What to drink before a dawn swimming workout?

October 16, 2007 12:31 PM

What's a good 6 AM, pre-swim liquid breakfast?

I've been having yogurt and a banana but feel blah by the end of my swim. Do I need to pump up the protein? the fat? Tips on anything I can throw together quickly, with or without the help of an immersion blender, would be appreciated.

Note: I'm currently swimming a quarter-mile's worth of laps, so this isn't an Olympic-standard workout.

posted by the sobsister to Food & Drink (11 answers total)

Check out someone of the liquid breakfast drinks, diet or not, they work pretty well and there are various types that emphasize fat or protein.
posted by JakeLL at 12:36 PM on October 16, 2007

I find that eating before I swim at all is pretty dicey. Maybe it's the being horizontal that does it. That said, if you want more protein, maybe add some peanut butter to your banana? Or perhaps try eating less, to see what effect it has?
Maybe I should ask: what do you mean by feeling blah? Tired, low-energy? Icky stomach? Clarification would help.
posted by bassjump at 12:36 PM on October 16, 2007

Response by poster: Sorry.

"blah"=low-energy, light-headed.

And I agree: eating anything substantial/solid before a swim is not good. Thus, my liquid orientation.
posted by the sobsister at 12:39 PM on October 16, 2007

How about an energy gel. I think that one is all carbs, but they come in protein varieties too. The protein ones are really designed for after your workout on the theory that protein right after a hard workout helps in recovery.
posted by caddis at 1:23 PM on October 16, 2007

Get a flat of V8 from Costco, supplement with hearty soup.

You'll have to pee, though. Hopefully not in the pool.
posted by randomstriker at 1:34 PM on October 16, 2007

I always just ate a bowl of oatmeal.
posted by awesomebrad at 1:50 PM on October 16, 2007

You probably do NOT want protein before a swim as it takes too long to digest, drawing blood-flow away from the extremities. BCAAs are better, as they will be used by your muscles during the swim and are absorbed rather rapidly. Getting amino acid tablets such as those found at BodyBuilding.com or Healthy-America.com could help with that, but to supplement the immediate energy to fuel your workout, you'll want some high-quality digestible carbs without a lot of fiber. Fresh fruit is good for that, so you may look at your local supermarket for Odwalla or similar fruit juices may help you there. Otherwise I'd 2nd, as mentioned before, energy gels (the taste and consistency make me wanna gak, personally) or workout drinks. I've had really good results with ABB Extreme Ripped force. (Search for it here.)
posted by MaxK at 2:12 PM on October 16, 2007 [1 favorite]

I've heard that pink grapefruit juice has a chemical that inhibits the breakdown of endorphines (or something). Might keep you feeling better longer. Or is that not what you meant?
posted by Myself at 2:41 PM on October 16, 2007

Or if you want fruit but don't do well with fresh fruit before swimming, maybe try some fruit leather. I know, not liquid, but it came to mind as something that may be helpful. Also, are you hydrating enough before/during your workout? It's so easy to lose track of how much water you're losing in the, um, water.
posted by bassjump at 3:04 PM on October 16, 2007

I usualy just eat a big bowl of twiggish high protein cereal with lowfat milk and then get in the pool 30 minutes later, but I'm only swimming less than a mile. You can try just mixing protein powder in with your yogurt and banana. I usually like yogurt, banana, protein powder, wheat germ and maple syrup. Then just make sure you have something carbish for right when you get out of the pool, and make sure you're hydrated.
posted by jessamyn at 3:37 PM on October 16, 2007

I always reach for an Ensure in the morning for a pre-breakfast workout supplement. Vanilla taste pretty good to me though there are other flavors. As far as drinks go this one seems to keep me on track during the work out and don't have many farts. I like to take a cup green tea right after I drink it for a splash of caffeine.
posted by bkeene12 at 7:43 PM on October 16, 2007