Fasted morning workouts are a staple for many athletes and high performers. It's easy, seems healthy, and feels good. However, I found out that my breakfast negligence was ruining my gut.
For the past year, I've been doing early morning workouts completely fasted. No breakfast, just coffee and go. I thought I was being disciplined, burning calories.
Then last week, my gut test results came back. Let's just say they weren't great. The biggest issue? Too much gut permeability—basically leaky gut. That's bad. Really bad.
Turns out, training fasted was wrecking my gut lining. Who knew?
So I reached out to our experts and completely rebuilt my morning routine. Here's what actually works when you need to fuel a morning workout without feeling sluggish.
Step 1: Morning Water (Before Anything Else)
Dr. Sprouse shared his "morning water" formula with me: one packet of LMNT mixed with a scoop of Pillar Triple Magnesium in 16oz of water.
I know what you're thinking—isn't Pillar for before bed? Turns out the timing doesn't matter nearly as much as we thought. What matters is getting it in daily.
I've been doing this for two weeks now, and honestly, I love it. Starts my hydration right, gets key electrolytes in, and primes my system before training.
Step 2: You Need Something in Your Stomach
Traditional breakfast foods make me want a nap instead of crushing a workout. These don't:
Kyoku has been my go-to for over a year. It's 16 superfoods packed into a shake—17g protein, 20g carbs. Perfect pre-workout fuel that doesn't sit heavy. Mix with water or milk, done in 60 seconds. I've also been adding in the new Foundation powder to boost it with Creatine, Collagen, and the strength peptide Synthesis.
Oatmeal is always a winner. We've carried Kodiak Oatmeal for a while (super popular), but we just added the new MYLK Ready To Eat Oatmeal Cups, and they're exploding. Already our #2 breakfast product after Kyoku. Zero prep, just grab and go.
Step 3: You Need Carbs — Timing Matters
If I'm doing threshold work, intervals, or a run, I take a full gel within 5 minutes of starting the workout. The Enervit Liquid Gel works great for this—easy to digest, hits fast.
Timing is critical here. If you take it 20 minutes before, you risk an insulin spike and crash. Take it right as you start moving.
The Game-Changer I Wasn't Expecting
For lower intensity and strength workouts, I used to just sip on a low-calorie electrolyte drink. Seemed like enough.
Recently, I switched to Victus During. Way more carbs than I thought I needed—45g per bottle. But holy crap, the difference is insane.
I go straight to work after these workouts. Meetings, writing emails, running the business. I used to be completely wrecked. Now? I'm dialed in and productive.
I realize the science probably says I don't need those carbs for a strength session. But I feel 10x better during the workout AND the entire rest of my day. More output in the gym, way more energy at work.
Sometimes you've got to ignore what the textbook says and pay attention to what your body is telling you.
Fixing the Damage
To repair my gut from all that fasted-training damage, I'm using the Foundation powder in my morning shake, as it has the same ingredients as SwissRX Gut Defense. If you want just the parts to fix your gut, then take 1 to 2 scoops of SwissRX Gut Defense daily. Mixed with a bit of warm water and milk each morning.
It's getting better, but slowly. Gut healing takes time. At least I caught it before it got worse.
Try this routine for a week and see how you feel. I'm telling you, the difference is massive.
I'm not going back to fasted morning workouts. Ever.
