Workout on an EMPTY stomach or after EATING?

lemurcat12

Depends on the activity, for me. Running or swimming first thing in the morning I prefer to do fasted (although on the weekend if I have time I usually prefer to eat a little something and wait a bit). Biking or weights I prefer to eat first. Later in the day it doesn't matter -- mainly I don't like to eat immediately before running unless it's just a banana or yogurt.

MarlowJo13

I defiantly eat! I find working out on an empty stomach makes me dizzy

tcunbeliever

Both, I usually do 2 fasted workouts and 1 fed workout each day.

JustaJoe00

I used to work out with food in my stomach or not too long after a meal....i've found now i really don't like working out with food in my stomach....things can change also, i'm sure, with age....:p

fanceegirl75

My best workouts are done in the morning on an empty stomach. Especially when I want to go for a run.

peaceout_aly

KittyVida wrote: »

I was having this debate with a male friend. After much research I learned that it is best for MEN to workout on empty while WOMEN should eat a little something. Our bodies process differently. But in the end, you should do what you best perform by.

So the question is: Which have you been doing and why do you prefer it?

I eat a protein bar pre and post work out and usually have a liter of water or BCAA's during a work out. Works for me. I've tried fasted cardio and lifting to no avail and I always end up shaky and nauseated.

jemhh

Is that based on this: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3388628/Men-exercise-eating-women-burn-fat-scientists-reveal.html

If I am walking, running for less than 40 minutes, or lifting upper body first thing in the morning, I will do it before breakfast. I prefer to lift lower body later in the day, not because I can eat beforehand but because I feel more loose/warmed up at that time.

Bottom line, my choice for fasted vs unfasted comes down to what is convenient for me as opposed to what burns more/less fat.

elisa123gal

Ridiculous. As if we are all alike. Food is fuel. I have zero choice. I have to eat something before my workout to maximize my efforts.

dcresider

It depends for me. Sometimes I'll eat a little something before a run, some I don't. It also depends on the distance too. If I'm scheduled for a longer run of 7 miles or more, I'll eat something during the run.

epac0127

Me and my boyfriend always have this argument. He will want to eat something heavy before a workout. He lifts and I do mainly cardio. So I think in our situation it's easy for him. If I even think about food before a workout I get nauseous.

stephenmoralee

JustaJoe00 wrote: »

I'm seeing similar discussions here weekly. I thought i'd share a link to a Doctor that works with type 2 diabetic people with great success. If you dig through the information there are discussions and findings about intermittent fasting and working out/exercising on an empty stomach. Some of the most accomplished athletes have discovered competing after fasting they can perform at the highest levels....really interesting reading....

https://www.dietdoctor.com/ask-dr-jason-fung

Hi i have been intermittant fasting for 10 weeks now, Train in the morning at 6 after 14 hours fasting.
Fast period is from 5 o clock in the evening till 12:30 the next day.
Eating preiod is 12:30 - 17:00 daily.

Having great results (shed almost 15 Kg/ approx 30 Pounds in 10 weeks)

As a cross Country skiier i used to race on an empty stomache.

It works for me!

SCoil123

I do intermittent fasting so I work out before eating and then have a recovery shake. I do Insanity and will throw up if I eat before so thia works for me.

Pmillz10

I personally love to train before eating such as in the morning before breakfast. It may sound counterintuitive, but I actually feel more energetic when doing so. I'm big on delayed gratification so that may be why. It feels so great to eat after working through a difficult workout. Neither is wrong, but depends on the individual, experiment and see how it can work for you. Remember, if you are going to eat before training to separate the time frame at least an hour or more apart.

LPJM1710

If you want an honest opinion I think it boils down to preference. I do my own thing which may not be agreeable to a lot of people. I often give myself a survival test to see how my body reacts. I think a lot of whether one should eat or not eat before exercise has a lot to do with mindset and how fit you are feeling? Are you well hydrated, did you have a night on the town or get a good nights sleep? In fact working out on an empty stomach is more likely to work out for you if you have a good sleep routine that is regular. The majority of my exercise is climbing and I put myself through a tough regime, I had eaten well this morning buckwheat oatmeal with fruit and banana for breakfast and mung bean risotto for lunch. But although I had a good nights sleep yesterday I felt a little under the weather waking up this morning feeling fine. But found my climbing too fatiguing so opted for core exercises instead. One thing that fasting can help with is driving as eating can quite easily make the brain tired.

RoxieDawn

"So the question is: Which have you been doing and why do you prefer it? "

Workout fasted. I am not one that likes tasting my food later during a workout if I eat before.

I did not purposefully set out to train fasted in the very beginning of exercise, it is just that I workout so early in the morning that I have pretty much adapted my body to training fasted.

Carlos_421

I think the more important question is "Do you eat before or after you have a BM?"

lmew91

teetertatertango wrote: »

As long as I've eaten at least one meal sometime during the day, I'm usually OK even if it's been several hours.

I have to be careful if I exercise too much in the morning before breakfast (can get nauseous or dizzy), but if I eat too much and then exercise I also get nauseous so it's just tricky for me to do intense workouts at that time.

Same for me. Just have to find a nice balance between not too dizzy and/or nauseous from too little food, but at the same time trying to avoid cramps and/or nausea from too much food! An apple with peanut butter works well for me.

jennifer_417

People have different experiences. It's really just "as tolerated." Some people get sick if they eat before, some people get sick if they don't. I've done both and been fine.

bigmuney

Empty

alexandra0o7

KittyVida wrote: »

@oliverngus I read that ladies continue to burn calories up to an hour and a half after a workout if they only drink water during that time. The moment you eat something you stunt that burn.

That is absolutely not true. You're actually heavily advised to eat within the first 30-60 minutes after a workout, to replenish your body. The burn is going to keep going. That's why you see so many articles about eating a carb heavy snack after cardio, protein heavy after weights, and a combination of both when you lift and do cardio.

Also, everyone that says they're nauseous if they do eat beforehand, you just have to wait longer to workout. A light snack an hour or two beforehand (find what snack works with your gut) can improve your performance greatly. If you can't wait that hour or two, like if you wake up early to run, then you should definitely be eating directly after.

MarziPanda95

I don't exercise much but when I do, I get really bad stitches if I've eaten in the last few hours, or even if I've had anything to drink in the last couple of hours. It's a pain.

rainbow198

I do both. I workout early in the morning fasted and I also get in a 3 - 4 mile power walk in the evenings during the week after dinner.

I workout much better with an empty stomach.

becauseiwillbestrong

If I work out in the morning I never eat beforehand because it makes me nauseous and I can't reach the intensity I like. If I work out in the evening (before dinner) I don't eat after lunch for the same reason.
The only exception is when I race, then I usually eat something small (banana or similar) about an hour before.
Basically if I eat less than an hour or two before exercise I cannot perform well.

tlflag1620

Either, depending on the day - some days I can get to the gym in the morning (with nothing in me but my morning coffee), other days it's not until after dinner. I prefer the empty sessions, but I also prefer working out in the morning anyway. I don't feel any major physical difference. If anything I feel a tad sluggish during the evening sessions, but I'm not sure if that has to do with me still digesting my food, or if I'm just tired because it's 7pm and I've been running around all day already.

i_SWEAT_n_SWEAR

I think this depends on your body as many people have severe dips in blood sugar if they don't eat. Personally, I have found success for myself doing fasted cardio/weights in the mornings. And through intermittent fasting (eating in a 7-8 hour window each day).

mommarnurse

If it workout very early before work as early as 5 AM sometimes ) I find I am nauseous afterward if I don't eat something small like a Greek yogurt or half a banana before then I pay for it . I am way too hungry by 7 or 8 AM to not have a full breakfast before my usual time of day workouts.

MelanieCN77

I do evening workouts and try to be right between meals. I do play a full contact sport a couple times a week and those days I make sure to eat my big meal 2-3 hours before I skate. If I'm over hungry when I exercise it just feels terrible.

fitnessari567

I like to workout with some light food.

stealthq

It's personal preference, not a universal best.

I've run 15mi fasted in the morning before breakfast. I've run slightly less than that a couple of hours after dinner.

I felt better running fasted, because food in the gut is generally a negative for me on long runs. At best it makes me slightly heavier, perhaps a hair more sluggish which is probably a psychological effect. At worst, I end up with gas pains, intestinal upset, and emergency trips to the Porta-potties on my running route. Not fun.

I've eaten during a long run thinking I was at a distance where I might need to re-fuel and noticed no difference in energy. I think I need to be running closer to 20mi for that to be a necessity for me.

I've also lifted fasted and fed. Here I also don't notice a difference. I don't have to be too concerned about intestinal issues, either. Running exacerbates those, lifting does not.

joelo_1119

If you're in a calorie deficit, a small snack can help reduce muscle breakdown and catabolism during the workout. But realistically , unless you're diabetic , it doesn't matter. Your body compensates through glycogenolysis and ketoneogenesis.

I do whatever works with my schedule. Sometimes that means hitting the gym after a meal sometimes it means in a fast first thing in the morning. It's more mental than anything.