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Workout on an EMPTY stomach or after EATING?
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Depends on how you feel. I can do almost any form of exercise on either a full or empty belly.
Except running. If I don't eat something within like 45 minutes of starting a run, I'm guaranteed to get stomach cramps within a mile. So I'll have something small, like a banana or a Honey Stinger waffle or a Bonk Breaker/Clif bar.2 -
I can't seem to work out well after eating. I have to wait a couple hours before I can exercise. I guess for me it is kind of like swimming.
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I prefer eating a light breakfast (i.e., boiled eggs, a banana, etc) beforehand. I don't like exercising on an empty stomach.
As for the evening...I prefer to wait at least an hour before I exercise otherwise I'll feel heavy and sluggish. If the meal is particularly heavy I'll get cramps, too.2 -
It has been proven that working out for fat mobilization is very effective on an empty stomach. BUT one should not workout empty if the goal is to perform, add strength, improve coordination, etc...3
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subcounter wrote: »
Thing is, fat mobilization during the workout is a moot point when you consider that overall fat loss will be determined by the calorie deficit over time.
You can: burn 500 cals directly from fat stores during your workout, then burn the calories from your food during your daily activities...
or
burn 500 cals worth of your breakfast during your workout, then burn 500 cals of fat stores during your daily activities.
It averages out the same at the end of the day.4 -
Carlos_421 wrote: »subcounter wrote: »
Thing is, fat mobilization during the workout is a moot point when you consider that overall fat loss will be determined by the calorie deficit over time.
You can: burn 500 cals directly from fat stores during your workout, then burn the calories from your food during your daily activities...
or
burn 500 cals worth of your breakfast during your workout, then burn 500 cals of fat stores during your daily activities.
It averages out the same at the end of the day.
I know that's what I would think too but according to this study, on the six week experiment, at the end:
Non-exercising eating group gained six pounds. Muscles no longer respond well to insulin and not pulling glucose out of the bloodstream efficiently.
Second group, that had breakfast but worked out, gained around 3lb, and similar to the sedentary eaters, they became more insulin-resistant and stored a greater amount of fat in their muscles.
Third group, the "fasting" exercise group, gained almost no weight, and showed no signs of insulin resistance. They burned the fat they were taking in more efficiently. So they conclude saying “Data indicate that exercise training in the fasted state is more effective than exercise in the carbohydrate-fed state to stimulate glucose tolerance despite a hypercaloric high-fat diet.”
This is a referenced often paper but there are probably contradicting papers for the long term effects as well. I wouldn't really be so "sure" about either sides of the arguments.1 -
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I only eat before a workout if I'm so hungry I feel like my stomach is touching my spine. But then, I have to wait like two hours before I can exercise which I hate.0
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For me it's changed over time and depending on the workout I do. I can go running on an empty stomach, but I get nauseous if I do weights or body weight exercises on an empty stomach. I usually work out in the evenings so I don't run into this issue much. It's more of a personal decision.0
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I have a protein shake first or else my blood sugar crashes which results in me being sick and incapacitated. I am prediabetic though. Then when I get back I eat some fruit for carbs.2
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The digestive system and metabolism isn't an attribute of gender. It varies from person to person. If you're trying to figure out what works best for you, just listen to your body. If you're feeling nauseous or drained during or after working out on an empty stomach, try eating something and gage your body's reaction.0
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As you can see, everyone is different. Personally, it depends on the type of workout I'm doing. I'll do preworkout (or caffeine) and protein on days where I do body weight circuits, but I'll add in some carbs (an apple) on lifting days. Research has shown that both men and women will burn calories up to an hour (and longer) following HIIT, which is my primary method of training.0
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At least:
- Pre-workout protein (20g)
- Intra-workout carbohydrates, like Gatorade (35g)
- Immediate post-workout carbohydrates (20g)
You can't work out hard without fuel. Carbs and protein are good for lean muscle mass and a hard workout will accelerate your metabolism for hours afterwards. Caveat that my workouts are typically 1.5- to 2-hours long and I burn upwards of 700-1000 calories, but a lethargic workout isn't worth it.
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Personally I work out before I eat, if I eat previous to exercising I always feel like I want to barf.0
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I can not work out on a empty stomach, Or early in the morning saying that. I crash quickly, I’ve tried it multiple times after reading some articles and supposed benefits, but it doesn’t work for me, I can only achieve half of what I do and feel terrible after it. After 4pm for me and 2 meals already in me.1
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oliverngus wrote: »I have to eat or my blood sugar goes haywire . . . I try to make sure I've got some protein, but nothing heavy. Usually a scrambled egg with mushrooms and a side of greek yogurt or fruit.
Me too except I have to eat a meal (not a large one, but 300-400 cals) about 1/2 hour before exercising or I end up on the floor. ETA: I usually take a protein shake with me as well, just in case I begin to feel dizzy or nauseous because for me that's a sure sign of hypoglycemia.1 -
I do pretty much nothing on an empty stomach. I have coffee and breakfast before I jump into the rest of my day.
I have found if I work out (especially running) after lunch, I am far more likely to get a stitch in my side. Not sure why. That rarely happens if I work out after breakfast.0 -
I think I finally have this sorted for myself, it's been a bit of trial and error.
Cardio was easy. Running fasted is my jam. I can't run with food in my stomach.
Lifting was another story. I had trouble fitting it into my schedule when I had time and energy to do it. I mostly have energy in the morning, but lifting on an empty stomach was a migraine trigger for me. Eating in the morning was an all day appetite trigger.
I think I've found a balance. Eating a very small amount of plain Greek yogurt (just 56 grams) is enough to keep the migraine at bay if I keep my weights moderate and use high volume (which is fine for me because trying to go too heavy gives me exertional migraines) and does not trigger my "eat all the things all day!" response. The lifting is enough exercise (like the running) to suppress my appetite. Win/win.
I know this is all an individual thing. I'm just so pleased, because I've struggled with this. I had no issue with it for a long time when I weighed more than I do now, but it became a real problem when I got down to my current weight.4 -
I'm running 4xweek. I like to run on an empty stomach. I'm also doing a 20:4 IF diet. I can workout in the morning and have enough energy to get through it but then I have a very difficult time fasting tell dinner so I run after the fast. Problem with that is I run out of juice after about 30-minutes of running. I can fix that and not get an upset stomach by taking UCAN superstarch about 1-hr before I run or I take a tsp of coconut oil about 30-min before I run or I do both. I actually set a pr last thurs for this year in a 5k run by a minute over the previous week by following that protocol (taking both). Before that I just did the starch and it didn't quite get me through the race. This really works for me.2
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If I do heavy weights, kettle bell workouts I try to have a protein shake and branch chain amino acids 1 hour before working out and eat a great nutritious meal after the workout plus I try to stop eating by 6pm. On cardio days I do my workouts in a fasted state as I am doing the 18-6 intermittent fasting on those days. Too much heavy food causes me an upset stomach so I wait till I can enjoy it after hard workouts. So far this pattern works for my body. We must pay attention to our body and do what is best for ourselves to reach our goals in a healthy way.0
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Unless you’re a competitive athlete, the answer is “whatever works for you”. If you’re a competitive athlete, the answer is “whatever your coach says works for you.”
There is literally no right answer. It’s YMMV all the way down.4 -
Because I run on my lunch break, I find eating before I run to be best for me. I'm not very hungry after I workout and it's not a good idea to skip lunch so .... I eat less because I don't want to have something heavy in my stomach before I go run and I have a short period of time to eat before I need to change real quick, get the dogs ready, go run, come back, dry off and change back into work clothes.0
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Empty. I try to work out in the morning before I eat anything - this works well to maximize the period that I'm burning fat from the previous evening, before I break the fast (breakfast).2
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My experience it's a better workout when I have porridge and a protein shake about 90 mins before training and a banana on my way to the gym, I do mainly weights though could be different for a runner for example, only time I've ever felt sick is when I haven't eaten so my view is for strength, fuel up0
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If I workout after soon eating, I'll puke it up. So yeah, no pre-workout meals for me.
We are all different, some people need a pre-workout meal, some people can't have them.1 -
Why necro this thread?1
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Damn. Whyyy1
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I prefer to workout on an empty stomach. However, sometimes I like a casual walk after dinner.0
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