Apparently, you don't have to. But you also don't have to NOT.
I have a stomach of steel--but it wasn't always this way! I can definitely remember a time when I felt nauseas after eating and then riding, but as I rode more and got used to going on longer rides, I warmed up to the idea of eating more around (or even during) my workouts. It all started with a 'bonk' and the best-tasting sports gel I've ever had! Here's an article about sports gels and drinks for cyclists, but it's from Running Times and it applies to other things: http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=6677 .
Now, before a 6am or 7am class, I have a mini breakfast -- sometimes a bowl of yogurt and some cereal, sometimes a piece of fruit and some cottage cheese -- to get me out of the house. I know some people who are adamant that they just cannot eat before a class, and after seeing a participant pass out during one of my classes (not my proudest moment) last year, I really started to wonder if they were putting themselves in danger. I found an answer in Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook, and you can read the answer for free on google books: http://books.google.ca/books?id=Itwl2-rKwEoC&pg=PA171&lpg=PA171&dq=nancy+clark+eat+before+early&source=bl&ots=m668snzZKB&sig=YpFBlY8j7jLX0aO_sebhe1naEc8&hl=en&ei=baE3TdarBYGugQfoqOXqCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false .
She says it is okay to go ahead and exercise on an 'empty' stomach, but there's a catch. You can't exercise on 'empty' muscles. She suggests having your pre-workout snack the night before as a solution. Another, similar suggestion was made in this podcast http://www.groupfitnessradio.com/show-episodes/nutrition-diva/ , which goes into recovery nutrition in general and says that what really matters is keeping your body well-fed and nourished.
I also like how the above podcast says that fitness instructors and die-hard exercisers, which I think a lot of people who read this blog are (or aspire to be), have some room for play. I think rather than accepting that we not only have room for but also NEED more energy, we tend to do these intense workouts with the mindset that we could get the best results if we pair them up with a decrease in calories. In reality, we end up missing the window to really nourish our bodies and muscles when the food can be used to help us recover and rebuild stronger and we set ourselves up for overeating later. One way to change this thinking is to consider that we need fuel before a workout in order to fuel the workout and to let us work out harder and then to think about how our bodies need the energy to rebuild itself in recovery and to spare ourselves from further breakdown.
You're still wondering -- won't I burn more fat if I don't eat before I do my workout? I used to buy into this belief because it makes sense: if you don't have as much energy floating around in your bloodstream, of course you're going to tap into the fat stores earlier. That being said, most experts will disagree. You can read one dietitian's take on the issue here: http://www.healthline.com/blogs/diet_nutrition/2007/11/eat-before-exercise.html . Canadian Running addresses fat-burning myths pervasive amongst exercisers ( http://runningmagazine.ca/2010/06/sections/health-nutrition/recipe/fat-burning-myth-busters/ ) and says that exercising on an empty stomach is similar to driving a car without enough fuel -- you can get through it, but it's not good for the car and it's not going to get the best results. I can remember being told that you may in fact burn a greater proportion of fat if you have an empty stomach, but you will be doing so at a lower intensity and the quality of your workouts will suffer.
An important issue raised in Spinner's article on the issue of eating before workouts (at http://www.spinning.com/spinning-news-for-enthusiasts/2010-6-1.asp ) is that if you don't eat enough early on, you're just setting yourself up for a binge!
Why not give some of these suggestions a try for yourself? Try eating before a workout. If you throw up, maybe you're one of those people who should eat a little bed time snack the night before your early workout! Experiment with post-workout snacks: do you feel better when you've refueled right away? If you don't eat after your workout, do you find yourself ravenous when you do get hungry and does this lead to overeating? Are you willing to take a new mindset to your workouts and instead of getting through them or using them as a tool to lose weight or burn fat, do everything you can to thrive in them and to use them to feel strong, healthy, and fit?
Let me know what happens...
