Do you work out in the morning [1]? How are you fuelling up beforehand? If you're skipping breakfast and heading into some intense cardio or HIIT, celebrity trainer Jason Wimberly has one thing to say to you: don't.
The creator of WIMBERLEAN [3] and The Wall [4] told POPSUGAR that no, you don't need to eat a full meal, but yes, you need a little something. Why? Because you could get pretty sick [5].
"If you're doing cardio in the morning on an empty stomach, you'll have a tendency to get really nauseous from that," Wimberly said. "That's the bile in your stomach. All the acids that are in your tummy after being empty all night — they bounce around. That's what makes you nauseous and feel like you're going to throw up."
And if you've only had coffee, he says you've actually made matters worse. "Coffee on an empty stomach increases that nausea — that's acid on acid!" And coffee and orange juice? What Wimberly calls "the classic American" combo? Consider it a recipe for disaster.
"In a perfect world, we'd all start our day with [alkalising] green juice," he said, but he offered some simpler options if green juice is outside your wheelhouse: "Nutrient-rich oatmeal, yogurt, or cottage cheese." His favourite option? One-half to one whole apple. "One of the best things I suggest for clients is an apple in the morning; it has the perfect amount of sugar — with fibre, so your blood sugar doesn't go too high — and a little bit of everything to get you going."
And remember: you definitely don't need a huge meal. "You don't want to be full, but you do need something to perform well." Copy that.