Fasted Cardio?

sarab260

Hi all!

Just curious about opinions / input. I never had heard of fasted cardio until yesterday, but now I'm curious about what people find the benefits & drawbacks to be. I do my cardio before work, and basically roll out of bed and into the YMCA's wellness center, and workout 6-7am. I don't eat my breakfast until I get to my desk at work ~8:30. SO I guess theoretically, I partake in fasted cardio!

I don't plan on changing my routine but now I'm curious — what's everyone's thoughts on this whole fasted cardio thing? Pros, cons? Just so curious!

Thanks!!!

youngmomtaz

I do it because if I don't, I have to wait 3+ hrs before my stomach will handle it. I love to wake up in the morn and get in a good workout. Even coffee or more than a few sips of water will give me stomach cramps and halt the workout. I know people with iron stomachs who can work hard after any sized meal but I am not that lucky. As far as cal burn, the reading I have done says that it does not matter when you work out, watch your calories in, get enough movement into your day and balance it based on maintenance, weight loss, or weight gain.

galgenstrick

I do fasted cardio because I don't like to eat breakfast, and I work out before work in the mornings. I take leucine before doing my cardio though to prevent any possible muscle breakdown, which might not be necessary, but it's cheap enough.

AmyRhubarb

Like you and first commenter, I often do my workout fasted because it's already dang early, and I'm not getting up any earlier to eat and digest! We have hot hot summers, so during that season I run at dawn, and do my in between strength/HIIT days early as well, and on an empty stomach. In winter, I can run later in the morning, so I'll eat early with plenty of time to digest before running. I don't really notice big variances in results or my stamina with either situation - basically just do what works best for you!

jaga13

I run in the morning and usually haven't eaten in about 15 -16 hours (We eat dinner early here!) I prefer an empty stomach so I don't get cramps. But i also am only running 30 minutes. Maybe if I was training for a marathon or something I'd want a little more energy.

sarab260

Haha glad to hear I'm not alone!

Yellowon02

Yup, pretty much the same.
I work out first thing before my brain really comprehends what we are doing.
I wake up very slowly. Exercise helps of course. I sleep in my workout clothes.

inglysh731

I'm not sure I understand. You mean to tell me that you don't eat before exercising on purpose? Sounds gimmicky... like vegetarians. Or NA beer.

I like to workout on at least 250 calories in my stomach and will consume about 200 calories per hour of workout (while cycling). If I don't keep the calories coming in, I don't see the power coming out.

Also coffee... at least two cups, well in advance.

Yellowon02

The idea is you have no reserves so your body switches to fat burning faster.

It's well documented. Body builders have been doing it for years.

Like with everything. It depends on the person and their body. We are all unique.

And I drink coffee before/during.

Yellowon02

I do it more for convenience. I'm not eating at 4:30 in the morning.

nefudaboss

I do it cause im doing IF and I run and workout before i eat been losing fat and maintaining weight and muscle i love it

AJ_G

llrmacdougall wrote: »

The idea is you have no reserves so your body switches to fat burning faster.

It's well documented. Body builders have been doing it for years.

Only advantage of doing it is preference or convenience. As far as body composition is concerned, it doesn't matter either way...

llrmacdougall wrote: »

Like with everything. It depends on the person and their body. We are all unique.

Don't do that...

Yellowon02

You disagree we are all genetically different?

AJ_G

llrmacdougall wrote: »

You disagree we are all genetically different?

I disagree with you using that to infer that fundamental biological functions aren't generally universal

ElizabethOakes2

If I didn't eat at least an hour before doing cardio, I'd pass out from hunger.
It's my understanding that it's really best for performance athletes who need to force their body to their highest performance. I think it's one of those things that works for some people and not for others.

(Also, I was married to a competition body builder. Just because "body builders have been doing it for years" doesn't mean it's healthy, or even that it's particularly good for you.)

patesq

I couldn't eat just before working out, especially my morning workout which is just cardio. I roll out of bed, put on my workout clothes, brush my teeth and go, before I have a chance to think about it. If I wanted to eat first, I'd have to get up a couple of hours earlier which would provide too many opportunities to decide to do something else or for work to get in the way. Even for evening strength training, I need to have at least an hour before eating and working out. My stomach couldn't handle it otherwise.

MeanderingMammal

llrmacdougall wrote: »

The idea is you have no reserves so your body switches to fat burning faster.

It's well documented.

There is no compelling evidence to support any value, there is lots of broscience anecdata...

The practical issues are as upthread, but it does depend how much training one is doing. I can run for about 90 minutes fasted and unfuelled, but for more than that I need to fuel.

sijomial

I did it when I was doing a form of IF because if I didn't do it I didn't get my workout done. Took a while to adapt but eventually training (cardio or weights) felt just the same fasted or fed.

Did notice a benefit in medium intensity cycling - seemed to have more endurance and the need to feed on rides was much reduced / kicked in later.

For fat loss - no difference, that's a function of your overall calorie deficit not what fuel you may use doing your workout (which is mostly influenced by intensity not by recent food intake anyway).

litsy3

I do it for convenience (and out of personal preference) when running in the mornings, because I don't want to have to get up earlier and wait to digest. I can easily run for 2.5 hours without food or water (it is not hot where I live) because I'm used to it. I think the potential training benefit of adapting to fat-burning for racing marathons is convincing enough (though not my primary motivation for fasted training), but like other posters I am not convinced that it's a more efficient way to lose weight.

rybo

I did it a lot during my marathon training. Too lazy to get up & eat. I've gone as far as 20 miles fasted and on water only, no gels. But that's how I trained and built up to that.

jacksonpt

There is some merit to fasted cardio, but the benefits are really only meaningful if you have the basics down (CICO, macros, adherence). Beyond that, it's largely personal preference. Some people feel better on an empty stomach, some people don't. I generally do, so much of my cardio is fasted. However, I do tend to burn out quicker during longer workouts when I'm fasted. This somewhat common sense, but figured I'd mention it just in case.

cwolfman13

Benefits if any are pretty much negligible. The body is constantly fluxing between fat storage and oxidation...you aren't going to really burn any more net fat in 24 hours doing fasted cardio vs non-fasted.

Yellowon02 wrote: »

The idea is you have no reserves so your body switches to fat burning faster.

It's well documented. Body builders have been doing it for years.

Like with everything. It depends on the person and their body. We are all unique.

And I drink coffee before/during.

This has all been pretty well debunked....there is probably more woo in the body building industry than any other faction of the diet and fitness industry.

cajuntank

AJ_G wrote: »

llrmacdougall wrote: »

You disagree we are all genetically different?

I disagree with you using that to infer that fundamental biological functions aren't generally universal

^^This. I agree, "we are all special snow flakes, but that does not mean we are not snow."

On the fasted cardio topic, Brad Shoenfeld's latest research on this.
http://www.jissn.com/content/11/1/54/abstract
"These findings indicate that body composition changes associated with aerobic exercise in conjunction with a hypocaloric diet are similar regardless whether or not an individual is fasted prior to training."

Now, he has gone on to state on postings and podcasts that for a competitive bodybuilder, this still might be the difference between placing 1st or placing 2nd (for the individual trying to eek out every possible oz of advantage), but for the general populace, evidence does not point to any statistical advantage.

mbaker566

i do fasted cardio, and sometimes I use gu chomps.
i like to do both. I ran 10 miles saturday fasted

I think, it's really personal preference

Azdak

There is a fundamental difference between "I do fasted cardio because I feel uncomfortable eating before exercise" and "I do fasted cardio because (I believe) it burns more fat". They don't belong in the same discussion--yet every time this topic comes up, they are treated as interchangeable arguments.

Stop the madness. Think. Follow clear logic paths. Make America proud.

litsy3

Azdak wrote: »

There is a fundamental difference between "I do fasted cardio because I feel uncomfortable eating before exercise" and "I do fasted cardio because (I believe) it burns more fat". They don't belong in the same discussion--yet every time this topic comes up, they are treated as interchangeable arguments.

Stop the madness. Think. Follow clear logic paths. Make America proud.

To be honest, anyone who calls it 'fasted cardio' is probably not doing it for the endurance training benefits.

stealthq

Fasted cardio is good for training for long endurance events - you get better at burning fat which means you burn less glycogen so you don't run low on glycogen as early.

It does zero for body composition and you certainly aren't somehow burning more calories. If you were to do the same cardio not fasted, yes you'd burn a lower percentage of fat, but also higher percentage of glycogen. Unlike fat, glycogen is an energy store that will be replenished, even in a calorie deficit. It all evens out in the end.

ETA: added 'not' before fasted - because I can't brain today.

RoxieDawn

I do fasted cardio and endurance benefits are adhered to for me. I am not training for a marathon or 1/2 marathon but I run more than a 5K each day...

Eating with anything in my stomach makes me taste it later and I hate that. But at 5:30 a.m. who wants to break fast and go running?

@stealthq is spot on.

sarab260

Azdak wrote: »

There is a fundamental difference between "I do fasted cardio because I feel uncomfortable eating before exercise" and "I do fasted cardio because (I believe) it burns more fat". They don't belong in the same discussion--yet every time this topic comes up, they are treated as interchangeable arguments.

Stop the madness. Think. Follow clear logic paths. Make America proud.

Hey there. Appreciate the input — sorry to hear that my question came across as illogical, but I don't think it's unreasonable for someone who's new to working out to wonder about the potential benefits behind certain preferences. You have a point though and I will be sure not to group the categories of thinking together.

Everyone else -- thanks so much for sharing and commenting! Very interesting to read about peoples' preferences as well as the debate behind whether or not there is a real benefit to either exercise technique.

Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their day!

Chieflrg

It's subject to the individual. Some eat normal, some nibble, some fast.
Is it giving ypu the energy you need? More than likely not, but if you like it then do it.

Azdak

sarab260 wrote: »

Azdak wrote: »

There is a fundamental difference between "I do fasted cardio because I feel uncomfortable eating before exercise" and "I do fasted cardio because (I believe) it burns more fat". They don't belong in the same discussion--yet every time this topic comes up, they are treated as interchangeable arguments.

Stop the madness. Think. Follow clear logic paths. Make America proud.

Hey there. Appreciate the input — sorry to hear that my question came across as illogical, but I don't think it's unreasonable for someone who's new to working out to wonder about the potential benefits behind certain preferences. You have a point though and I will be sure not to group the categories of thinking together.

Everyone else -- thanks so much for sharing and commenting! Very interesting to read about peoples' preferences as well as the debate behind whether or not there is a real benefit to either exercise technique.

Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their day!

Your question was fine--I was just being a goof.