I was awake early this morning and decided to go to the gym before work instead of at my usual time (tea time). I ate breakfast before i did weights, but I felt pretty horrible during it – kind of like i was hungover/unstable blood sugar levels. Its been 2.5hours since I finished, and I’ve eaten and drunk since then, but still feel yuck. I don’t want to feel hungover when i’ve not been drinking! I did weights in the morning before work a few years ago and had the same problem – and its the same if i go for an early morning ride.

Is it an eating/hydration thing*, lack of sleep, or low blood sugar levels at that time in the morning? I’m not a fan of exercise in the mornings – i feel stronger in the afternoon so maybe its just my bodys way of saying that 7.30am is still sleep time not gym time?!

*not sure i understand why it would be this – i had porridge at 11pm last night, and breakfast before working out so i should be reasonably well fuelled, plus i drink water when i wake up during the night and also during my work out.

I can’t think of a specific reason why you’d feel rubbish. Perhaps it’s just too early? Maybe try warming up slowly doing some aerobic stuff before hitting the weights hard?

I normally feel pretty naff if I do exercise first thing in the morning, with or without food, so you’re not alone.

I haven’t found a solution other than avoidance, which is a pain as riding buddies tend to want to start very early thanks to kids.

Or you are coming down with something ?

I read somewhere that exercising in the morning before breakfast was good for fat burning…can’t remember where or why though. I guess that doesn’t help answer your question really, but I thought I’d share.

It’s probably dehydration, you spent the entire night lying in bed sweating for 8hrs, then did a load of exercise which dehydrated you further. You could try drinking a litre of water with added electrolytes when you get up, then exercise 30/60mins later.

I usualy dont find it feels too bad, but its usualy slower, especialy if I time myself on an all out effort on the commute, the way home is always quicker by a significant margin.

Nowadays I set up the turbo indoors to warm up for 15-20min before I set off as getting out of bed through the door and straight into the cold was leaving me feeling like my joints were 84 rather than 24!

Just generally how long after waking up/eating breakfast did you work out? Had you given yourself enough time to a) let your body wake up, and b) allowed yourself enough time to digest your breakfast, also how intense was your workout? I used to gym before work and found the same problems, kind of, and the best solution for me was to allow at least 90 minutes after waking up before working out, eating about half hour after waking up, I/my body struggles to eat when I first wake up. The only exception to this for me is swimming, which I can do about 30 mins after waking for about an hour, and then breakfast afterwards. I always tried to eat after excercisr, something like peanut butter and banana on granary toast and milk, I avoided caffeine after as that made me crash mid morning.

I started hitting the gym before work instead of my usual lunchtime and for the first week or so I just couldnt get myself up for it. Stick with it and you will soon adjust, I think its just a shock to the system at first as your body is anticipating being sat down on a train at that time.

Never done weights, but I’ve exercised happily with and without breakfast in the early hours (steady state riding).

Could you be working out too soon after brekkie – all the blood in your digestive system?

As you say though, maybe not for you.

thats why I never go cycling first thing in the morning, I always feel like crap

I think the body (at least mine) needs to wake up a little before doing exercise

I’ve always thought it can’t be good for you

look at all the people that keel over snow shovelling first thing in the morning

what steve g said.

I used to be rubbish at getting up and gym sessions that i had planned were often missed – in fact it took me two weeks to get to the pool at one point; as i would just go back to bed – if i did get there i would feel weak and/or nauseous.

I have trained myself to get up an hour earlier and hit the gym/ pool now i feel much better having had exercise than lying in.

11pm is pretty late for eating porridge.

Is it an eating/hydration thing*, lack of sleep, or low blood sugar levels at that time in the morning?

I find it very difficult indeed to do any kind of hard workout before breakfast, which I always put down to blood sugar levels. However I am also not a morning person which means I don’t like doing much of anything for a few hours after waking.

I can’t do working out before work, my body is just not in the mood for it that early, although I have no sudo-scientific answer as to why. However, my body seems to expect me to go to the gym straight from work now, a couple of weeks ago I agreed to go with a friend for a training session after he finished work, so didn’t go until half past 7, when I normally hit the gym about 4, and felt similar to you.

I can’t work out in the mornings for the same reasons. The very best I can hope for is to feel moderately grumpy when cycling to the station first thing in the morning.

I should keep trying and see if you get used to it. I fit training in when I can, if it’s before breakfast at the weekend so be it. There’s no nutritional reason you shouldn’t have an hour’s glycogen in your muscles ready and waiting.

The only thing I am doing before breakfast is sleeping.

It might be a case of you eating too much at breakfast prior to working out rather than not getting enough fuel.

I spent years doing early morning swim training and always found it tricky to manage eating enough beforehand to get energy and eating too much with not enough time to digest sufficiently before starting the exercise. At other times during the day then it is not usually a problem but for early morning training there is usually less time from getting out of bed to eating breakfast to getting the training in. For what its worth my ‘solution’ for a 2 hour session was to get up before 5.30 for some breakfast before starting training at 6.30 or if it was just an hours session i’d skip breakfast altogether and just have a banana before i started.

it’s simply because you are not used to exercising at that time of the day, that is all it is. If you make morning workouts a regular thing it will become easier in time and you’ll recover quicker from them too.

It may take a few times for you to work out what your body requires before and after. As soon as Im up at 6:00am I make a cuppa tea and eat a banana then spend 15-20mins sorting my stuff out for work. A quick glug of water and I’m ready for a run, a bit of circuit training or a swim. If I’m going to ride xc for an hour or so then I need a bowl of cereal, toast and a drink to take with me.

Kev

it’s simply because you are not used to exercising at that time of the day, that is all it is

Nah, there are measurable differences in the brains of ‘morning’ and ‘evening’ people.

Interesting to read the different responses. FWIW, about two years ago i went to the gym two mornings a week for about a year. I felt the same then, which is part of the reason i reverted back to my prefered time so IME its not about getting used to it. I thought i’d give it another go because i’m waking really early, and also because its the time of year when the gym is packed after work with people on xmas diets/new years resolution type stuff so its quieter in the mornings.

I think its maybe a combination of not being a morning exercise person and not letting my breakfast digest enough (however, its only a bowl of shredded wheat not a full fry up!). When i ride/run at the weekend there is more time between eating and exercise so its not an issue then. Couldn’t skip breakfast before the gym as I can’t function without eating, and whilst my weights session is intense, i’ve already warmed up by cycling there.

I don’t fancy losing out on sleep to get up earlier to allow my breakfast time to digest as that would mean i take longer to recover from each training session, and i’m not the best sleeper as it is so need every bit i can get!

I might try having fresh orange juice watered down with my breakfast to see if it helps with the general shakey/hungover feeling – can’t think what else would work.

Nah, there are measurable differences in the brains of ‘morning’ and ‘evening’ people.

I expect there are but we’re all adaptable.

Kev

Nah, there are measurable differences in the brains of ‘morning’ and ‘evening’ people.

Show me the research. I have to see this.

I might try having fresh orange juice watered down with my breakfast to see if it helps with the general shakey/hungover feeling – can’t think what else would work.

Acidic and not going to aid digestion…why not try bananas, honey, their sugars are digested v quickly.