Fasted cardio

cjcj748

Hi all, I've recently started getting up and going to the gym first thing in the morning before work. I've never really been a breakfast person so I usually just have coffee before going. I've been doing 3 days of 30 mins spin followed by couch to 5k, and 2 days swimming 30-45 minutes.

My question is, would I be better off eating before going to the gym in the morning? I've seen some trainers on Instagram etc talking about how fasted cardio can be beneficial but others say you should eat first.

yirara

I don't think it matters. If you have enough energy to do your workouts then go for it. If not then eat first.

Xellercin

What matters most is what feels best for your body. If you enjoy a morning routine where you exercise fasted, you are more likely to do it. That alone will be more beneficial than any possible impact of the timing.

DoubleG2

It's a personal choice. Mostly I work out in a fasted state - BUT if I decide to go on a longer run (:60 or more) I find my performance is much better if I have a banana or something small. YMMV.

Retroguy2000

I've seen mixed articles on how effective fasted cardio is for weight loss. If you feel you have the energy and there's no negative effect on your workout, carry on. If a healthy snack would help you work out harder, that might be better for you.

sijomial

"I've been doing 3 days of 30 mins spin followed by couch to 5k, and 2 days swimming 30-45 minutes."
That duration can be fine but will also be heavily influenced by if you are eating at a deficit and how big that deficit is. Quite a difference between someone going into a fasted exercise session when generally fully fuelled or alternatively already somewhat depleted.

"My question is, would I be better off eating before going to the gym in the morning?"
Maybe yes, maybe no, maybe no difference.
It's personal not universal so maybe carry out an experiment.

"I've seen some trainers on Instagram etc talking about how fasted cardio can be beneficial"
Can is a lovely weasel word, like may, or might.....
While true what benefits precisely? What is the significance, 1% or 10%? For who?
Scrutinise the why and who for. For example (some) fasted cardio can be beneficial for endurance athletes - which is irrelevant if that's not you.
Be very wary if they talk about weight loss benefits, how relevant are these benefits to someone who might be calorie counting?

"but others say you should eat first."
In reality some people should eat something first (esp. carbs) as it helps their exercise performance, some people workout better fasted, some people (like me) can do either.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

My approach has varied. If I'm doing a longer workout (more than an hour), I always eat something (banana, toast and jam). If I'm doing a quick (<1h) run right in the morning, just go for it.

I have a friend that can't eat anything except sports gel when he runs, or else he gets sick. So there you have it! Better living through Gu.

AnnPT77

In practice, individual factors loom larger than any theoretical advantages or disadvantages, IMO.

Some people have digestive distress if they eat too close to workout time. They may be better off fasted.

Some other people experience crud-ola energy and underperform if they don't eat before exercise. They may be better off eating before workouts. (I'm one of the latter. I can handle about 20 minutes at moderate to high intensity if fasted, longer if low intensity. Anything more, and I feel miserable, underperform. So I eat before I work out. YMMV.)

There are other potential varied experiences too, not just nausea or energy issues of various types, but potentially other things (appetite, post exercise fatigue, perceived muscle soreness . . . ). Experiment, find what works best for you. It could even vary depending on what exercise you're doing, what intensity, what duration, etc.

DancingMoosie

I work out fasted every single day. My breakfast is after my morning workout. Do what works for you.

cjcj748

Thanks everyone! I think I'll stick with fasted for now, the idea of eating right after i get up and right before exercise makes me feel a bit sick so I'm glad to hear that there doesn't seem to be any advice to avoid fasted as a general rule 😊

cyndit1

I’m a marathon runner and do my shorter runs (under 10 miles) and any cross training (spin and weights) fasted and long runs (over 10 miles) I will eat something small and then fuel during the run based on the distance (on a 20 mile run I would fuel around mile 7 and again 14). My fuel
Methodology is based on doing this a long time and finding what works for me. That is always key.

westrich20940

No clue what (if any) effect fasted cardio would have on weight loss. If any - it's surely not an efficient way to increase weight loss.

Eat before your workout if you need to. Don't eat before your workout if you don't need to or it doesn't fit into your schedule or you get indigestion.

Effectively: do what works for you and what is likely to encourage you to be more consistent with both eating an appropriate amount of calories as well as doing your activity.

Personally - I workout and run fasted. I will burp a lot if I have food in my tummy so I don't do it. For others, running after a meal may cause other digestive issues (and there's only one bathroom on my route and it's 4 miles in...from either directions so that's a no go for me LOL). I don't find that I struggle with energy to get through my gym workouts on an empty stomach and on longer runs I have gel or something if needed. If you find that eating something small/easy to digest helps before a workout...then do that. If you can eat a whole meal - good for you.

ninerbuff

Do what works for you. I work out at about 6am every morning. I don't have my first meal until after 12pm. But I do eat up to 11pm so that I have enough stored energy for the next morning workout.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

SuzanneC1l9zz

If I don't wait at least an hour after eating to work out, I'm likely to puke. I work out at 6 AM, so fasted it is. No idea if it actually affects anything beyond whether or not I feel sick though.

BrianSharpe

Assuming that you're eating a reasonably balanced diet you probably have enough stored glycogen to get you through 60 to 90 minutes of moderate exercise without needing to eat anything. It's all a matter of trial and error. As your workouts get longer or more intense you may find you need to eat something before working out or take in calories during the workout (gels, energy drinks etc)

HoneyBadger302

Do what works for you.

I tend to have a fair bit of strength training in whatever workout I'm doing, so if I'm regularly doing a fasted workout, having a BCAA in my water seems to help me perform at the level I would expect.

I'm not much of a breakfast person either (although a mid morning snack is frequently desired), and for the past year my workouts have been after work, and in the mornings I have a couple hours of barn chores - physical work, but coffee + creamer is plenty to get me through that.

Dy4u

I believe when trying to get into the fat burning HR zone being in a fasted state allows you to reach that quicker allowing for more time in the fat burning zone. If doing heavy cardio sessions such as boxing or swimming I personally need to eat as it gives me more energy for the harder sessions.

sijomial

Dy4u wrote: »

I believe when trying to get into the fat burning HR zone being in a fasted state allows you to reach that quicker allowing for more time in the fat burning zone. If doing heavy cardio sessions such as boxing or swimming I personally need to eat as it gives me more energy for the harder sessions.

Nope to the bolded.
Getting to the "fat burning zone" quickly or not is a function of exercise intensity and not if you have just eaten or not. Remember it's not glycogen first and fat second it's both fuels being used at the same time 99.9% of the time.

The proportion of fat to glycogen being used during is also predominantly a function of intensity, and as average man has c. 2000 cals of glycogen onboard so skipping breakfast is pretty irrelevant outside of feeling better or worse until you get to endurance lengths of exercise.

chanstriste13

i'm not a breakfast kind of gal. i don't really know why, but smells are really strong for me first thing in the morning - like, i can smell a bowl of cheerios across the room, and it's very off putting for me. sounds, too. everything is so LOUD when i first wake up. anyone else? anyhoo, i don't eat until i've been up for a couple of hours, usually around 9 or 9:30, and after my workout, which could be anywhere between 45 and 90 minutes. works for me.

Hiawassee88

Some are about pre and post workout mini meals. Pre = protein and fats. Post = Protein and carbs. It becomes so complicated that you don't know whether to scratch your watch or wind your bu##. I remember a time when none of this mattered. And somehow, people were in peak condition. They weren't taking any supplements or hormones, either. Good food and hard work fixes everything. Taking hormones can make you meaner than a junkyard dog...even if they're a Rx from your doctor.