Working out on empty stomach

Kidostud

What are the pros and cons of working out first thing in the morning without having something to eat before that? I'm not thinking of lifting type training, but more cardio and body weight training. Will you burn more stored energy that way?

robbyf1971

I workout first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and had good results. For one, you don't have to worry about food cramps. I had switched to evenings for a while and noticed my results go down. I blamed it on having a few sodas during the day and decent size lunch. I think (you can google it) but there are benefits to working out in a fasted state as far as fat burn.

Winterlover123

I've heard pros and cons on both ( for the life of me, I don't remember them)
But ultimately, it comes down to what you feel most comfortable doing
I have tried both many times and have always preferred going right in the morning on an empty stomach.

enterdanger

I hate doing cardio within 2 hours of having eaten. I also run on an empty stomach when I do morning runs. I don't even have coffee before hand. Which is probably why everyone avoids me and sometimes I'll get to the gym and not remember driving there.

lmlilly

I spin and could never eat beforehand. Mostly I exercise at 5:15, so it makes sense not to eat, but I won't even when I take a later class.

nyponbell

I work out on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning. I'm usually not feeling any "ill affects", but that also depends on what I ate the night before. If I didn't eat something that actually sustained me during the night, I might wake up hungry (but without feeling it, because I head to the gym pretty much as soon as I wake up so I don't fall back asleep). So I do carry with me a snack-pack of nuts, or some kind of raw bar just in case. I do mostly lifting though, so it might not apply, but I also do some cardio.

DaddieCat

Personally I feel weaker when lifting on an empty stomach as my glycogen stores are depleted after a long fast, even just overnight. I prefer to eat and then lift sometime 3-5 hours after my last large meal. Snacks don't really effect me negatively provided I keep them small and relatively easily digestible. Some fruit or something right beforehand is generally ok, but working fasted makes me less likely to accomplish my goals. All based on my experience.

SuggaD

None so long as your nutrition is on point (i.e., getting enough calories daily to fuel your workouts). I even do my long runs first thing in the morning. Breakfast when I get back.

rileysowner

From what I have seen the evidence tends toward there being no significant difference in fat burning between the two. It basically comes down to personal preference. I have gone for 2 hour bike rides at a fairly fast pace with no eating and with. Performance for me doesn't really change one way or the other for me, but many people have significant performance differences in cardio type activity either positive or negative. Basically find what works for you unless further study shows a significant difference.

kristinels

I'm with @BecomingBane - If I have nothing in the tank, my performance during the workout is definitely affected. More so with strength than with cardio - but even with cardio it still suffers. I do my workouts at lunch time though, so I just have a small mid-morning snack about an hour or two before the workout and that does it! It'll be a cold day you-know-where before I ever get up at 5:15 am to work out! Lol

AnnPT77

Like some others, I think this may be an "experiment to find what works best for you" thing.

I've found I can do a short rowing machine piece (say, 2 * 10 minutes, or somesuch), or take a brisk walk (say, 40 min/4mph) without eating, but if I try to do a serious workout (spin class, real session of on-water rowing) without eating, I crash & burn.

I've figured out what I need to eat, and can eat, before those workouts. Perhaps surprisingly, it's different for the two activities:

For the rowing, an Ezekiel english muffin with a couple of tablespoons peanut butter, and 3/4C skim milk, is just perfect. If I eat that before spin, I get heartburn. I need to switch out the english muffin for a Coco Lite Pop Cake (that's an odd, mostly-rice-flour, large, crisp cracker-y thing, 20 calories, basically just a negligible substrate for the peanut butter).

SueInAz

I haven't seen anything conclusive that it helps one way or the other. As you can see by the responses it really depends on you, on what you're doing and how you feel when doing it.

Our bodies store enough glycogen for about 90 minutes of intense activity (running, etc.) so if what you're doing will last less than that there's no reason not to work out in a fasted state. I run every other morning during the week for 3-4 miles and never eat beforehand. I get up, get dressed and hit the road. I usually don't eat until I get to work a few hours later. For runs longer than 7 miles on the weekends I'll make sure to eat something light around 30-60 minutes before I start my run and sometimes take jelly beans to eat during. I lift weights after work on the days I don't run and won't have eaten since lunch and then won't eat again until dinner.

Give fasted workouts a try and see how you feel. If you like it, keep doing it. If you feel like it's affecting your performance then try different eating routines around your workouts and figure out what is best for you.

PeachyCarol

I have to agree with the "try and see what works for you approach". I'm a first thing in the morning on an empty stomach exerciser all the way.

I tried to run the other day a couple hours after breakfast, and I just felt weighed down. It was awful.

MostlyWater

Fasted cardio? If it's super early morning that's one thing. I'd be too hungry later in the day.

kami3006

Yep, it's personal. I have to have something on my stomach even if it's just half a banana or I become nauseated.

quiltlovinlisa

Personal preference. If I'm super hungry, I'll eat a greek yogurt about a half hour before. But sometimes I like to exercise on an empty stomach. Whatever works for you.

Kidostud

I've actually worked out that I can do cardio and bodyweight training without having breakfast - for up to about an hour. But when I include weights, I feel depleted very soon. I usually do my weight training in the afternoons, but then I aldo have to be careful not to train too soon after my last meal / drink - deadlifts or bent over rows then makes me feel terrible and I generallyget terrible food cramps.

But, what happens if your stored glycogen is depleted and you carry on training? Where does the energy comes from then? Does your body ever reach a stage where he burns fat as energy?

SueInAz

Kidostud wrote: »

I've actually worked out that I can do cardio and bodyweight training without having breakfast - for up to about an hour. But when I include weights, I feel depleted very soon. I usually do my weight training in the afternoons, but then I aldo have to be careful not to train too soon after my last meal / drink - deadlifts or bent over rows then makes me feel terrible and I generallyget terrible food cramps.

But, what happens if your stored glycogen is depleted and you carry on training? Where does the energy comes from then? Does your body ever reach a stage where he burns fat as energy?

When you hear about marathon runners "hitting the wall" that's pretty much what has happened to them. It also happens to people who are eating very low carb for long periods of time.

Your body will burn fat as energy when your glycogen stores are depleted but it takes time to switch over. That's why so many people who start low carb diets complain about feeling sluggish, tired, headachy, etc. Once the switchover to burning fat for fuel is complete, usually in a week or so, they go back to feeling normal and many even will tell you they have more energy than before. I'm not sure how much of that is subjective, however. I never noticed any real extra energy.

I actually ran my first half marathon, and several after that, while low carb dieting without any problems. Your body has to be ready for it, though. There have been some studies done on training in a fasted state and its effect on marathon runners burning more fat but those benefits don't seem to translate to those who aren't regularly in a glycogen depleted state or who aren't running those types of distances.

agreenid

I would say it depends largely on what you feel like but I've found that if I don't have anything to eat before I do anything involving a serious weight lifting session, I tend to get nauseous. Having a protein shake an hour before helps a lot. HOWEVER, for high intensity I cannot eat anything before I go or it's the same issue so. Just me personally but I've heard other people say the same for HIT.

tashspring68

I'm one of those people who have to eat ever few hours and feel better exercising after a solid meal. Exercising on an empty stomach would result either in me performing very poorly or straight out fainting. And I'd feel violently ill for the rest of the day.

But, everyone is different. Do what works for you, because if you try to do something that doesn't work for you, you aren't going to progress.

kristinegift

I do my morning runs without eating beforehand (except long runs of 14-20+ miles). I think it helps you learn to burn what you've got more effectively. Then when I do eat/drink coffee before a race or something then it really has a significant and positive effect on my performance.

All in all, it comes down to what is convenient, comfortable and easiest for you.

kuroshii

I work out in the evenings right before dinner. But everything I've heard/read says that whether to eat something beforehand or not is really based on personal preference/concerns and not any isolated pros/cons.

ltworide

I prefer to do cardio workouts in a fasted state, in the morning after a cup of coffee but prefer to do strength training about 2 -3 hours after I've eaten after lunch.

patrikc333

banana + coffee is my favourite combination 30-40 mins before a run

alternative cereals and milk >1h before a long run

but empty stomach is also ok for 10ks for me, not for middle range (like a HM) runs

rybo

I pretty much have to run on an empty stomach and have had no issues doing so & going up to 20 miles. Strength training I can do after having eaten reletively recent and feel better when I have some thing in me compared to an empty stomach.

leahcollett1

i workout at 6am in the morning with a nice 50 minute body combat class - this has to be done on an empty stomach as i reckon i would throw up lol.