Today, let's talk about exercising on an empty stomach.
Fasting exercise is actually more of a fasted aerobic workout. It means doing aerobic exercise before or without eating, which mostly happens in the morning.
Like many fitness or weight loss techniques, this method has its proponents and sceptics. Some see it as a quick and effective way to lose weight, while others see it as a waste of time and energy.
Fasting aerobically does not necessarily mean that you stick to a diet like intermittent fasting either. Because quite simply, running first thing in the morning and then eating breakfast is the most common form of fasting aerobic exercise.
So let's have our say about the pros and cons of fasted aerobic exercise.
Reasons why it is recommended to try it.
Fasting aerobics can help you burn more fat
Among the weight loss and fitness crowd, doing cardio on a treadmill or bike on an empty stomach is a popular method. The possibility of burning more fat has led many people to choose to go for fasted aerobic exercise.
Some nutritionists claim that not consuming too many calories at a recent meal or in your most recent diet before a workout will force your body to rely on glycogen and stored fat for energy during a workout.
Some studies have shown that working out in the morning after fasting for 8 to 12 hours during sleep can allow you to burn up to 20% more fat. However, there are other studies that show it has no effect on overall fat loss.
How you like your body to feel when you do fasted cardio
The reason may seem simple, but we often question why we do something, even if it makes you feel good. This is why we say that the decision to try fasted aerobic exercise depends on personal preference and how you feel. This is because some people like the feeling of working out on an empty stomach, while others prefer to work out after they've finished eating.
If you have gastrointestinal digestive stress, fasted aerobics may help
Sitting down to eat a meal or even an extra meal before doing cardio can make you feel uncomfortable during your workout. This is especially true when eating high-fat, high-fibre foods in the morning.
If you can't digest a large meal well, or you don't have at least two hours to digest what you've eaten, you're better off eating something that is a quick source of energy or doing cardio on an empty stomach.
Reasons not recommended to try.
Eating before cardio is necessary if you want to build muscle
The first thing you need to know is that there is a difference between gaining muscle mass and maintaining it.
As long as you consume enough protein and use your muscles consistently, muscle mass is well protected even in the face of an overall calorie deficit.
This is because amino acids are not as good as stored carbohydrates and fats when your body needs 'fuel', so fats are the first choice for energy when there is a calorie deficit.
However, your quick energy supply is limited and training for long periods on an empty stomach will cause you to probably start burning more muscle.
Of course, eating after a workout can replenish these depletions as well as repair any muscle damage that occurs during the workout.
Workouts that require strength and speed require you to replenish your energy
If you are planning an exercise that requires high intensity or speed, you should consider eating before you perform these workouts.
Glucose is the fastest form of energy and is the best source of fuel for strength and speed activities. In a fasted state, the physiology usually does not have the best resources to perform this type of exercise. Therefore, if your goal is to become fast and powerful, be sure to train (or have something to add) after eating.
You have certain health problems
Doing aerobic exercise on an empty stomach requires you to be in very good health. You also need to consider some health issues that may cause low blood pressure or low blood sugar causing vertigo, which may put you at greater risk of injury and illness.
Rules for safe fasted aerobic exercise:
Do not exceed 60 minutes of aerobic exercise on an empty stomach, preferably limit it to 40 minutes.
Choose a moderate to low-intensity workout.
Don't forget to drink plenty of water before and after fasted aerobic exercise.
Remember that when it comes to weight loss (or fat loss), what matters most in terms of weight gain or loss is the overall lifestyle, especially nutritional intake, and these play a bigger role than the choice of exercise time. Fasted cardio is just a choice of time and is not much less effective than other times for fat loss.