and not dropping fat as fast as you like, then I'd recommend you improve your nutrition further rather than add in aerobics.

    Even if we grant that you should be doing extra energy systems work, aerobics aren't ideal, especially considering you're training for Judo and are on a 5x5 program. I'd recommend short anaerobic intervals with explosive movements. Medicine ball throws/slams, sled sprints, jump squats, plyo pushups, etc. Nothing done more than 5 reps, nothing longer than 6 seconds continuous.

    You'd lose some extra weight, your lifts would go up faster, you'd find yourself a lot more explosive and dominating in the judo, and best of all you wouldn't be impeding recovery or negatively affecting your health in any of the ways that 30 minutes of jogging can.

    Remember, you can only invest so much time and energy into your exercises, so you want to get the biggest return on your investments possible.
     
  20. tonyv107

    tonyv107 Valued Member

    Sounds good Socra. Are you a fitness trainer? You sure do know your stuff
     

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