Working out on an empty stomach?

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  • lsiberian
    lsiberian Posts: 69
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    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/the-myth-of-cardio-before-breakfast-debunked.html

    http://www.burnthefatinnercircle.com/members/369.cfm

    These articles are not peer reviewed studies and do not do a good job of presenting research on the subject.

    The best answer I think is to find what works best for you and do that.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/the-myth-of-cardio-before-breakfast-debunked.html

    http://www.burnthefatinnercircle.com/members/369.cfm

    These articles are not peer reviewed studies and do not do a good job of presenting research on the subject.

    The best answer I think is to find what works best for you and do that.

    I used to try HIIT on a empty. You know what happen? I was never as fast as I could be with eating something beforehand. As for weight training on a fast. I'm surprised to see no one has done that.
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/the-myth-of-cardio-before-breakfast-debunked.html

    http://www.burnthefatinnercircle.com/members/369.cfm

    These articles are not peer reviewed studies and do not do a good job of presenting research on the subject.

    The best answer I think is to find what works best for you and do that.
    Also, the studies referenced in the BB article are about subjects with depleted glycogen stores. As Waffle pointed out, our glycogen stores are replenished on a daily basis. If you wake up in the morning and your glycogen stores are depleted you have bigger problems to deal with.

    I eat after my work out.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
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    I heard working out on an empty stomach first thing in the morning burns more calories and fat. Is this true? What are the benefits of doing this?

    its the same idea as doing weights before cardio, that muscle glycogen will be at its lowest and therefore you supposedly start using body fat as fuel faster.

    there is probably something to it, but the effect would be small, and there are other factors like exercise intensity that will effect what your body is using for fuel.

    and while it may cause you to use more fat during a workout, its not going to effect the total number of calories you burn in a work out, which is what really matters.
  • tsimblist
    tsimblist Posts: 206 Member
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    ...
    As for weight training on a fast. I'm surprised to see no one has done that.

    I do all my morning workouts fasted. On cardio days (low intensity, steady state) I don't eat anything until lunch. On my weight lifting days I chug a thermos full of chocolate milk immediately after the workout and then eat a high carb/ high protein breakfast when I get to work.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
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    Also, the studies referenced in the BB article are about subjects with depleted glycogen stores. As Waffle pointed out, our glycogen stores are replenished on a daily basis. If you wake up in the morning and your glycogen stores are depleted you have bigger problems to deal with.

    I eat after my work out.

    the idea is just that sleeping is the longest one typically goes without eating... seeing as how its been that long since you've replenished, glycogen would presumably be somewhat lower then it would be at other points in the day (though that does not necessairly mean they are 'low' or 'depleted'). weight training probably does a better job of that.

    its really the fact that how much fat you burn is far less important then how many calories you burn overall that makes it a moot point if you ask me.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
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    I used to try HIIT on a empty. You know what happen? I was never as fast as I could be with eating something beforehand. As for weight training on a fast. I'm surprised to see no one has done that.

    agree with that. on the odd times i got myself out of bed first thing to do insantiy, i at least needed a small apple.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    ...
    As for weight training on a fast. I'm surprised to see no one has done that.

    I do all my morning workouts fasted. On cardio days (low intensity, steady state) I don't eat anything until lunch. On my weight lifting days I chug a thermos full of chocolate milk immediately after the workout and then eat a high carb/ high protein breakfast when I get to work.

    I guess the body can adapt I used to try weight training on low calories before it, not even fasted, I was never able to finish my working. Not even up to par.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
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    ...
    As for weight training on a fast. I'm surprised to see no one has done that.

    I do all my morning workouts fasted. On cardio days (low intensity, steady state) I don't eat anything until lunch. On my weight lifting days I chug a thermos full of chocolate milk immediately after the workout and then eat a high carb/ high protein breakfast when I get to work.

    I guess the body can adapt I used to try weight training on low calories before it, not even fasted, I was never able to finish my working. Not even up to par.

    you get used to it. while i'd say you can always perform better propperly primed with nutrition, i think its mostly a mental thing, its not like you muscles will not be able to find a source of energy (even if that be your muscles themselves lol)
  • quellybelly
    quellybelly Posts: 827 Member
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    Myth - it's preference. I personally work out on almost an empty stomach in the morning.
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
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    the idea is just that sleeping is the longest one typically goes without eating... seeing as how its been that long since you've replenished, glycogen would presumably be somewhat lower then it would be at other points in the day (though that does not necessairly mean they are 'low' or 'depleted'). weight training probably does a better job of that.
    I do a half marathon pretty much every weekend fasted. That's a 2,300 calorie burn with no breakfast. That's not to say that you should try that all in if you haven't been doing regular morning fasted workouts but just as an example of how much energy you have left even if you haven't eaten since 8 pm the night before.
    its really the fact that how much fat you burn is far less important then how many calories you burn overall that makes it a moot point if you ask me.
    Exactly which is why this entire discussion is moot and worthless for people still wanting to lose 30+ pounds. This isn't a factor in your weight loss. It's more about endurance conditioning than anything.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    Been doing it for over a year now....and enjoy it.

    I eat between 1pm - 8pm
    Workout is usually around 1130am during the week.
    And around 7am (Saturdays) and 8am (Sundays) on the weekend.
    I heard working out on an empty stomach first thing in the morning burns more calories and fat. Is this true? What are the benefits of doing this?

    Possible....
    But still gonna come down to overall calories you consume vs. what you need.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    Benefit of working out on an empty stomach: I don't hurl when pulling a heavy deadlift.
  • ekztawas
    ekztawas Posts: 114 Member
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    Some people like to have a little something in their belly before a workout. For me, I get stomach aches when I've eaten before workouts. Whatever works for YOU is what is best for you.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
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    I do a half marathon pretty much every weekend fasted. That's a 2,300 calorie burn with no breakfast. That's not to say that you should try that all in if you haven't been doing regular morning fasted workouts but just as an example of how much energy you have left even if you haven't eaten since 8 pm the night before.

    i would imagine that some people could wake up and do an Ironman if they really wanted to.

    i would not assume the 2,300 cals burned of the energy you 'have left' are all muscle glycogen, which i think is what your saying, otherwise i'm not sure why its worth mentioning

    also agree that they point is moot, thats why i said it, but wasting time is the only reason to hop on this forum
  • HeidiGrrrl
    HeidiGrrrl Posts: 81 Member
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    You don't want to work out after eating anything significant because blood flow gets diverted to the digestive system, and isn't as readily available for muscle use. That's the basis behind the old "don't swim for an hour after eating" thing. You can do it, it just may cause cramping. Eating a small amount shouldn't cause any adverse effects. It depends on how you feel. If you're weak/dizzy before working out, then by all means, eat a little something, just not a full meal.

    The idea behind working out on an empty stomach is that you've used up the glucose in the blood, and will dip into the glycogen stores in the liver faster, or even mostly depleted that, which gets you to burning fat for fuel quicker.
  • mynameiscarrie
    mynameiscarrie Posts: 963 Member
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    This works for me (not as a fat loss tool, but as a workout habit) when I workout in the morning. I wake up early and go run and I've found that, if I eat before I run in the morning, I feel terrible. If I eat lunch or a snack and workout in the evening before dinner, I feel fine. I think it's just that my body doesnt like to have food in my stomach when I work out.

    That being said, I haven't noticed any huge differences as a result of working out on an empty stomach.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    Personal preference.

    http://www.lookgreatnaked.com/blog/performing-cardio-on-an-empty-stomach/

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/the-myth-of-cardio-before-breakfast-debunked.html
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    So much confusion and taking one item and applying it as a blanket statement in this thread.

    Depending on intensity, you don't need to burn thru glycogen stores before getting to fat. If you are doing long endurance runs, you want as much of you calories to come from fat stores so the you don't burn thru glycogen & hit the wall. This is the principles of what waffle is talking about. You will find a good bit of people that run marathons practice that way.

    And lastly, bodybuilding.com would be the last place I'd go seeking info on running/cardio. They will find any excuse possible to point to muscle being burned so they can avoid cardio at all costs.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    So much confusion and taking one item and applying it as a blanket statement in this thread.

    Depending on intensity, you don't need to burn thru glycogen stores before getting to fat. If you are doing long endurance runs, you want as much of you calories to come from fat stores so the you don't burn thru glycogen & hit the wall. This is the principles of what waffle is talking about. You will find a good bit of people that run marathons practice that way.

    And lastly, bodybuilding.com would be the last place I'd go seeking info on running/cardio. They will find any excuse possible to point to muscle being burned so they can avoid cardio at all costs.

    Im not sure if the last part was directed at the link I posted from bodybuilding.com. I admit that site can have questionable content sometimes but this article was written by Brad Shoenfeld and directly pertains to fasted cardio and if it has a benefit over fed cardio. Does not suggest not doing cardio.

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