Is it really ever a good idea to wake up at 4am to start eating a small breakfast before going to my MMA gym at 5am to start?

[Anonymous]

working out and training in my classes or should I just go wake up at 4-5am on an empty stomach before the gym to start my boxing training?

I'm just wondering since I train at an MMA gym that opens at 5am every day and they have a boxing class that starts at 6am, The earliest that I keep waking up at is 5am and then eat a small portion of breakfast (one egg, one toast and a half bottle of powerade). Whenever I do that habbit, I end up feeling like crap coming into the gym and the class. We start doing some light sparring on the very small square mats with the men working on their defense while the women work on offense and I was just a punching bag (with my legs giving up on me). I've tried blocking on time and utilizing head movement but my body just felt too slow and poorly conditioned while my partner was able to smother me and find a lot of openings. I've been told by a couple of sparring mates that drinking any powerade before the gym is almost never a good idea.

Any suggestions on if I should start eating that early and what nutrition would you recommend in the very early morning?

Yes (explain)

No, go on an empy stomach to workout that early. You'll feel like vomitting.

Others

[Flow_like_the_wind]

I think your body needs to accommodate to waking up at an early schedule to get used to the new program. Kind of like how people who start working 3rd shift have to start sleeping during the day because they work all night. If you start sleeping early and adjust to waking up at 4am every morning and eating a small breakfast with some carbs and protein in it you should be fine, but yeah too much food could give you that bloating feeling which would slow you down and make you lethargic.

[BertMacklinFBI]

in my experience, it's better to not eat anything hardy at least 1h 30m before training. if i were you, i'd just load up on a protein shake and eat afterwards

[jesshkah]

I think your body just needs to adjust to waking up that early. Once your body clock is there then the food shouldn't be a problem. If you're waking up that early though you need to make sure you have enough sleep, like at LEAST

[jesshkah]

oops, at LEAST 6-7 hours because that's really what will affect your mind and body when you wake up. Definitely don't eat a full breakfast, but what you have shouldn't be affecting you the way it does.

[Asker]

I'll probably still eat the egg and one toast but lay off the Powerade and just drink tons of cold water (or find one of those electrolyites water, not sure which one it is but I've heard it helps my energy a bit in the morning).

[Asker]

And by the wake, I work from 5-9pm (on Mon-Fri) so the earliest I can sleep is around 9:30pm.

[jesshkah]

Do you put anything on your toast? That might be the cause of something too. Cold water is good, but not right before you train. Do it when you first wake it, it should revitalize your system a bit. That's unfortunate, but try and get to bed as early as you can. If you're sleeping any time past 11 that's probably really affecting your performance.

[Asker]

Yeah well, I never add anyting to my toast (I honestly don't like butter much). I'll lay off the powerade and either replace it with pure cold water or one of those electrolyte waters that they sell at CVS or Fry's.

[jesshkah]

Thanks for MH! Let me know how it goes once you make the adjustments :)

[Anonymous]

Personally, i can do straight aerobic work on an empty stomach, but HIIT work (and boxing training) i need carbs.

Ultimately, try different things, whatever makes you feel best training, do that.

[swellcity80]

unless you're trying to lose weight, I'd eat.