Cardio before breakfast?

JPitbull91
JPitbull91 Posts: 33
in Fitness and Exercise
Ive heard so many different opinions on doing cardio before breakfast on an EMPTY stomach to start burning fat.

I just wanted to know what the MFP community had to say on this theory?

And also to contribute any fat burning tips that other may benefit from!

Thanks to all your replies in advance! have a great day!!!

Replies

  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    It's a myth. Your body will burn stored glycogen first* (our bodies are lazy that way......the most readily available fuel source is used first, one of the reasons that "starvation mode" is also grossly misunderstood)

    * your body always gets some fuel from fat, at low enough intensity you will burn a higher proportion of fat but a much lower overall number of calories.
  • JamesDanek
    JamesDanek Posts: 95 Member
    From Experience there is some truth in this but the advantage is marginal.

    If i am going for a shorter run (i.e.under 6 miles) i will do this on a completely empty stomach with no more than a glass of water some caffeine and green tea tablets and a couple of dextrose tablets mid way.

    If i am going longer than 6 miles i will eat carbs (porridge or toast) half an hour before going out.

    Some people find that they just cannot run without eating and that is fine.

    It is all about the deficit at the end of the day.

    That's what will make the difference.
  • IronPhyllida
    IronPhyllida Posts: 533 Member
    From Experience there is some truth in this but the advantage is marginal.

    If i am going for a shorter run (i.e.under 6 miles) i will do this on a completely empty stomach with no more than a glass of water some caffeine and green tea tablets and a couple of dextrose tablets mid way.

    If i am going longer than 6 miles i will eat carbs (porridge or toast) half an hour before going out.

    Some people find that they just cannot run without eating and that is fine.

    It is all about the deficit at the end of the day.

    That's what will make the difference.

    I go by this principle as well, although if going empty, i'll go just with a cup of coffee.
  • Cutting4life
    Cutting4life Posts: 505 Member
    Doesn't matter but personally i like to do it empty stomach
  • Lulla_dxb
    Lulla_dxb Posts: 22
    I've heard that exercising in the morning is the best but I don't think exercising on an empty stomach is a good idea.
    Personally I couldn't exercise on an empty stomach!

    I exercise in the afternoon...I like to think that I'm burning off my breakfast and lunch :bigsmile:
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    It's all about the calorie balance - fat burning isn't something you need to "turn on".
    Anything up to an hour of exercise your stomach being full or empty isn't going to make any real difference anyway.

    If I'm going for a long cycle then I would always eat beforehand but other than that it's all personal preference.
  • aquarabbit
    aquarabbit Posts: 1,622 Member
    I don't do it on an empty stomach. My stomach has some yogurt with honey and a cup of coffee in it (sans cup). But after I workout is when I have my standard bagel with cream cheese and lox breakfast (which I consider to be my real breakfast). I can't workout before eating something. I'm really hungry when I wake up. I'd rather burn fat a little slower than skip my morning snack!
  • calx77
    calx77 Posts: 31 Member
    I found I'm prone to get cramp in my abs quite quickly if I just ate.
    But on the plus side, I find I have more strength to complete the run.

    Best way for me is to eat and then do your cardio maybe an hour and a half after.
  • clairaudients
    clairaudients Posts: 1
    Some people prefer fasted workouts and some don't. It's just personal preference. Try both and see what works for you!
  • TheLadyRaw
    TheLadyRaw Posts: 17
    Prolonged activity on an empty stomach.
    I typically watch a TV show or two to hit anywhere from 45-80 minutes on sustained cycling before breakfast.

    It was the quickest way I dropped weight. Also, nothing beats getting ready after a hard workout! ;)
  • Showcase_Brodown
    Showcase_Brodown Posts: 919 Member
    There is some degree of truth to it, the idea being that after (and if) your glycogen stores are used up or close to it, you'd burn a greater percentage of fat because that would be the next easiest source to pull from. However, it doesn't really matter over the long-haul. Your overall calorie in/out balance is going to be the thing that predicts the loss/gain of weight. Whether you are working out on a full or empty stomach isn't really going to change how many calories you've burnt.

    It's just preference. You're not hurting yourself by exercising on an empty stomach. Do what works for you.
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
    I prefer not to eat if I'm working out in the morning. Particularly if it's hot, particularly if it's intense. For long distances, as mentioned, you might need something but anything under an hour I would think you would be fine.

    As for whether this actually does anything in particular of benefit to you, I know there is definately a school that believes it does. Here's a NYTimes blog post about it:

    http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/15/phys-ed-the-benefits-of-exercising-before-breakfast/?src=me&ref=general&_r=0

    I doubt it makes a huge difference either way so I would just go with personal preference...

Categories