Should you exercise on an empty stomach?
Should you exercise on an empty stomach?
There’s a common misconception of should one workout on an empty stomach. Many people assume that to lose weight fast, one should exercise on an empty stomach. But the truth is workout on an empty stomach is not healthy. Besides knowing to not workout on an empty stomach, is as important as to know- what should one eat before exercise? What should one eat, after workout? And last but not the least. When should you eat before and after your workout.
So should you Exercise on an Empty Stomach? If I exercise on an empty stomach in the morning, will I burn more fat?
Now with an outside chance of understanding science plus a dash of common sense and a teaspoon of magical fairy dust, we all know that the basic function of food is to provide energy to your body. To perform exercise, you need energy. So, if you exercise on an empty stomach, your body will not have enough fuel to power your workout. As a result, you will be weaker and more tired, and not perform as well. In the morning your blood sugar levels are low when you're in a fasted state (after going all night without eating) which targets more fat burning. The problem is that some studies have shown that fat burning doesn't really start until you're 20 minutes into your cardio workout. That means you've wasted 20 minutes without a good source of fuel to sustain you. That could lead to fatigue before your body even starts metabolizing fat, which might mean shorter (and/or crappier) workouts in which you burn less calories than if you'd eaten a small snack to keep you going you. Critics also say you may even burn muscle if you don't have the necessary fuel for your workouts.
There are some other benefits to eating before your workout:
• It can boost recovery and strength gains
• It can help you sustain longer, more intense workouts
• It can help you avoid low blood sugar, which can make you feel dizzy or nauseous
• It can make your workouts more enjoyable (since you're not thinking about eating the whole time)
When your body does not have enough fuel and you make it exercise, it’s going to get this fuel from somewhere. And there are two main ways for it to store energy in your body- fat and muscle. Both of them are energy reserves for your body. When you workout on an empty stomach, its primary source is the energy stored in your muscles. For long workouts, the body will even burn muscle to produce energy. Along with muscle, it will also use some fat energy stores. But the fact that it uses muscle to fuel your workout is actually detrimental to your fat loss goal. It almost acts like the side effects of crash dieting.
With lesser muscle, you will weigh less. But with lesser muscle your metabolic rate also slows down, so for the same food that you eat, your body will burn less calories. As a result, you will store more fat.
One more reason to eat before a workout- eating raises your metabolic rate. So, it helps to burn more calories and helps you lose weight faster!
The bottom line is, it's up to you and the type of workout you're doing. Some people are fine doing cardio without a meal in the morning, although they find they may need more fuel for a strength training workout. Other people workout so early, they may not have time to eat anything. The best answer to this is to do what works for you. Don't go hungry just because you think you're burning more fat...after all, if you cut it short or lower the intensity because of low energy, how much fat are you burning anyway?
If you do eat before a workout, make sure you give your body time to digest. The larger the meal, the more time you'll need. But, if you choose a light snack (100-200 calories) and stick with higher carb fare, you can probably exercise after about 30-60 minutes. Try some of these pre-workout snacks to get your body ready for exercise:
• Banana (or other type of fruit)
• Yogurt
• Oatmeal
• Energy bar or gel
• Fruit smoothie
• Sports drink
Another tip is dividing your eating plan into 5-6 small meals per day. More frequent, smaller meals and snacks will keep your energy level high and your hunger at bay. The keyword here is smaller meals and snack not mount Everest or sumo wrestler’s portion. This approach will prevent or reduce the risk of overeating -- another weapon to add to your arsenal of weight-loss tricks (for those of you that’s keeping a journal).
There’s a common misconception of should one workout on an empty stomach. Many people assume that to lose weight fast, one should exercise on an empty stomach. But the truth is workout on an empty stomach is not healthy. Besides knowing to not workout on an empty stomach, is as important as to know- what should one eat before exercise? What should one eat, after workout? And last but not the least. When should you eat before and after your workout.
So should you Exercise on an Empty Stomach? If I exercise on an empty stomach in the morning, will I burn more fat?
Now with an outside chance of understanding science plus a dash of common sense and a teaspoon of magical fairy dust, we all know that the basic function of food is to provide energy to your body. To perform exercise, you need energy. So, if you exercise on an empty stomach, your body will not have enough fuel to power your workout. As a result, you will be weaker and more tired, and not perform as well. In the morning your blood sugar levels are low when you're in a fasted state (after going all night without eating) which targets more fat burning. The problem is that some studies have shown that fat burning doesn't really start until you're 20 minutes into your cardio workout. That means you've wasted 20 minutes without a good source of fuel to sustain you. That could lead to fatigue before your body even starts metabolizing fat, which might mean shorter (and/or crappier) workouts in which you burn less calories than if you'd eaten a small snack to keep you going you. Critics also say you may even burn muscle if you don't have the necessary fuel for your workouts.
There are some other benefits to eating before your workout:
• It can boost recovery and strength gains
• It can help you sustain longer, more intense workouts
• It can help you avoid low blood sugar, which can make you feel dizzy or nauseous
• It can make your workouts more enjoyable (since you're not thinking about eating the whole time)
When your body does not have enough fuel and you make it exercise, it’s going to get this fuel from somewhere. And there are two main ways for it to store energy in your body- fat and muscle. Both of them are energy reserves for your body. When you workout on an empty stomach, its primary source is the energy stored in your muscles. For long workouts, the body will even burn muscle to produce energy. Along with muscle, it will also use some fat energy stores. But the fact that it uses muscle to fuel your workout is actually detrimental to your fat loss goal. It almost acts like the side effects of crash dieting.
With lesser muscle, you will weigh less. But with lesser muscle your metabolic rate also slows down, so for the same food that you eat, your body will burn less calories. As a result, you will store more fat.
One more reason to eat before a workout- eating raises your metabolic rate. So, it helps to burn more calories and helps you lose weight faster!
The bottom line is, it's up to you and the type of workout you're doing. Some people are fine doing cardio without a meal in the morning, although they find they may need more fuel for a strength training workout. Other people workout so early, they may not have time to eat anything. The best answer to this is to do what works for you. Don't go hungry just because you think you're burning more fat...after all, if you cut it short or lower the intensity because of low energy, how much fat are you burning anyway?
If you do eat before a workout, make sure you give your body time to digest. The larger the meal, the more time you'll need. But, if you choose a light snack (100-200 calories) and stick with higher carb fare, you can probably exercise after about 30-60 minutes. Try some of these pre-workout snacks to get your body ready for exercise:
• Banana (or other type of fruit)
• Yogurt
• Oatmeal
• Energy bar or gel
• Fruit smoothie
• Sports drink
Another tip is dividing your eating plan into 5-6 small meals per day. More frequent, smaller meals and snacks will keep your energy level high and your hunger at bay. The keyword here is smaller meals and snack not mount Everest or sumo wrestler’s portion. This approach will prevent or reduce the risk of overeating -- another weapon to add to your arsenal of weight-loss tricks (for those of you that’s keeping a journal).
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