Fasted cardio

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black_jay
black_jay Posts: 23 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey guys. I was just wondering what your experience with fasted cardio has been? Did you feel like you lost more weight with it? Were you able to get through your workout fasted? Share your thoughts! Thanks!

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  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    I typically run fasted unless I'm doing more than 12-15 miles. It has nothing to do with weight management, it's because I just feel better running on an empty stomach. I have no problem getting through a fasted workout as long as I'm getting enough to eat overall.

    Did I lose more weight with it? I have no idea how I'd measure that, but I will say when I'm losing weight it behaves pretty much like I'd expect given my activity level/calorie intake, so I don't think it's doing anything special for me. For the average person, I don't think there are really any benefits to a fasted workout unless you personally find you feel better exercising without food in your stomach.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
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    It’s definitely not necessary for losing weight. I lost 125 lbs and never worked out fasted. Because I take metformin, which prevents the release of glycogen from the liver, working out fasted is very uncomfortable for me and after about two miles of running I feel like a puppet with my strings cut. I usually fuel with an orange before working out and gummies during workouts longer than an hour.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
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    There is no advantage to being fasted while working out, it does not burn extra fat. I, however, like working out with no food jostling inside my stomach. Heartburn sucks.
  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
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    My experience is similar to @janejellyroll. I train for endurance sports and typically don't eat before morning workouts. During my winter training sessions, ( which is the off season for me), I don't take in calories unless I'm running or swimming for 90 minutes or more, or if my cycling sessions exceed 2hrs. I may eat breakfast first and increase fueling and electrolytes during high volume days (3-5 hour training days) to be sure I'm performing well and recovering sufficiently for the next days' workouts.

    I typically follow a 14:10 fasting/eating approach, so weight loss is not really enhanced by fasted cardio, but rather by my overall intake.

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    I don't like to eat first thing in the morning and when I have a chance to go out and ride a bike, ski, or hike, I'll get up early for it. When I need to take food in depends on the intensity and duration.

    No effect on weight. Probably helps with adapting to use fat as fuel to a greater degree which is important if you're going for many hours. I spent 26 hours straight hiking and peak bagging, it was a spectacular experience, I'm sure it would have been a lot more uncomfortable without having had fun on an empty stomach on weekends for years.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    Like others, I do it because I prefer it, not for any supposed benefits, except perhaps preventing heartburn.

    For a long bike ride or hike, I take snacks and/or a sandwich along and have a break, typically when my husband gets hangry, even though he had breakfast.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,387 Member
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    I'm only good for about 20 minutes of moderately-intense exercise if fasted, and even that feels miserable. I nearly always eat before I work out, unless I'm intentionally keeping it that short and don't have an alternative time that day when I can conveniently work out *after* eating. I had zero difficulty losing weight, even when eating before workouts 99.63% of the time.

    From what I've read and understood about it, working out fasted affects energy/intensity for some people (like me), affects digestive system comfort for some people, endurance athletes may see some fuel prioritization (but not total fuel use) advantages by training fasted in planned ways, but it's not going to affect weight loss except indirectly through exercise intensity.

    IOW, I believe that if we do 100 calories of effort, we're going to burn 100 calories of fuel. If we're in a calorie deficit overall, that deficit will be made up from stored body fat sooner or later, and it doesn't really matter for weight loss whether it happens during the exercise, or while we're asleep.

    I've read some blogs and heard some trainers say otherwise about training fasted, but not from sources that seemed to have a solid grasp on the underlying mechanisms . . . but heck, that's just my opinion.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I'm only good for about 20 minutes of moderately-intense exercise if fasted, and even that feels miserable. I nearly always eat before I work out, unless I'm intentionally keeping it that short and don't have an alternative time that day when I can conveniently work out *after* eating. I had zero difficulty losing weight, even when eating before workouts 99.63% of the time.

    From what I've read and understood about it, working out fasted affects energy/intensity for some people (like me), affects digestive system comfort for some people, endurance athletes may see some fuel prioritization (but not total fuel use) advantages by training fasted in planned ways, but it's not going to affect weight loss except indirectly through exercise intensity.

    IOW, I believe that if we do 100 calories of effort, we're going to burn 100 calories of fuel. If we're in a calorie deficit overall, that deficit will be made up from stored body fat sooner or later, and it doesn't really matter for weight loss whether it happens during the exercise, or while we're asleep.

    I've read some blogs and heard some trainers say otherwise about training fasted, but not from sources that seemed to have a solid grasp on the underlying mechanisms . . . but heck, that's just my opinion.

    I do think there may be some benefits (not related to weight management) to "teaching" your body to work fasted for people who are doing endurance activity for extended periods, but even then I don't think it's mandatory to enjoy/do well in those activities. I know runners who can't run at all on an empty stomach and they're still meeting all their goals.
  • SnifterPug
    SnifterPug Posts: 746 Member
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    To my mind you choose whether to train fasted or fed depending on which gives you the better workout. I prefer fasted so I do it first thing. On occasions where I have to train later in the day I struggle to get going, I don't feel like putting in my best effort, the whole thing becomes a boring drag and I usually quit as early as I feel I realistically can, having gone to the trouble of dragging myself to the gym.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    makes no difference on the scale, your eating and workout schedule.

    Personally, I rarely eat breakfast. So I workout fasted. If I tried to eat something before working out, it would be a crummy workout LOL

    Others, feel better eating something (no matter how light) before their workout.

    Find what works best for you.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    edited March 2021
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    When I was endurance race training I'd do fasted up to 1 hr runs or rides to train body into better ratio fat/carbs usage sooner rather than later that might otherwise occur.

    No bearing on weight loss or fat loss, merely fuel ratio usage.

    Over 1.5 hrs was fueled at some point before, and during, since now the point was the actual endurance at good intensity level.

    Now, fasted just because that's how it works out, and it appears I have a huge glycogen store to tap into anyway since a long 1.5-2 hr workout can be end of day fasted entire day.

    I'll mention the fat usage during workouts will generally start becoming that which is closest to working muscle.
    So it's the fat burn from diet that usually hits the areas people are interested in losing from anyway.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Weight loss or maintenance - zero impact, that's a function of my long term calorie balance.

    Strength training - no discernable performance difference fed or fasted, just fits in that day's normal eating pattern. Makes sense as it's a pretty small calorie burn and using fuel already onboard is more than adequate.

    Cardio (cycling) - no discernable performance difference fed or fasted for moderate intensity rides of up to two hours, just fits in that's day's normal eating pattern and could be either depending if I set off before or after lunch. For longer rides or high intensity rides I'll eat or drink some carby fuel beforehand and during the ride. Biggest difference noticed is that the more I rode fasted the better I got at fasted riding in terms of duration possible without performance impact. Whether that is a useful attribute is a moot point unless you are into competitive endurance rides.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    SnifterPug wrote: »
    To my mind you choose whether to train fasted or fed depending on which gives you the better workout. I prefer fasted so I do it first thing. On occasions where I have to train later in the day I struggle to get going, I don't feel like putting in my best effort, the whole thing becomes a boring drag and I usually quit as early as I feel I realistically can, having gone to the trouble of dragging myself to the gym.

    I'm not sure about this. The last time I trusted a pug, he sneezed all over my face.
  • SnifterPug
    SnifterPug Posts: 746 Member
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    NorthCascades wrote: »
    SnifterPug wrote: »
    To my mind you choose whether to train fasted or fed depending on which gives you the better workout. I prefer fasted so I do it first thing. On occasions where I have to train later in the day I struggle to get going, I don't feel like putting in my best effort, the whole thing becomes a boring drag and I usually quit as early as I feel I realistically can, having gone to the trouble of dragging myself to the gym.

    I'm not sure about this. The last time I trusted a pug, he sneezed all over my face.

    Ha ha. They have a habit of doing that. And they would never train fasted. They resent doing anything fasted.

  • youngmomtaz
    youngmomtaz Posts: 1,075 Member
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    I doubt it helps me lose any faster. I still eat throughout my day.......

    I do all my workouts fasted though because my digestion is slow, it takes a long time for food to be out of my stomach. If I work out within 4 hours of eating it will go badly! A walk I can do, but heavy lifting, running, or aerobics and I will puke. I have done this for years and never noticed any ill effects. Workouts are strong and energetic.
  • westrich20940
    westrich20940 Posts: 879 Member
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    No effect on overall weight loss. I run fasted because I get indigestion if I have eaten within like 3 hours...and it's not enjoyable lol.
  • SuzanneC1l9zz
    SuzanneC1l9zz Posts: 452 Member
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    I work out before breakfast. It's what works best for my schedule and I feel fine so why not? Usually about 45 minutes on the stationary bike or resistance training.

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