For years, I used to run in the morning completely fasted—not because I thought it was better, but simply because I wasn’t hungry when I woke up. I figured since I ate enough the night before, my body had all the fuel it needed. I was wrong. Running fasted left me feeling sluggish—but I didn’t even know because I had never tried another way. What I didn’t realize is that for women, fasted exercise can negatively impact hormone balance, increase cortisol (stress hormone), and make recovery harder. Now, I always eat something before my run—even if it’s small – AND during my runs. And the difference? More energy, better endurance, and no mid-run crashes. Here’s what I recommend before a morning run: ✅ For easy runs (<60 min): Something light like a banana, half a granola bar, or a GU Energy Gel for quick, digestible carbs with another GU every 30-40 minutes during my run to keep my glycogen stores up. ✅ For workouts & long runs: A carb-rich snack like toast with honey, oatmeal, or a GU Energy Gel paired with electrolytes and a Gel every 30-40 minutes during the run. Fueling = better performance, fewer crashes, and long-term health benefits. Don’t run on empty! 🚀 What do you fuel your runs with? Drop your go-to run fuel in the comments! ⬇️ #RunningFuel #GUforIt #MarathonTraining #FastedRunning #RunStrong #FuelYourRun #RunnersLife #HormoneHealth #EnduranceTraining #RunningCommunity #RunnerKarolineOlsen