Wondering what to eat before your morning run?
It's a complex question for sure. Every runner is different and has their own preference. Your friend might be able to eat a full breakfast of eggs and toast before a run, but that leaves you in severe GI distress, looking for bathroom. It would be easy if there was a one size fits all meal, but it takes trial and error to find just the right mix. You want enough food for energy after fasting all night, but you don't want too much that it may leave your stomach in knots.
A good pre-run breakfast depends on when you will be running, but also what kind of training session you'll be doing.
For short, lower intensity runs under an hour, you don't necessarily need to eat anything. Again, that can vary for each individual runner. If you do need a little something, half of an energy bar, homemade energy balls or half a banana with peanut butter are good options.
If you have a run over 60 minutes or a hard speed workout, it's important to take in a few hundred calories for fuel, or you're likely to feel like you're running in sand.
Timing is also important. If you have a couple of hours before your run, something more substantial like a bowl of oatmeal or eggs are a great option. If you like to jump right out of bed and run, opt for something small and easily digestible instead.
Try one of these 10 quick breakfast options before your next run to find one that works best for you.
- Banana topped with a nut or seed butter
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Oatmeal
- Overnight oats
- Apple and handful of nuts
- Hard boiled eggs
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Run Fast Eat Slow Superhero Breakfast Muffins
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Quick breakfast burrito
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Homemade granola with milk or Greek yogurt
- Fruit smoothie
- Homemade banana oat pancakes
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