Early morning nutrition?

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JacerJack
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Early morning nutrition?

Post by JacerJack »

Hi friends - Curious as to what others are doing for early morning nutrition... Personally, I've always found it difficult to choke down food at 3:30 am before a big day, but also knowing the importance of the first meal, I'm not willing to skip it for fear of the inevitable "bonk" later in the morning. I have my food regimen pretty dialed in for the rest of the day, but I still struggle with what to do for that first pre-dawn meal. Over the years, I've relied heavily on Four Points bars and/or a PB&J for an early morning breakfast, but those seem to burn off pretty quickly. While a hot breakfast is nice, I prefer to not take the time to get out the stove and cook something (I'd rather just get up and go). I've read a lot about nutrition on this forum, but can't find anything specifically talking about that first pre-dawn force-feeding.... So, what's everyone else eating before a big day on the mountain?
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E_A_Marcus_949
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Re: Early morning nutrition?

Post by E_A_Marcus_949 »

If I'm driving to the TH in the middle of the night I'll have a small bowl of cereal or spoonful of PB before the drive. I"ll heat up a breakfast burrito before I leave and eat it about 30min to the TH - enough to start digesting but to keep the energy going. If I'm camping or staying at the TH overnight I usually have some hard-boiled eggs (2) to eat (or I've made myself a fried-egg sandwich for the morning too) or a protein bar (Quest are my favorite lately as they have 20g of protein and keep me full). PB&J is usually my summit snack.
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LURE
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Re: Early morning nutrition?

Post by LURE »

i never venture much beyond maybe coffee and a banana.

if starting early from a camp, most often just water.

if my stomach doesn't want food in the morning i don't force it

that said, i've had quite a few mcgriddles in idaho springs at 4 in the morning pre hike.
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davisrice4
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Re: Early morning nutrition?

Post by davisrice4 »

If I eat in the morning before starting up a big hike I always feel heavy, sluggish, and generally suffer a bit. I just listen to my body, and carry a few bars (Kind bars and Honey Stingers are my thing). I generally will only eat a couple bars until I get back to camp/civilization, at which time I feast. \:D/ I eat a lot the night before a big day.
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mtree
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Re: Early morning nutrition?

Post by mtree »

Morning nutrition is overrated. Breakfast? I scoff at thee! The meal the night before is far more important. That said, if I'm not hungry I don't eat. Otherwise, cereal or a PopTart does me just fine. Maybe a hard boiled egg. I don't overthink it.
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chicagostylehotdog
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Re: Early morning nutrition?

Post by chicagostylehotdog »

I usually eat a muffin from a gas station, or a Clif bar. But I'm the last person you want to take nutritional advice from.
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IntrepidXJ
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Re: Early morning nutrition?

Post by IntrepidXJ »

I hike better on an empty stomach in the morning, so I usually skip breakfast.
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SkaredShtles
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Re: Early morning nutrition?

Post by SkaredShtles »

Big breakfast burrito smothered in green chile.

I usually take another breakfast burrito for 2nd breakfast.
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FCSquid
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Re: Early morning nutrition?

Post by FCSquid »

The trick for me is to motor back a huge meal the night before. If it's an overnighter, I'll fire up the stove and eat two entire Mountain House bags (4-5 servings). Then let all that food metabolize while I sleep a bit, and I'm good to go for an early start. I can usually get pretty far up the mountain burning off all that food before I need to think about my next meal.
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daway8
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Re: Early morning nutrition?

Post by daway8 »

Pop tarts and a pack of peanut butter crackers are my morning staple - both at home and on the trail.
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thebeave7
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Re: Early morning nutrition?

Post by thebeave7 »

Haha daway8, I've eaten nothing but pop tarts and a banana before every one of my big runs (10x100mi, 4x100k, Nolans, Elks).
Really I just need something simple and easily digestible, then do a lot of consistent fueling on the run (every 30-45min). Just gotta try out a few things and find what works for you.

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12ersRule
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Re: Early morning nutrition?

Post by 12ersRule »

Bowl of cereal with milk (usually granola) and yogurt are my go-tos in the morning. Being heavily caffeinated and hydrated is essential.

Night before, just get a solid meal in.

Regular eating and drinking is great. Saturday, my outing was only 6 hours, but was sustained completely by a mixture of gummy bears/peanut butter m & ms. Not sure if that mix would sustain for longer outings, but it was awesome for 6 hrs.
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