Exercise before eating

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mtlkate
mtlkate Posts: 55 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've recently read that if you exercise before eating, you use up your fat stores. If you eat first, you wear off the calories that you just ingested before you get to the fat on your body. Does anyone have any thoughts/research about this theory?

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  • Valetta09
    Valetta09 Posts: 11 Member
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    Interesting, it makes me less hungry which is a positive... but I am curious to hear what they say!
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
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    Not a lick of research from me, but my n=1 study says exercise before eating or I get a belly ache and feel like I'm going to throw up. Ymmv
  • msmonkeytoes
    msmonkeytoes Posts: 4
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    I try to wait to eat... but not because of any research I have read... Hmmm wonder what what the best practice would be
  • djames92
    djames92 Posts: 990 Member
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    but then wouldnt you just be hungrier after you workout? and eat wayy more
  • Troublemonster
    Troublemonster Posts: 223 Member
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    I like to workout on an empty stomach right after I jump out of bed, then I eat lunch when I get home. I don't think it makes any real difference. Your body reacts to the sustained cumulative caloric deficit or excess in the long run.
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
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    Food doesn't immediately turn to fat the minute you eat it, you know. It takes a while to break it down, and the your body uses those nutrients, so very little, if any, becomes fat.

    When you wake up, you haven't eaten for 6-8 hours, and your body needs fuel. If you work out before eating, you may not be able to work out as long or as hard, burning fewer calories.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    while it may be true that your workout will be powered by your fat stores, at the end of the day it won't matter in the slightest. if you are in a calorie deficit, then your body will use fat it's fat stores at some point during the day. if you are in a calorie surplus, then those fat stores you used on your early morning workout will be replenished at some point during the day.

    all that's important is that you maintain a calorie deficit. eat before your workout or after. you'll still lose weight.
  • spidey11186
    spidey11186 Posts: 141 Member
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    I believe the best practice is to eat something prior to working out (even if it's just a little something). If your body is in starvation mode (meaning there's not much readily available sugar/glycogen in your muscles), your body breaks down BOTH fats and proteins for energy... which actually is counter-productive!

    I know the goal is to lose the unwanted fat and weight, but as someone else mentioned earlier, whether you are breaking down your stores or using energy that you have readily available from sustenance, then it technically doesn't matter the order, since you'll be replenishing your body after your workout, right?

    Well that brings me to my next point, and that is you will get more output from your workout if you have a little nutrition prior to going! If you go to work out with nothing but your storage energy (from fats and proteins), you won't get the maximum workout that you could have if you had some readily available energy. Not only that, but your blood glucose is already at a low level, and depending on your biology, you may run the risk of lightheadedness, dizziness, and the such. Try something that is small that is carb-based, but has substance... perhaps a small sandwich with whole grain breads, or a bowl of oatmeal or high fiber cereal. These types of foods break down into usable energy faster than heavier foods that are protein or fat rich.

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