Working out on an empty stomach?

I heard working out on an empty stomach first thing in the morning burns more calories and fat. Is this true? What are the benefits of doing this?

Not more calories but more calories from fat. Generally it isn't any better than doing it later in the day since you're just working against your calorie intake but there is an added benefit. You're training your body to use fat for fuel and if you're doing any sort of endurance work this is a huge huge plus.

Try it out and see if you like it. There's no need to eat before you workout in the morning unless you want to.

Bump because I see more preference answers than does it burn more fat in answer.

I think the jury is still out according to that MFP Blog. That is, it appears to help short run, but doesn't help long run... appears to be their experts' opinion.

I heard working out on an empty stomach first thing in the morning burns more calories and fat. Is this true? What are the benefits of doing this?

Not more calories but more calories from fat. Generally it isn't any better than doing it later in the day since you're just working against your calorie intake but there is an added benefit. You're training your body to use fat for fuel and if you're doing any sort of endurance work this is a huge huge plus.

Try it out and see if you like it. There's no need to eat before you workout in the morning unless you want to.

Newer studies have shown that actually it burns calories from Muscle first which is the total opposite of what you want ! Here are two recent and referenced articles if you are interested further.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/the-myth-of-cardio-before-breakfast-debunked.html

http://www.burnthefatinnercircle.com/members/369.cfm

I heard working out on an empty stomach first thing in the morning burns more calories and fat. Is this true? What are the benefits of doing this?

Not more calories but more calories from fat. Generally it isn't any better than doing it later in the day since you're just working against your calorie intake but there is an added benefit. You're training your body to use fat for fuel and if you're doing any sort of endurance work this is a huge huge plus.

Try it out and see if you like it. There's no need to eat before you workout in the morning unless you want to.

Wouldn't that only be the case if you are exercising long/hard enough to deplete your glycogen stores?

Hmm someone knows a little something here. I would like to see studies on how fasted cardio burns more fat? It be something to laugh at.

Shapey J's link has links to studies on the subject

Ive been wondering the same thing. Sometimes I grab a banana before I go to work but other times I just drink water. But I start my work out every morning at 6:00am and finish at about 7:30am. I'm just not hungry that early in the morning. I do have a protein shake after my workout as recovery. But is it a bad thing to workout on an empty stomach?

Also I do have a pre-workout powder (C-4) that I use sometimes but still don't feel a difference.

You do not feel C4. I tried C4 once and I felt like I just had a adrenaline rush and I am ready to breaks some personal record.

Well, opinions vary but I do 30 - 40 miles of fasted cardio a week. Judge for yourself if this produces good results. This isn't even my leanest weight. I'll drop 10 pounds off this by December. Yes, it will rip fat off your body IF you don't overeat. Calories in vs. calories out are the main concern. Everyone here is overthinking this.




It does not use up your muscle for food. It trains your body to use fat for energy for long endurance events.

I'll have what he's having.

I'll have what he's having.

LOL.

When you eat food your body fills up your glycogen stores in your liver, then it fills up your muscle glycogen stores. Leftover energy gets converted to fat. Between your liver and your muscles you have enough energy for about 2 hours of intense exercise. Of course if you haven't' eaten all night long you'll have less and then your body will need to get extra energy from elsewhere. Your body does not prefer to burn muscle. It wants to use body fat. That's what it's there for.

So you workout, use up some body fat and then eat breakfast. Go back to step A where your liver and muscles start refilling. Repeat. The net result of your work still depends on hitting calorie goals and not overeating. Yes you're training your body to more easily use fat for energy working out fasted but if you're adding more gas to your car after it's full you're still going to pack on the weight.

I personally believe that aside from the endurance benefit that fasted cardio does provide a tiny advantage. It's very small but spread out over a year, week after week this little bit of difference adds up to makes a noticable difference.

I normally don't eat when i first get up, but i like to head out for my walk within a half hour or so of waking up. Some mornings, like this morning, i woke up starving so i had a zucchini apple raisin muffin (homemade yummy!) before I left. So for me, it just depends on how i feel. If I'm hungry, i make sure to eat because I'll feel sick and lightheaded before I'm done. No need for that!

If I didn't do my work out as soon as I got up, I don't think I would get it done at all!! I tend to have my breakfast afterwards

I'm similar to this.