I've just changed jobs and need to rearrange my exercise routine. This means doing spin classes at 6 am in the morning. Should I eat anything before going to the class? I'm usually starving first thing in the morning so not quite sure how to approach it. I currently do 4 spin classes a week but eat about 90 minutes before with no problems. Starting this new routine tomorrow morning so any advice gratefully received. Thanks

How long is it from the time your wake up till you actually sit on the bike to start your spin class ?

What time do you have your last meal / snack in the evening ?

How long does your spin class last ?

I would eat a small snack at around 9.30 pm and then go to bed at 10 pm. Get up at 5.15 am and be on the bike by 6.15 am. The spin class lasts for 45 minutes.

I would eat as soon as you wake up. I like to eat 1.5 - 2 hours in advance of an event, but 1 hour is usually okay for me.

You could probably get away with ( or a combo of ) things ) like.........

- slice of multi-grain toast ( with or without a bit of jam / peanut butter )
- half a multi-grain / whole wheat bagel ( with or without a bit of cream cheese / peanut butter )
- 1/2+ cup of unsweetened OJ , apple, pineapple, or grapefruit juice
- 1/2 - 1 moderately ripe banana
- oatmeal

...at about 5:30 or so. I think you may want to leave yourself about 30-45 minutes ( the longer the better IMO ) to ensure whatever you eat, has adequate time to digest. A couple of days of trial and error trying different types and portions sizes of foods in the morning should give you a pretty good idea of what will sit well and what won't....which btw, might also include not having anything to eat at all.

Keep in mind, you don't have to eat very much at all before you spin, as the purpose of the snack is simply to keep your blood sugar levels stable. The bulk of the energy that's going to fuel your spin session is based upon food you consumed a day or so ago - i.e foods that were converted to the glycogen energy found in your muscles.

+1 Fully concur, hit the nail right on the head!!!

The notion of doing cardio on an empty stomach is old-school; you'll get more out of your exercise with some prior fueling. You know the saying "Fat burns in a carbohydrate flame".

I do a spin-class in the morning too, I'll generally grab some food as I leave, so I'm only 25 minutes away from peddling. I keep it simple: a medium-sized apple.....fiber/sugar, perfect nutrition pre-packaged from nature! I also bring a protein shake with me (for afterwards when I swim)...so I'll sip on that a bit too.

If you feel weak and not performing as powerfullly as usual, then you may need to eat a bit more. Just play with it, I'm sure you'll figure out what works for ya!

Thanks Guys,

All of this has been so helpful. Managed to do a couple of spin classes this week and felt absolutely fantastic for the rest of the day.

Just need to keep going......

Another thing....really make sure to hydrate. There's some data that suggest proper hydration can burn as much as 20% more fat then glycogen, so to get the most out of workouts, drink before AND during. If you are not discharging (urinating) liquid every couple hours, then you're probably not drinking enough!

Try it...drink from 2 bottles during your spin class, aim to finish the 1st bottle mid-way through the class and drink as you go. I used to think I was fine....but then I started getting cramps a bit. Once I got into pounding the water, I honestly feel like I found an improvement in both performance and results. And oddly enough, proper hydration will lead to a body carrying less water....so it promotes that lean/svelt feeling and help remove toxins, burn fat, etc. Push the water and if you wanna cut-in a diluted sports-drink mix, like Accelerade, go for it. I dilute it to half the recommended amount. A little flavor goes a long ways to drinking more, and it helps with electrolytes. Try it, I bet you notice an improvement!

If I'm doing an early morning spin class I normally have a muesli bar about 20 minutes before and find that fuels me well and then I eat a nice big breakfast after

I typically eat about a hour before I get on the bike and drink nothing but water before and during. When I finish, I eat a 40-80g carbs and 15-30g protein snack (Calorie intake vs nutrition intake; The best snack I have found is whole wheat english muffin with 2 tablespoons peanut butter).

Not to change the subject, but how do you like the spin class? I work out at 24 hr fit. and I've been thinking about taking the spin class there, but feel a little nervous about it because it looks intimidating.

Try the spin-class, don't be intimidated!

I never thought I'd enjoy being on a stationary bike...but for reasons I can't explain, it's a lot of fun. You'll enjoy the music, various approaches and being part of a group. Again; I thought it was dumb, then I tried it and love it!!!

As for being intimidated...yes, there's gonna be some serious athletes in great shape that may make you feel like a marshmellow; but who cares! Just walk around the gym and you'll see all sorts of people in various stages of fitness. If you can be in a gym, you can be in a spin-class. And besides, they usually run these classes with the lights dimmed. What's more; nobody can tell how hard to have the tension cranked-down....so it's up to you to determine how hard you work.

And let me assure you...while in the class you won't bother watching other people or noticing if they crank the knob higher or lower....so just figure the same applies to you: nobody is really watching or caring what you're doing. Just try it and enjoy. You'll also notice a fast improvment in your performance as you progress in taking classes...so get in there & have some fun, I bet you'll love it!

wow, thank you!! =D I am excited about it now, I'll let you know how it goes!

Please do. If you own/use a heart-rate monitor, you might wanna use it.....it's like a tachometer that tells you how hard you're working, good feedback to let you know how you're doing.

And remember, the first couple times you may feel weak, sloppy and out-of-sorts.....but in no time you're body will adapt & adjust and it's not uncommon for a newbie to DOUBLE their capacity in just 3 weeks. It amazes me how fast the body adjust. The first time I rode my mountain bike to a ranger station & back it was super-tough and nearly killed me: I was in my lowest gear, sweat pouring from my forehead, gasping for breath, heart-rate at 160, almost had to stop & quit several times. In just a few months I was in a higher gear moving faster, heart-rate at 145-150 (depends how hard I push) and I was able to make the whole ride with little or no problem.

So go to the class, get yout butt kicked and be a bit sore the next day....but in no time you'll be doing it gracefully and likely be addicted like so many other folks!

Please let me know how it goes. And remember to hydrate, it's so critical and easily overlooked. Bring in 2 bottles of water and time it/drink it so you finish them by the end of class. If you have to stop spinning to go to the bathroom, you're drinking too much...and I doubt that'll happen!