Nutrition · 3 min read

What to eat before a 6am session

Simple, tested options for fuelling a 6am class or Personal Training slot at Sanctuary Fitness, and what to eat afterwards on the way to work.

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Simple, tested options for fuelling a 6am class or Personal Training slot at Sanctuary Fitness, and what to eat afterwards on the way to work.

Half the gym trains at 6am. What works before it, going by what clients do rather than what a supplement company says.

Section

If you are up at 5:15

Something small and fast: a banana, a slice of toast with honey, a small glass of milk or a yoghurt. Two or three hundred calories of mostly carbs, twenty to thirty minutes before. Coffee is fine.

If you cannot face food

Train fasted. For a 50-minute class it is not a problem for most people, as long as you eat properly afterwards. Water and a coffee.

The night before matters more

A normal dinner with carbs and protein does most of the fuelling for a 6am session. Skipping dinner to "save calories" is why the early class feels awful.

Afterwards, on the way to work

Protein plus carbs within an hour or two: eggs on toast, Greek yoghurt and fruit, a protein shake and a bagel, porridge with milk. This is where your nutrition plan targets come in.

Hydration

A pint of water when you wake up and a bottle during. Most people are dehydrated at 6am and blame the session.

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Questions

Quick answers.

Should I take pre-workout?

Coffee does the same job for most people. Nothing on the plan requires supplements.

What about training after a night shift?

Treat it like an evening session: eat two or three hours before if you can, then sleep after.

Do I need protein powder?

No. It is convenient, not necessary. Real food hits the targets.

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