Fasted weight training...

longtimeterp

so i came across this source article when i was reading the mfp story about fasted cardio...

http://dailyburn.com/life/fitness/fasted-cardio-weight-loss/

in the article weight training came up and the article said...

“If you’re on empty, you’ll go into a major breakdown phase after the workout.” In fact, research has shown that hitting the weights without fuel can lead to the breakdown of muscle.

So my question is... isn't muscle breakdown required to build new muscle, thus this would seem to be a beneficial aspect of fasted weight training as opposed to a negative?

Thoughts?

meshashesha2012

and is there such a things as without fuel? isnt that why glycogen is stored in muscles anyway?

i lift once a week fasted since sundays i wake up =, go to the gym do my workout and then have a decent brunch afterwards. i didnt feel as if my progress is hampered anymore than the other days when i lift at the end of the day and after having eaten a few meals.

then again, i'm not lifting to gain muscle anyway so what do i know :laugh:

Cherimoose

So my question is... isn't muscle breakdown required to build new muscle, thus this would seem to be a beneficial aspect of fasted weight training as opposed to a negative?

They're talking about the literal cannibalization of muscle that occurs to convert is to carbohydrates.. not the figurative "breaking down" in order to become stronger.

and is there such a things as without fuel? isnt that why glycogen is stored in muscles anyway?

Catabolism (muscle cannibalization) begins before glycogen is fully depleted, for survival reasons, since the brain runs on glucose. Granted, the amount of muscle burned is small, but it's not a favorable state to be in on a regular basis. That's why athletes refuel during sports.