Fueling Up: Pre-Workout Nutrition for Firefighters

Eating before a workout can be challenging for firefighters, especially on duty. Despite the best intentions, the tones drop during your first set. Having a snack before your workout can boost intensity and duration. This article will break down quick ideas for eating before morning and evening workouts.

Early Morning Workouts

Eating before a 6:00 am or earlier-than-usual workout can be a challenge. Many firefighters do not feel like eating within an hour of waking. Contrary to popular belief, exercising fasted or skipping a snack pre-workout does not result in more fat loss¹. Schoenfeld and colleagues found that body composition changes were similar regardless of fasting or eating before cardio¹. However, skipping food can impact the intensity of your workout. Eating before may help you push harder and longer, improving your results. It may be time to add a pre-workout snack if you have no energy to work out.

If you’re exercising within an hour of waking up, aim for 300-400 calories, emphasizing carbohydrates². These also work during lineup if your shift tends to work out after engine checkouts. This can include:

Dry cereal (e.g., Mini-Wheats)
A smoothie
Yogurt
Fruit
Applesauce pouches
Oatmeal
Bagel or toast
Carb-based bars (e.g., Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars, Clif Bars, Kind Pressed Bars)

If you cannot stomach solid food first thing in the morning, consider 6-8 ounces of orange juice or a sports drink. Applesauce pouches are another quick, convenient option that is light on the stomach.

Avoid too much fat, fiber, or protein pre-workout². This can cause stomach discomfort because it takes longer for the stomach to digest foods high in fat, fiber, and protein. These foods are fantastic throughout the day because they help keep you full between calls! But slower digestion can slow fuel delivery to your muscles during the workout.

Higher-carb foods are digested and delivered faster, leading to better performance during exercise or drills. Save the protein bars or shakes for after the workout to prevent gas and bloating.

As for hydration, don’t forget to drink at least 8-16 oz of water before your workout². Sports drink or juice count towards this fluid goal. If you are a regular coffee drinker, the good news is that coffee counts^3,4! Research suggests that coffee, when consumed in moderation by caffeine-habituated males, provides hydrating qualities similar to water⁴. Although caffeine may cause mild fluid loss, most research has confirmed that caffeine consumption does not significantly impair hydration status, worsen dehydration, or threaten thermoregulation (i.e., body temperature regulation) when exercising in the heat³.

Note that pre-workout energy supplements are not recommended due to the high level of caffeine and potential side effects. Coffee or tea is the preferred caffeine source. If you must do a pre-workout supplement, keep the caffeine under 200 mg in a sitting or consider a non-stimulant option. Choose third-party tested supplements (e.g., NSF International or Informed Choice) to ensure ingredient presence and quantity.

If your energy levels are still low, consider eating before or working on your sleep habits. Many first responders forget that caffeine does not give them energy; it simply reduces the feeling of fatigue. Energy comes from calories! Particularly carbs pre-workout. Applesauce pouches are one of the most popular snacks because of their portability, and they give just enough energy to push through a workout. If your sleep is consistently less than six hours, you may need to focus on sleep first.

How to Know if Your Breakfast is Not Working for You

Low energy during a workout or overall day

Eat something before the workout, even a granola bar or applesauce pouch.
Eat more or change the quality of your breakfast (add fruit, veggies, whole grains).

Binging on food/sweets at night

Eat more for breakfast, and make sure you’re eating enough protein and fiber during the day.

Nausea or muscle cramping during a workout

Add electrolytes (fruit, vegetables, Gatorade) or reduce quantity at breakfast.
This typically applies to endurance or cardio training for over one hour at a moderate to high intensity.

If you feel hungry or have low energy during your workout, consider working with a sports dietitian to schedule your meals to optimize your energy levels. Often, more meals and snacks can help with energy levels for busy first responders.

Evening Workouts

The pre-workout nutrition composition for evening workouts doesn’t change much. The focus is still on carbohydrates. If you had a meal within 2-3 hours of your workout, you may not need to eat before. If it has been over 3 hours, consider adding a carbohydrate-based snack within 30 minutes. This can include:

Nature’s Bakery Fig Bar
Cliff Bar
Fruit
Rice cakes or toast with almond or peanut butter
Greek yogurt and fruit
Any of the breakfast options mentioned above work as well.

In summary, eating before a workout often leads to better energy, performance, and results. While some caffeine can help, eating carbs before can take your lift to the next level. Start with a small snack and work up from there.

Photo by form PxHere

Sources

Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA, Wilborn CD, Krieger JW, Sonmez GT. Body composition changes associated with fasted versus non-fasted aerobic exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2014 Nov 18;11(1):54. doi: 10.1186/s12970-014-0054-7. PMID: 25429252; PMCID: PMC4242477.
Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016 Mar;116(3):501-528. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2015.12.006. Erratum in: J Acad Nutr Diet. 2017 Jan;117(1):146. PMID: 26920240.
Guest, N.S., VanDusseldorp, T.A., Nelson, M.T. et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and exercise performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 18, 1 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-020-00383-4 Retrieved from https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-020-00383-4#citeas
Killer SC, Blannin AK, Jeukendrup AE. No evidence of dehydration with moderate daily coffee intake: a counterbalanced cross-over study in a free-living population. PLoS One. 2014 Jan 9;9(1):e84154. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084154. PMID: 24416202; PMCID: PMC3886980. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3886980/#:~:text=PMID%3A%2024416202-,No%20Evidence%20of%20Dehydration%20with%20Moderate%20Daily%20Coffee%20Intake%3A%20A,in%20a%20Free%2DLiving%20Population

BIO:

Megan Lautz, MS, RD, CSCS, TSAC-F

Megan is a Registered Dietitian and coach who specializes in firefighter nutrition. Megan’s mission is to help firefighters perform better, recover faster, and enjoy long healthy retirements. Megan is the owner of RescueRD LLC, which provides nutrition seminars and coaching for tactical athletes across the country. Check out @Rescue.RD on Facebook and Instagram.