I don’t work out every morning (maybe 2-3x a week?), but when I do, I consume calories before doing so. Usually just my morning coffee (with sugar and rather a lot of heavy cream) and a Lara Bar, or a hardboiled egg or two.
I get nauseated if I don’t eat something fairly soon after waking, so I eat to avoid this regardless of whether I’m going to be exercising.
I love to roll out of bed and go work out before anything else, but the only time I can really do that is when I’m traveling and staying in a hotel with a workout room. When I can do this I always get a good workout and feel great the rest of the day.
During the week I work out after work. On the weekend I might go fairly early in the day, but never start until at least an hour after I have eaten something (just so that my exercise is not competing too much with digestion). When I have to travel to the gym, I wouldn’t make it without something to eat.
I didn’t answer the poll because none of the options seemed to fit.
Roddy
I don’t think you should conflate the two things. It makes sense to have something like a small amount of fruit right before, especially after a long night of sleep, but full meal is going to be more troublesome than helpful.
There was no spot for me. I try to work out in the evening. But about a third of the time I work later and have to work out early. Although I had plenty of practice in the Army I hate working out before eating. I feel extremely weak and don’t feel I get much out of it.
My exercise is low-intensity but long-duration, so I eat before. Nothing bad happens if I don’t, but it’s just easier to eat when I’m at home. I don’t want to wash dishes at work or feel bad for taking up too much room in the refrigerator with both lunch AND breakfast foods.
Plus, I’m really bad about not drinking before I leave home (and start my walk to work). At least if I eat breakfast, my body will get some hydration.
(This week I’ve been all about brown rice, salmon, and eggs in the morning. All that protein seems to put a little bit more pep in my step.)
I haven’t been doing it so much lately but if I run or ride in the morning it’s before eating. Likewise when I was getting up early to do P90X each morning it’d always be before eating.
Working out on a full stomach is a great way to wind up puking. I may have a little bit of water or a tiny snack first but that’s as far as I’d go.