often i am asked about what should be considered with the diet when exercising first thing in the morning. the concern most of the time is that our metabolism is primarily catabolic when awakening. although this is true, there are ways to offset this and preserve lean tissues.

the questions often asked are should we eat the first meal of the day prior to activity, or should we wait until after the workout?

i tend to go on an empty stomach; however, i make sure to monitor HR and pace the intensity so that i can ensure that the metabolic pathways remain anaerobic. if you're not careful here, the aerobic pathways can easily become engaged even to a small extent. this would be counter-productive due to the lack of cirulating glucose and depleted liver glycogen. as a result, body proteins will be catabolized for glucose synthesis. to avoid this, you can do one of two things:

1) eat a carbohydrate-rich meal consisting of complex carbs 2-3 hours prior to your workout. this will ensure that liver glycogen is replaced along with restoring optimum glucose levels; thereby, transitioning out of a catabolic state. this would not be appealing for most, since it would require you to wake 2-3 hours prior to consume this preworkout meal.

2) consume a protein shake consisting of casein approximately 1 hour prior to your workout. if your goal is to cut or lean up, you would want to refrain from carb enrichment here. if the goal is size/strength, moderate carbs would be ideal - keep in mind you're not looking for an insulin spike here, only what is necessary to counter teh catabolic metabolism. IMO this would be most ideal for someone that hits the gym early in the morning.

The peptide chain making up the casein protein will promote a more gradual rise in and more constant level of circulating amino acids. Becasue we are in a catabolic state upon waking, intense activity can cause proteins (tissue or dietary) to be broken down and converted to glucose for energy purposes. Supplementing with casein will ensure that blood proteins are provide via a dietary source, thereby preserving lean tissues during this time.

Immediately following the workout, you will want to ingest both fast digesting carbs and proteins (whey). The amounts of carbs should be 40-60 g and protein should be 20-40 g. This induces an insulin spike, which will drive the newly absorbed glucose and proteins into the recovering muscle when it is needed the most.

Here's a quick read on the differences between whey and casein:

http://www.eroids.com/forum/training-nutrition-diet/supplements/casein-v...

And, here's a quick read on the mechanics behind the insulin spike post workout:

http://www.eroids.com/forum/training-nutrition-diet/workout-exercise/for...