Fasting HIIT... ?

Once a week I do Turbo Kick at my local studio. Also twice a week I do Zumba. There are both morning classes. The problem is if I eat before class, I feel sick. If I eat after class, I feel fine. Usually after class and after I've eaten, I take a nap for a few hours. Am I doing more harm than good?

Replies

  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    not a doctor but i'm 88.642% positive that you will live
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    not a doctor but i'm 88.642% positive that you will live

    This.

    Also, I don't think you know what HIIT is
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    Meal timing is pretty much entirely about individual preference. There is no right or wrong time to eat. I'd be concerned about needing to nap for a few hours.
  • Alehmer
    Alehmer Posts: 433 Member
    I have to disagree there. There's absolutely times when you need food, and certain kinds of food, more than others. It nearly all boils down to putting some energy back into your system when you've really drained that blood sugar. Eat just enough to not feel sick before class and keep up energy during it, and then get some fast energy back into you right afterwards with some some smart choices. (Reasonable amounts, not candy, etc etc.)

    A body that has enough energy in it to completely cover all the basic needs and the safety margin above that will do things like burn fat freely and build lean mass. A body that doesn't know if it will have enough to 'cover the bills' won't spend extra energy building a better fat-burning machine, and fat-burning is a very, very slow process to recover energy with.

    Something like Gatorade during practice can help you keep your intensity up. That's it's entire reason for existence.

    No, your Tubo Kick class may be hard, and I am not detracting from the good thing that it is, but it's not HIIT.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    I have to disagree there.

    You can't disagree with science, dude.

    She does not "need" to eat before she works out, and your body does not know, from one hour to the next, whether or not it's going to have enough food to "cover the bills." I train 20 hours fasted every day. I'm not concerned that my body is going to flip out and go "LET'S STORE ALL HER FOOD AS FAT BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T EAT ALL DAY, AND WHO KNOWS WHEN THE NEXT MEAL WILL BE!" That's not how it works.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member

    A body that has enough energy in it to completely cover all the basic needs and the safety margin above that will do things like burn fat freely and build lean mass. A body that doesn't know if it will have enough to 'cover the bills' won't spend extra energy building a better fat-burning machine, and fat-burning is a very, very slow process to recover energy with.

    And this is substantiated by...?
  • SkinnyFatAlbert
    SkinnyFatAlbert Posts: 482 Member
    not a doctor but i'm 88.642% positive that you will live

    Nope. Definitely dying. How quickly is anyone's guess but I give her between 1 and 70 years tops.
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
    I prefer fasted workouts, but make sure to eat 'well' afterwards. I eat all my TDEE + calories (currently)
  • KateK8LoseW8
    KateK8LoseW8 Posts: 824 Member
    You'll be fine. Unless you start feeling faint, dizzy, or so tired you can't put your full effort into it, no need to eat. I didn't eat before my workouts for a long time, though that had to change when I started Insanity because I was getting woozy.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    I have to disagree there. There's absolutely times when you need food, and certain kinds of food, more than others. It nearly all boils down to putting some energy back into your system when you've really drained that blood sugar. Eat just enough to not feel sick before class and keep up energy during it, and then get some fast energy back into you right afterwards with some some smart choices. (Reasonable amounts, not candy, etc etc.)

    A body that has enough energy in it to completely cover all the basic needs and the safety margin above that will do things like burn fat freely and build lean mass. A body that doesn't know if it will have enough to 'cover the bills' won't spend extra energy building a better fat-burning machine, and fat-burning is a very, very slow process to recover energy with.

    Something like Gatorade during practice can help you keep your intensity up. That's it's entire reason for existence.

    No, your Tubo Kick class may be hard, and I am not detracting from the good thing that it is, but it's not HIIT.

    Heh. Maybe some energy needs need to be covered in some situations. But she's taking a 50 minute cardio class, not swimming the English Channel
  • Alehmer
    Alehmer Posts: 433 Member
    You can't disagree with science, dude.

    Yeah, I'm not disagreeing with physiology, you are. If you want to get into it and start citing things, then I am all for it. In a constructive way of course, everyone learns something when we delve into the science of all this. Typically though, this crowd isn't terribly interested into getting down into the nitty gritty.

    We are talking in generalities here. Some people are going to be dipping deep enough into their blood sugar where this is absolutely necessary. You'd better believe that after a couple hours of wrestling I NEED blood sugar and fast-acting proteins to recover properly. The average person doing some jogging or introductory Yoga probably won't have that big of a need. But, in general it is better to eat after a workout to promote recovery and lean mass gains.
  • RHSheetz
    RHSheetz Posts: 268 Member
    There is absolutely no WAY I would try and do HIIT in a Fasted state. My Boot Camp Instructor does it, but I am eating Low Carb and find I get Light Headed / Fluff Brained from an hour of Low intensity Cardio (I walk for an hour after rising to do a Fasted Cardio). But again, if you do not get light headed or dizzy, I would say it is OK. Just my $.02.
  • Alehmer
    Alehmer Posts: 433 Member

    A body that has enough energy in it to completely cover all the basic needs and the safety margin above that will do things like burn fat freely and build lean mass. A body that doesn't know if it will have enough to 'cover the bills' won't spend extra energy building a better fat-burning machine, and fat-burning is a very, very slow process to recover energy with.

    And this is substantiated by...?

    Seriously, you don't look like basic nutrient timing should be new to you, but this is all very old hat, accepted science people. These are just abstracts, but I am completely willing, and entirely able, to get deep into this if anybody wants to.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10949007

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23668654

    It is absolutely true that if you exercise in a fasted state, then this is far more important than if you have eaten in the last few hours.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3577439/

    I have 6:00 AM practice, and the OP was discussing working out in a fasted state, therefore I thought the point quite relevant. In addition, whether it's right before or right after work, many people are in a 'fasted state' 5+ hours since their last major meal.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    duuuuuude, simmer down.

    as a general rule we like to answer a question as it pertains to the OP people in similar situations. the OP is doing cardio at a cardio studio. we talkin bout zumba. not wrestling 200 pound men for 2+ hours, not climbing the himilayas, not running a marathon, not rappelling down the face of the grand canyon.

    ZOOOOOM-BAH. the OP will be just fine.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    I do my zumba on an empty stomach. Keeps all the bright neon colors from making me queasy.


    That might be a personal issue though
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    nothing to see here
  • AnnaPixie
    AnnaPixie Posts: 7,439 Member
    No OP, you're not doing any harm.

    If you feel better exercising fasted then do so. I do all the time.

    All I would suggest is to watch what you're eating after. Sounds like you're indulging yourself with carbs, spiking your sugar levels, and then crashing when it dips again, hence the excessive napping.

    You will find if you eat a bit less, of more protein, fibre, complex carb based foods, you'll minimise the spike.

    Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    not a doctor but i'm 88.642% positive that you will live

    ^ This.

    And if you do decide to read any of the pubmed articles that got posted above, make sure you read them in their entirety, because they don't prove what someone thinks they prove.
  • Alehmer
    Alehmer Posts: 433 Member
    And that someone can prove what he knows and picked out easy and publicly available articles that he could find in less than a minute.

    I will bow out here because I have zero interest in starting an argument in someone else's thread, and I never had any intention of coming across as 'intense' or anything anyhow.

    Eat a little before if you can, eat afterward if you can, it's not harmful at all if it happens a couple of hours after the workout.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    And that someone can prove what he knows and picked out easy and publicly available articles that he could find in less than a minute.

    I will bow out here because I have zero interest in starting an argument in someone else's thread, and I never had any intention of coming across as 'intense' or anything anyhow.

    Eat a little before if you can, eat afterward if you can, it's not harmful at all if it happens a couple of hours after the workout.

    Nice 180
  • sunnysparkles16
    sunnysparkles16 Posts: 17 Member
    Are you low on energy if you don't eat before class?

    Have you tried eating an energy bar? Or maybe half of one? I can't exercise with a lot of food in my stomach but I always find that I'm hungry and need a snack for energy. Love Luna Bars (caramel nut brownie) and Fiber One Bars (oats and chocolate).
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
    Once a week I do Turbo Kick at my local studio. Also twice a week I do Zumba. There are both morning classes. The problem is if I eat before class, I feel sick. If I eat after class, I feel fine. Usually after class and after I've eaten, I take a nap for a few hours. Am I doing more harm than good?

    I do 6-8 miles in the morning in a fasted state. I haven't eaten since dinner the night before. I have plenty of energy and feel great. If it's working for you then don't sweat it and keep doing what feels good for meal timing. There's no need to eat before if you don't need it or it makes you sick. You're fine.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    Meal timing is pretty much entirely about individual preference. There is no right or wrong time to eat. I'd be concerned about needing to nap for a few hours.

    Agree and disagree.

    While eating timing is individualistic, there is a a lot of science that supports the what and when you eat making a difference in energy stores, recovery, etc.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
    Nutrient timing for Zumba class.

    FFS.


    +1 OP will be fine.