Fasted morning bike commute or breakfast first.

pyrowill

So as often as I can (3-5 days a week) I cycle 12 miles in the morning to work. It takes 45 mins or so and burns about 700 calories. It's quite a cardio burn. Now I hate getting up early, so often I rarely leave time for breakfast and do the 45 mins on an empty stomach/overnight fast. I'm aware that exercise before breakfast can be beneficial, but I also understand my cycling performance is probably not going to get much better unless I have something before I ride.

So I feel like I need to weigh up, cycle fasted and breakfast at work and get the potential benefits of that. Or eat first, and probably have a faster ride.

I must admit I'm not too up to date with the latest what is fact or myth about fasted exercise, and I also understand there will be the "it doesn't matter, calories in vs calories out at end of the day" people. Still, I'd be interested in peoples opinion on the matter. I do kind of feel like my cycling (almost always fasted) is starting to reach s bit of a peak, so maybe adding some food would be a way of getting better performance.

Thanks in advance.

Showcase_Brodown

Well, as you've pointed out, calories in vs. calories out is the biggest thing that matters. What you prefer to do is going to be the real answer.

However, it makes sense to me that a ride before breakfast would rely more on fat stores for energy. If you had just eaten breakfast, then you would probably rely more on burning up carbs.

But I don't know that it would be a significant difference. Your calories are going to net the same.

mustgetmuscles1

http://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/Abstract/2011/02000/Does_Cardio_After_an_Overnight_Fast_Maximize_Fat.3.aspx

Full text is posted here.
http://forums.musculardevelopment.com/showthread.php/105668-Nail-in-the-Coffin-of-fasted-cardio


As far as I have learned there is really no benefit of fasted cardio so I would try eating something (probably carb heavy) and see if performance improves. My guess is it will and as long as total calories and macros dont change significantly your body composition goals should remain unaffected.

Shoenfeld article discussing the review above.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/the-myth-of-cardio-before-breakfast-debunked.html

Capt_Apollo

i regularly exercise fasted, except for coffee. it doesn't matter if it's cardio or strength training. i don't want breakfast within minutes of waking up.

maybe you can try getting yourself some of those gel packs. they're good and they have about 100 calories in them, if you're feeling like you need something on or before your ride.

Rocbola

Eat plenty of fruit before a 12 mile commute unless you want to arrive at work starving and ready to eat anything.

cwolfman13

Before I ride I usually have a banana and some toast with peanut butter. I bonk early cycling fasted.

numberonecynic

A friend of mines son is a professional Rugby player, he will regularly fast in the morning before doing a weights workout. Something to do with burning fat.

pyrowill

i regularly exercise fasted, except for coffee. it doesn't matter if it's cardio or strength training. i don't want breakfast within minutes of waking up.

maybe you can try getting yourself some of those gel packs. they're good and they have about 100 calories in them, if you're feeling like you need something on or before your ride.

Actually I have a few of those gels. I might try one tomorrow morning. See if it makes a difference. I have found every cycle no matter what that when its fasted, I ace it for the first 30 mins then the last 15 mins my energy just sinks. I'm sure the lack of food is why. Still, I was very eager for everyones opinion. Thanks very much. I can't see myself having actual breakfast before my ride, I'm rarely hungry when I wake up like someone said earlier also. But banana/gel might be worth giving a go.

pyrowill

http://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/Abstract/2011/02000/Does_Cardio_After_an_Overnight_Fast_Maximize_Fat.3.aspx

Full text is posted here.
http://forums.musculardevelopment.com/showthread.php/105668-Nail-in-the-Coffin-of-fasted-cardio


As far as I have learned there is really no benefit of fasted cardio so I would try eating something (probably carb heavy) and see if performance improves. My guess is it will and as long as total calories and macros dont change significantly your body composition goals should remain unaffected.

Shoenfeld article discussing the review above.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/the-myth-of-cardio-before-breakfast-debunked.html

Thanks a lot for this, makes good reading.

MelissaPhippsFeagins

I eat before I ride to work. Usually toast with egg whites & cheese & a cup of coffee. I throw fruit in my back pack to eat when I get to work along with whatever is for lunch that day. This breakfast takes less than 5 minutes to make and about that long to eat. Start coffee machine - put toast in the toaster - pour egg whites in a microwave safe bowl and add a handful of shredded cheese. Microwave 1.5-2 minutes. Coffee brews into the cup while eggs & toast cook. Remove toast from toaster, place egg white & cheese on toast and eat. I hate getting up earlier to eat...:bigsmile:

CJ_Holmes

I feel like crap if I don't eat before my morning walk/ride. Eat a banana with a spoonful of peanut butter. Chilled coffee with milk and protein powder is a great quick start to the day.

pyrowill

Some great ideas. I'll give tomorrow a go with something beforehand. Perhaps try it for the rest of the week and compare with a fasted week. Thank god for runkeeper stats.

SingingSingleTracker

So as often as I can (3-5 days a week) I cycle 12 miles in the morning to work. It takes 45 mins or so and burns about 700 calories. It's quite a cardio burn. Now I hate getting up early, so often I rarely leave time for breakfast and do the 45 mins on an empty stomach/overnight fast. I'm aware that exercise before breakfast can be beneficial, but I also understand my cycling performance is probably not going to get much better unless I have something before I ride.

So I feel like I need to weigh up, cycle fasted and breakfast at work and get the potential benefits of that. Or eat first, and probably have a faster ride.

I must admit I'm not too up to date with the latest what is fact or myth about fasted exercise, and I also understand there will be the "it doesn't matter, calories in vs calories out at end of the day" people. Still, I'd be interested in peoples opinion on the matter. I do kind of feel like my cycling (almost always fasted) is starting to reach s bit of a peak, so maybe adding some food would be a way of getting better performance.

Thanks in advance.

Drink 2 cups of coffee after waking up and go. Eat once you arrive at work.

Classic bonk training a la Andy Pruitt!!!

http://www.superskinnyme.com/bonk-training.html
http://www.instantactionsports.com/sports-betting-articles/cycling64.htm

Natmarie73

So as often as I can (3-5 days a week) I cycle 12 miles in the morning to work. It takes 45 mins or so and burns about 700 calories. It's quite a cardio burn. Now I hate getting up early, so often I rarely leave time for breakfast and do the 45 mins on an empty stomach/overnight fast. I'm aware that exercise before breakfast can be beneficial, but I also understand my cycling performance is probably not going to get much better unless I have something before I ride.

So I feel like I need to weigh up, cycle fasted and breakfast at work and get the potential benefits of that. Or eat first, and probably have a faster ride.

I must admit I'm not too up to date with the latest what is fact or myth about fasted exercise, and I also understand there will be the "it doesn't matter, calories in vs calories out at end of the day" people. Still, I'd be interested in peoples opinion on the matter. I do kind of feel like my cycling (almost always fasted) is starting to reach s bit of a peak, so maybe adding some food would be a way of getting better performance.

Thanks in advance.

So what is your main goal? Do you want to improve performance/ride time or do you want to burn fat? If your first priority is to lose fat then it's best not to eat (much) before excersise so your body burns stored fat. If you want to improve performance then it is important to fuel so you have enough energy. At least that is what my trainer has told me and he's a professional triathlete (ex iron-man) and has trained competitive athletes so I assume he knows what he is talking about. :happy:

I ride 25km to work 3 times a week and have no trouble doing that in about 70mins on an empty stomach then I just have a light breakfast at work usually a meal replacement shake with extra protein added.

You could try the gel packs or just grab a couple of bananas to have on the ride if you need to.

BrianSharpe

Actually I have a few of those gels. I might try one tomorrow morning. See if it makes a difference. I have found every cycle no matter what that when its fasted, I ace it for the first 30 mins then the last 15 mins my energy just sinks. I'm sure the lack of food is why. Still, I was very eager for everyones opinion. Thanks very much. I can't see myself having actual breakfast before my ride, I'm rarely hungry when I wake up like someone said earlier also. But banana/gel might be worth giving a go.

I'd lean towards a banana rather than a gel.......in addition to the carbs they also have other nutrients, taste great and are a lot cheaper than gels.

Are you, by any chance, eating low carb? You shouldn't be depleting your glycogen stores in half an hour (the fatigue may be more mental than physical) . I usually run fasted (during the week my runs are typically around 10km) eat breakfast and, weather permitting (ie not winter), ride my bike 19km to work several days per week.

Capt_Apollo

i regularly exercise fasted, except for coffee. it doesn't matter if it's cardio or strength training. i don't want breakfast within minutes of waking up.

maybe you can try getting yourself some of those gel packs. they're good and they have about 100 calories in them, if you're feeling like you need something on or before your ride.

Actually I have a few of those gels. I might try one tomorrow morning. See if it makes a difference. I have found every cycle no matter what that when its fasted, I ace it for the first 30 mins then the last 15 mins my energy just sinks. I'm sure the lack of food is why. Still, I was very eager for everyones opinion. Thanks very much. I can't see myself having actual breakfast before my ride, I'm rarely hungry when I wake up like someone said earlier also. But banana/gel might be worth giving a go.

yeah, a banana is good too.

kimosabe1

A big fat latte or mocha-

Rayman79

This will come down to:
1. Pesonal preference, and
2. Overall goals

If the ride in to work is purely for commuting and just getting a calorie burn and some time in the saddle, then there is absolutely no harm in doing it fasted. You won't get maximum performance but it doesn't really matter.

If you can stomach riding on empty then go for it.

If on the other hand you want to use this time as more focused training time, improving your time, doing intervals, fast spinning or hill climbs etc, then you are better off getting some fuel before you head out. If you are planning to compete in rides (as most events have a very early start) then learning to eat before you go is valuable. I know of a couple of folks who ride fasted most of the time, then carb loaded before a race and didn't handle it well.

Personally, I ride 20km each way to work and home a couple of times each week and can ride without eating before hand. Sometimes I'll take a second water bottle with some powerade in case I want something, but normally just water and then I'll eat when I get into work.