Breakfast for Athletes: What to Eat and When

The most common issue I see in endurance athletes is low energy from consistent under-fueling… and that usually starts at breakfast. 

I often hear that athletes have sugar cravings and late night hunger, which can be linked back to not eating enough early in the day. Start your day off feeling energized and support your training needs with breakfast everyday! 

Importance of Breakfast for Athletes

Many athletes skip breakfast before training because they believe that fasted exercise will maximize their ability to burn fat for energy. Others may skip breakfast because they don’t have time, they’re worried about gut issues, or they social media told them it’s better than fueling. 

There is pretty limited research that actually shows fasted exercise can increase fat oxidation or improve endurance performance. Additionally, athletes report feeling like training requires more effort and workout quality decreasing when they fast. 

Fueling with carbohydrates before training maximizes our glycogen stores that can be used for energy. When athletes consistently fast before training and have low carbohydrate availability, muscle recovery suffers leading to poor immune response and higher risk of injury. 

Fasting before workouts might be appropriate for short, easy efforts less than 60 minutes, however athletes with a history or risk of disordered eating should avoid fasting. 

Pre-Workout Breakfast

If you’re skipping meals before workouts and just having pre-workout supplements, you’re not fueling enough. I always recommend a food-first nutrition approach when it comes to fueling to maximize nutritional benefits and save you money. 

When should you eat breakfast?

The amount of carbs and when you should be eating depends on the duration and intensity of your workout. It’s important to top off your glycogen stores and make sure you have enough time to digest your breakfast. 

how many carbs do athletes need

If you only have an hour before your workout, it’s recommended having about 1 gram of carbs per kg of body weight and increasing your carb intake as you have more time before workouts. 

If you have less than 60 min before training…

Athletes tell me all the time that they don’t have time to eat before heading out the door. But, you can still adequately fuel for a workout in limited time without sacrificing that precious sleep. 

Carbohydrates are our primary fuel source and having simple carbohydrates before training can provide energy to carry us through workouts. Eating easy-to-digest carbohydrates 30 to 60 minutes before training will help maximize your glycogen levels that will be converted into energy. 

Protein, fats, and fiber should be avoided close to workouts as they are slow to digest, which can cause gastrointestinal distress.  I recommend downloading and printing my free High Carb Snacks for Athletes PDF so you always know how to fuel within the hour before training. 

If you have 2 or more hours before training…

Even if you train later in the day, you still need breakfast! Starting your day with a big breakfast will help you stay fueled all day and load up on carbohydrates for energy during your workout later. 

Increase your carbohydrates when you have more time and add some protein to your breakfast to keep you full and meeting your training nutrition needs. 

Breakfast Ideas for Athletes

  • Two Slices of Avocado Toast with Eggs
  • Oatmeal with Peanut Butter, Banana, Honey
  • Greek Yogurt with Berries, Granola
  • Cereal with Milk, Dried Fruit
  • Egg, Spinach, & Cheese on English Muffin
easy breakfast ideas for athletes

Post-Workout Breakfast

You’ve put in the hard work and now it’s time to refuel!

Aim for about 25 grams of protein after training to stimulate muscle building and repair. A 3:1 or 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio is ideal after endurance training to help replenish glycogen stores and help with protein and fluid absorption. 

Animal and plant sources are great for getting high-quality protein in after working out but it’s important to make sure you’re also getting 2 to 3 grams of leucine everyday. Leucine is an amino acid found in meat, seafood, dairy, eggs, nuts, and seeds that helps our muscles recover more efficiently. 

Hydration  

Every athlete has different hydration needs depending on training intensities, environmental conditions, physiological needs, medications, and other factors. A good rule to follow for hydrating is to have 16 to 24 ounces of fluids for every 1 pound of body weight lost during training. 

Sports drinks high in carbohydrates, sodium, and potassium can also help with rehydration and replenishing all the electrolytes lost through sweat. 

If you aren’t hungry after training…

It’s common for endurance athletes to experience poor appetites or even nausea after training. This doesn’t mean you should wait until you feel hungry to eat, though. 

Eating colder foods or drinking your post-workout nutrition in a smoothie can help get you through a low appetite. A big smoothie is great for getting a good balance of carbohydrates and protein from fruit, yogurt, milk, and other add-ins! 

5 High Protein Breakfast Recipes for Athletes

  1. 5-Ingredient Post-Workout Fruit Smoothie 
  2. High Protein Overnight Oats
  3. Freezer-Friendly Breakfast Burrito 
  4. Protein Pancakes
  5. Breakfast Casserole

Rest Day Breakfast

A common question I get from athletes is what they should be eating on rest days. Even though you aren’t burning as many calories through exercise, your body still needs plenty of nutrition to help with recovery and keeping your glycogen stores up for your next workout. 

The Endurance Plate Plan

Use The Endurance Plate Plan to build your breakfast and meet your nutrition needs based on your training load. 

easy training endurance plate
moderate training endurance plate
Hard Training Endurance Plate

Final Thoughts

  • Improve performance and prevent injury by fueling morning workouts and eating breakfast everyday! Use The Endurance Plate Plan to determine how your meals should look based on training.
  • Focus on high-carb foods 1 hour before training to top off your glycogen stores that will provide the energy you need to get through your workout. If you have more than 2 hours before training, combine your high-carb foods with protein. 
  • Aim for 25g of protein and at least a 3:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio to optimize post-workout recovery. 
  • Endurance athletes need to eat even if you’re not hungry!

If you need help reaching your full potential as an endurance athlete or developing a healthier relationship with food, let’s work together! Apply for my 1:1 Nutrition Coaching or Single Nutrition Consults to get started today!

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