Working Out On An Empty Stomach?

MizManda180
MizManda180 Posts: 68 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been reading that it isn't good to work out on an empty stomach because, even though you can burn more calories, it burns up muscle instead of fat. My question is, if you are considerably overweight (I am 317 and just starting my weight loss journey), is it still going to eat up your muscles or will the calories burn from fat? I am assuming the 'don't eat on an empty stomach' is for those individuals that do not have a lot of fat to burn or am I wrong?

Thanks!

Replies

  • 3LittleMonkeyMom
    3LittleMonkeyMom Posts: 259
    I do not eat before I exercise. I have a cup of coffee, get my kids to school and workout. Then I eat a high protein breakfast. If I eat anything before I work out, I am sick to my stomach. I have not had any problem....and I have more muscle than I did when I started. :)
  • Amberonamission
    Amberonamission Posts: 836 Member
    241 down from 283. I yoga on an emptty stomach, cardio with a meal in me. Strength train later in the day after thorough hydration.
  • MizManda180
    MizManda180 Posts: 68 Member
    Ok, great to know! Thanks :)
  • jnp96
    jnp96 Posts: 163
    I have to work out on an empty stomach or I will get sick.
  • Ant_the_old_keith_lemon
    Ant_the_old_keith_lemon Posts: 272 Member
    it al depends on your training zone i would say, low impact in fat burn then you can get the energy from fat..

    if you are doing high impact with no carbs you`ll get fatigued sooner and hit the muscle..

    have a 1/3 size mini meal and hit it hard i`d say.

    some can operate un fueled i can but choose to always be energised to get the most out of a work out, i like to leave thinking that it has done something for me being alive and full of energy.
  • sixpackdream
    sixpackdream Posts: 55 Member
    The best advise that I ever got when I was very young was listen to your body. We don't pay attention enough to what our body tells us. I have far better workouts when I haven't eaten for at least 3 hours. I know other people that seem to have a better workout when they eat an hour before. Everyone is different and metabolisms are all different, you will have people swear that scientific evidence supports this or that, then a year from now scientific evidence comes out with something completely different, so listen to your body.
  • nellyett
    nellyett Posts: 436 Member
    I do bootcamp class in the mornings and I don't eat anything before it otherwise I feel nauseous. If it's a run day, I usually go in the late afternoon several hours after lunch but before dinner. My husband has to eat before a workout or he feels dizzy. Listen to your body and do what works for you. :)
  • gramanana
    gramanana Posts: 415 Member
    I heard an physical fitness "expert" (picture on cover of Men's Health) that core workouts, especially, should be done on an empty stomach. Don't know much else.
  • tobnrn
    tobnrn Posts: 477 Member
    Some of my best workouts have been fasted. Everyone is different. Its about personal preference.
  • dogo187
    dogo187 Posts: 376
    When I first started working out at Curves I would always workout first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and I was right where you are as far as weight goes at 315lbs...

    I would only drink some water in the morning, thats it...

    I didnt find that it prevented me losing weight at all and dropped about 70lbs before I started to have a light breakfast before my workouts....

    Now that my workouts are longer and more intense I do eat before hand...just a slice of multigrain toast with some almond butter...

    Either way, Ive had success so I really dont think that it matters if you eat or not, just be sure to get in some protein, carbs and fat shortly after your workout...
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    One note on this topic: many people assume they are "working on an empty stomach" because they don't eat before exercise. However, that does not mean you do not have any fuel avaialable.

    Whether or not you would "burn muscle" would depend on both circulating blood glucose levels and stored glycogen--and this is going to vary considerably.

    And even if you did "burn muscle" (meaning your body starting scavenging amino acids for the carbon chains), that would be meaningless as long as your diet included adequate protein.

    The mix of fuel substrates (fats, carbs, protein) used during a workout has almost no permanent effect. The body is constantly undergoing anabolic and catabolic processes--that's one of the reasons we burn 2/3 or more of our daily calorie intake just sitting in a chair.

    The amount of available fuel CAN affect the quality of your workout. That should be your ONLY criteria for deciding whether or not to eat before exercise. There is no effect on weight loss (actually there is no "positive" effect--there could be a negative one if lack of fuel means you can't work out for as long or as hard).
  • careyannal
    careyannal Posts: 161
    When I first started working out I would do it first thing in the morning before I ate anything. Then I started to notice that on days that I worked out later in the day (after I ate) I felt MUCH better. Now I can't even imagine working out/running on an empty stomach. HOWEVER make sure you wait at LEAST an hour after you eat or you will cramp up and or feel nausceas (sp)
  • Mighty_Rabite
    Mighty_Rabite Posts: 581 Member
    Lately, I have been making a pre-workout snack (Greek yogurt mixed with protein powder, makes like a mousse) to eat about 2-3 hours before working out, and it seems to do the trick as far as me having the energy to get through a grueling workout - I can pretty well avoid the stomach fullness feeling but at the same time the body is breaking down and absorbing it, so it is readily available to the muscles as I am working out.

    Listen to your body, and feel it out too - I personally can get hypoglycemic if I do too much fasted, so I usually have some kind of fuel beforehand, but many don't need it.

    I definitely agree that you don't want to do core workouts on a full stomach, and I would go so far to say that also applies to cardio and even some leg workouts.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    One note on this topic: many people assume they are "working on an empty stomach" because they don't eat before exercise. However, that does not mean you do not have any fuel avaialable.

    Whether or not you would "burn muscle" would depend on both circulating blood glucose levels and stored glycogen--and this is going to vary considerably.

    And even if you did "burn muscle" (meaning your body starting scavenging amino acids for the carbon chains), that would be meaningless as long as your diet included adequate protein.

    The mix of fuel substrates (fats, carbs, protein) used during a workout has almost no permanent effect. The body is constantly undergoing anabolic and catabolic processes--that's one of the reasons we burn 2/3 or more of our daily calorie intake just sitting in a chair.

    The amount of available fuel CAN affect the quality of your workout. That should be your ONLY criteria for deciding whether or not to eat before exercise. There is no effect on weight loss (actually there is no "positive" effect--there could be a negative one if lack of fuel means you can't work out for as long or as hard).

    Excellent post! Thank you!
  • woodsy0912
    woodsy0912 Posts: 323
    I do not eat before I exercise. I have a cup of coffee, get my kids to school and workout. Then I eat a high protein breakfast. If I eat anything before I work out, I am sick to my stomach. I have not had any problem....and I have more muscle than I did when I started. :)

    This exactly for me!
  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
    I have been reading that it isn't good to work out on an empty stomach because, even though you can burn more calories, it burns up muscle instead of fat. My question is, if you are considerably overweight (I am 317 and just starting my weight loss journey), is it still going to eat up your muscles or will the calories burn from fat? I am assuming the 'don't eat on an empty stomach' is for those individuals that do not have a lot of fat to burn or am I wrong?

    Thanks!
    There is no benefit regarding the burning of fat. Do what works for you.
  • nexangelus
    nexangelus Posts: 2,080 Member
    I regularly workout empty stomached....first thing in the morning...evening...ya don't have to eat just before you work out...and you are NOT going to use muscle instead of fat unless you are on some crazy diet...and most probably half-starving...there are many myths out there...think about who perpetuates these myths and for what benefit...cui bono?
  • samlankford
    samlankford Posts: 334
    if your going to eat, have something small, let it sit i your stomach for about an hour before you workout ... otherwise depending on the workout if could try to come back up... no one like to "vurp" while working out... I do a lot of high impact stuff, I got in the habit of keeping a bucket by the table... just in case :bigsmile:
  • samanthawarren
    samanthawarren Posts: 120
    One note on this topic: many people assume they are "working on an empty stomach" because they don't eat before exercise. However, that does not mean you do not have any fuel avaialable.

    Whether or not you would "burn muscle" would depend on both circulating blood glucose levels and stored glycogen--and this is going to vary considerably.

    And even if you did "burn muscle" (meaning your body starting scavenging amino acids for the carbon chains), that would be meaningless as long as your diet included adequate protein.

    The mix of fuel substrates (fats, carbs, protein) used during a workout has almost no permanent effect. The body is constantly undergoing anabolic and catabolic processes--that's one of the reasons we burn 2/3 or more of our daily calorie intake just sitting in a chair.

    The amount of available fuel CAN affect the quality of your workout. That should be your ONLY criteria for deciding whether or not to eat before exercise. There is no effect on weight loss (actually there is no "positive" effect--there could be a negative one if lack of fuel means you can't work out for as long or as hard).

    This is probably the best explanation for what is going on I have seen. Thanks for that. I tend to workout about 1/2 to 1 hour after eating a light meal. I seem to get the best workout that way. If I exercise hungry or on a full stomach I get nauseous.
  • KimmyJ30
    KimmyJ30 Posts: 23 Member
    I don't have time in the mornings to have a meal before i workout so i just have some almonds beforehand and then after i workout i have my breakfast. If i'm working out in the afternoon then i have my meals as usual. I've worked out without eating as well and have felt fine although someone told me that without eating before working out, you're not boosting your metabolism so all your hard work was for nothing haha. But do what your body tells you and like people have written before everyone's different when it comes to eating/not eating before workouts
  • wackyfunster
    wackyfunster Posts: 944 Member
    No issues with fasted workouts. Extended periods of high intensity steady state cardio will strip muscle mass like crazy, but that is true whether or not you are fasted if you are on a deficit. Otherwise it's fine.
  • tehzephyrsong
    tehzephyrsong Posts: 435 Member
    I have to work out on an empty stomach or I will get sick.

    See, I'm the opposite. I need to eat beforehand, especially when doing cardio, or I feel ill.

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