Rise and SHINE with Aluram
Shine Time: Aluram’s High Shine Line Delivers Moisture and Shine with Clean Ingredients
Sponsored by Aluram
What to Eat to Fuel Your Morning Workout
Early morning can be the best time to squeeze in a workout, so Fitness and Nutrition Expert Patrick Dale provides some breakfast suggestions to fuel yiour workout and maximize early-morning energy.
by Staff
January 30, 2023
3 min to read
While not everyone is a ‘morning person,’ the early morning is a great time to work out and can offer several valuable benefits. Fitness and nutrition expert Patrick Dale from Fitness Volt has revealed a useful guide on what to eat to fuel your morning workouts and maximize early-morning energy.
Carbohydrates
When you eat carbohydrates, they are broken down into glucose which acts as an immediate source of energy, and any surplus is converted to and then stored as glycogen. As glucose and glycogen are needed to power you through your workout, carbohydrates should be the cornerstone of your pre-early morning workout meal.
Because there will not be much time between getting up and starting your workout, you need fast-acting and easy to digest carbs. This means you should choose foods that rank moderate to high on the glycemic index chart (1). The glycemic index chart ranks carbs from 1-100, with 100 being the fastest acting. Moderate to high glycemic carbs are digested easily and raise your blood glucose quickly.
Examples of Moderate to High GI foods include:
Dates
Breakfast cereal
White bread
Ripe bananas
White rice
Protein
While you can just eat carbs before training, some research suggests combining carbs with protein will have an even better effect. Consuming carbs with protein provides energy and can also help prevent muscle breakdown.
Avoid Fatty Foods
Fat is the most significant gastric inhibitor, which keeps food in your stomach for longer and delays digestion. As such, your pre-early morning workout meal should be very low in fat, not even healthy fats such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, or coconut oil. Also, avoid natural sources of fats, such as nuts and whole eggs.
Low Fiber Foods
Fiber is part of most carbohydrate foods. However, while fiber is very good for you, like fat, it is also a major gastric inhibitor and best avoided in pre-early morning workout meals. Instead, look for more refined and naturally low-fiber foods, such as white bread instead of whole-grain bread.
What are some suggested morning pre-workout meals and snacks?
Armed with the information above, you should have no problem selecting your early morning workout meals and snacks. That said, here are a few ideas to get you started:
Ripe banana mashed onto toast with a little honey
Cereal and low-fat milk
Fruit smoothie made with soft fruit, low-fat yogurt, and protein powder
A carb/protein energy bar or granola bar
Scrambled egg whites and rice crackers
Instant oatmeal and berries
Bagel and turkey slices
Toasted English muffin with low-fat cream cheese
Ultimately, so long as your meal contains moderate to high GI carbs and a source of protein, it will provide your body with what it needs to power through your workout, even if those foods are not traditional breakfast foods.
How long before working out should you eat?
Ideally, you should consume your early morning training meal 30-60 minutes before you start training, as this will give the food long enough to start digesting. Make sure to save time by planning and preparing your morning workout meal the night before your workout.
Also, liquids digest more quickly than solids, so if you plan to train shortly after getting up, it may be better to drink rather than eat your pre-workout meal.
Pro tip: Make sure what you eat the night before is also a pre-workout meal
Even a great pre-early morning workout meal will not make up for not eating correctly the night before. Eating a nutritionally complete meal a few hours before bed will help fuel muscle recovery and growth and ensure you wake up with good levels of muscle glycogen. Your early morning pre-workout snack should top up your already high levels of glycogen and glucose.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
More Wellness
Wellness Watch: Expert Picks & Curated Essentials
Explore this curated selection of standout brands and essential products shaping today’s growing wellness and spa industry.
Shampoo, Rinse, Repeat: Salon Clients Face a Water Cycle Crisis of Mineral Buildup on Hair
Neutralizing the damaging effects of water benefits the hair from texture to shine to color longevity, and it’s the science behind Malibu C products.
Sponsored by Malibu Wellness
The Invisible Hazard in Every Nail Salon and How to Fight It
From acrylic monomers to airborne bio-dust, the air inside a nail salon carries risks most professionals never see coming. Aerovex Systems reveals the source-capture and room-purification strategies that are setting a new standard for salon safety.
Sponsored by Aerovex Systems
Stylists “Relish” the Opportunity to Prioritize Guests’ Scalp Health
Good hair starts at the scalp. But most salons aren’t offering services or products that address scalp health. Relish, a new product line from the founders of Signature Formulations, has everything salons need to deliver an effective head spa service and offer guests a robust at-home scalp care line.
Resolutions Rarely Work: Try a 'Life Switch'
A new book by Joel Steele shows that the most powerful change people can make is to think differently if they want different results. The author believes in the 'Life Switch' so fervently that he's willing to donate $1 million from book sales when he sells his millionth copy.
Harness the Power of Cytogen Masque: How Regenerative Science Is Transforming Salon Skin Treatments
In an era where clients demand visible results with minimal recovery time, salons and spas are redefining what professional skincare means.
Botox Still Tops the World’s Most-Searched Aesthetic Treatments as “Natural but Enhanced” Trend Surges
New global search data from beauty and wellness booking platform Fresha reveals that Botox remains the world’s most in-demand aesthetic treatment in 2025—but regenerative “tweakments” like polynucleotide injections, thread lifts and IV drips are seeing explosive growth across key markets.
New Book Challenges America's Mental Health Paradigm by Exploring 'Spiritual Emergency'
As rates of anxiety, depression, and substance use continue to climb across the U.S., conversations around mental health are more urgent than ever—yet one crucial perspective remains missing. In her captivating new book, Aymie Daniels introduces the little-known concept of “Spiritual Emergency” and opens a timely conversation about how America understands (and often mislabels) extreme psychological states.
A Blueprint for Living with Purpose in a World that Often Makes No Sense
Author and Lifestyle Coach Mark Reinisch's new book challenges the outdated 'work ethic' model, which values success over health, happiness, and the soul. His antidote: wellness ethic lifestyle design--a bold, practical approach to building a life that works for you, on your terms.
by Stacey Soble
Is It Hot Enough for You?
Water is a vital part of almost every process in the human body. Our Wellness Blogger Mary Wilson shows you why staying hydrated is so important and offers helpful guidelines on how to do it.
Bringing Affordable Wellness to Gen Z Consumers
Located in downtown Denver, Sway Wellness Spa integrates the latest technology into services, offers accessible memberships, and brings a community setting to younger generations who yearn for a wellness experience that is not like their mothers'.
by Stacey Soble
Spa Day, Safe Day: Stop Fungal Infections in Their Tracks
As a spa or salon professional, your clients expect more than just beauty—they expect safety, hygiene, and peace of mind. Fungal infections like Athlete’s Foot and Nail Fungus are more common than you think, especially in environments where tools and footbaths are reused without proper sanitation. This blog covers how to stop these issues before they start, using proven infection prevention strategies for salons and spas.
Energy Healing 101
As the kids head back to school and the seasons shift, it might be time to clear your energy. Our Wellness Blogger Mary Wilson talks about why it's important and illustrates some of the different methods involved.
Healthy Summer Eating: 7 Success Hacks and 7 Meal Prep Tips
Do summer barbeques and sweet treats to beat the heat have you relaxing your healthy eating goals? Here comes our Wellness Blogger Mary Wilson to the rescue with some success hacks and meal prep tips that take advantage of the season's bounty.
A Simplified Approach to Wellness Using the 80/20 Rule
A new book, The Wellness Ethic, shares a game-changing method for thriving in life.
Meditation for Beginners
This month, our Wellness Blogger Mary Wilson answers a number of questions about meditation and helps you get started.