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Gym on empty stomach

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  • TEB4Me
    TEB4Me Posts: 22 Member
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    TEB4Me wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    TEB4Me wrote: »
    Definitely better to have a little something on your stomach if possible at least within 2 hrs of going.
    If not you won't have as much fuel so you may be slightly weaker and working out will make you hungrier faster and will lead to distraction, even if only slight.
    It's better not to have any distraction from working out as hard as you can and also better to have some fuel.
    I sometimes just eat an apple (around 30 mins to an hr before) bc it gives me a slight energy boost and is great nutrition and fills you up just the right amount before a work out. :)

    i don't do this and never experience any of these issues..

    personal preference does not equal that anyone should do something…if it works for you that is great, however, that does not mean it can be blanket applied to the rest of us.

    unless you have some kind of study on this that you want to point us to…?

    Seriously? A study?
    Everyone else was posting what helped them and they didn't get picked apart for it so why am I?
    Just trying to help.
    Hopefully the OP will appreciate it, if not I'm fine w that too.
    I just know I'm as free to post as everyone else is. :p

    Did you miss the posts where people are asking for studies to back up the personal anectodes? Science trumps anecdotes.


    Yes I did miss that. But saw tons of posts that others didn't feel the need to scrutinize.

    It doesn't matter to me, if that's all they have then they shall have it.

    Just trying to help, pure and simple.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    TEB4Me wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    TEB4Me wrote: »
    Definitely better to have a little something on your stomach if possible at least within 2 hrs of going.
    If not you won't have as much fuel so you may be slightly weaker and working out will make you hungrier faster and will lead to distraction, even if only slight.
    It's better not to have any distraction from working out as hard as you can and also better to have some fuel.
    I sometimes just eat an apple (around 30 mins to an hr before) bc it gives me a slight energy boost and is great nutrition and fills you up just the right amount before a work out. :)

    i don't do this and never experience any of these issues..

    personal preference does not equal that anyone should do something…if it works for you that is great, however, that does not mean it can be blanket applied to the rest of us.

    unless you have some kind of study on this that you want to point us to…?

    Seriously? A study?
    Everyone else was posting what helped them and they didn't get picked apart for it so why am I?
    Just trying to help.
    Hopefully the OP will appreciate it, if not I'm fine w that too.
    I just know I'm as free to post as everyone else is. :p

    when you make a blanket statement and apply it to everyone then you are going to be requested to source your recommendation. If you want to say it just works for you personally, and you are not sure about anyone else then fine, no need to source.

    I also requested that another poster who made a similar statement source his claim, and he could not ....so I am being consistent.

  • ClosetBayesian
    ClosetBayesian Posts: 836 Member
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    TEB4Me wrote: »
    TEB4Me wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    TEB4Me wrote: »
    Definitely better to have a little something on your stomach if possible at least within 2 hrs of going.
    If not you won't have as much fuel so you may be slightly weaker and working out will make you hungrier faster and will lead to distraction, even if only slight.
    It's better not to have any distraction from working out as hard as you can and also better to have some fuel.
    I sometimes just eat an apple (around 30 mins to an hr before) bc it gives me a slight energy boost and is great nutrition and fills you up just the right amount before a work out. :)

    i don't do this and never experience any of these issues..

    personal preference does not equal that anyone should do something…if it works for you that is great, however, that does not mean it can be blanket applied to the rest of us.

    unless you have some kind of study on this that you want to point us to…?

    Seriously? A study?
    Everyone else was posting what helped them and they didn't get picked apart for it so why am I?
    Just trying to help.
    Hopefully the OP will appreciate it, if not I'm fine w that too.
    I just know I'm as free to post as everyone else is. :p

    Did you miss the posts where people are asking for studies to back up the personal anectodes? Science trumps anecdotes.


    Yes I did miss that. But saw tons of posts that others didn't feel the need to scrutinize.

    It doesn't matter to me, if that's all they have then they shall have it.

    Just trying to help, pure and simple.

    Apologies if my tone came across as harsh.

    That said, the problem with the "this is what worked for me" answers is that it invites stuff with no scientific merit (i.e., "fat burners", claims about the miraculous nature of ACV, etc.). I do have a knee-jeek reaction to ask for peer-reviewed studies, but the hope is that people can either support their claims, or learn something if they find out that what they're doing has no real effect.
  • paradi3s
    paradi3s Posts: 343 Member
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    I don't eat before my morning walk but have a bit of something an hour before I'm on the treadmill. A banana or anything small, since I feel weaker when I don't have something before I run.
  • jeorjemiller
    jeorjemiller Posts: 1 Member
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    Training in a fasted state helps my mental sharpness which in turn allows me to train harder. I think that you can quote studies all day in relation to fitness and nutrition but due to huge differences between people not just anatomically but mentally I feel that trying different approaches until you find what works well for you is the best approach to nutrition and exercise. For me personally I have found that training during a 16 hour fast to be effective for getting lean but also increasing strength and lean muscle.
  • hamlet1222
    hamlet1222 Posts: 459 Member
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    I find getting my pre-workout eating right to be the hardest thing. If I workout on empty I do struggle, and get a less enjoyable and less successful workout (in terms of number of reps), if I'm too full then it can be very uncomfortable (especially chin-ups). Two-three hours after an average-sized meal I find to usually be ok, although my digestion does seem to vary (even with same foods) for some reason.

    If your working out first thing in the morning, then unless you want to eat something in the middle of the night, fasted training is the only way - and a lot of people do get on well with it. My advice is to try different strategies and see what works best for you.
  • mattyc772014
    mattyc772014 Posts: 3,543 Member
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    I have tried the empty stomach in the am but because I dont have enough time to eat and get to the gym at 4:30am. Also had a problem when going to the gym in the evening and eating a meal before hand. Just too uncomfortable for me. Tried eating something as I workout that I could digest quickly like gummie bears. Gave me a quick boost but not what I was hoping.

    So now I have been experimenting with just a little something before my am workout and eating a few more calories in the evening. I eat a bar that is about 100-150 calories with mixed macros. I find its not too much on my stomach and gives me some energy to have a good workout. Also dont feel as hungry after my workout. Seems to be working for me. I am also thinking it is as simple as needing some electrolytes in the morning.

    I have never been able to find a study that says fasted workouts is beneficial.
  • zcb94
    zcb94 Posts: 3,679 Member
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    zcb94 wrote: »
    Nothing kills hunger better than cardio. Lots of people promote fasting morning exercise for weight loss.

    I'm sure it can be overdone...
    ^This is what I've heard too, but I don't practice it unless I have to (must bathe before eating, etc) because it would turn up my appetite and make it very dangerous to move for a while (dizziness, nausea, seeing stars, fatigue, pounding heart). That does make me wonder: is there any difference in terms of safety or effectiveness between fasted cardio (no food) and NPO cardio (do not eat or drink, not even a sip of water is to be on your stomach)? I sometimes need to get cleaned up and dressed as soon as possible, so there's guaranteed to be nothing on board when I start those days.
    Just bumping my question.
  • CrabNebula
    CrabNebula Posts: 1,119 Member
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    I like eating something light for lunch before I go run my daily 5km. I generally am not hungry for 1-2 hours afterwards and by then it is near time to go home anyway. No point in bothering with eating at work, just chew gum and wait till I get home for dinner.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
    edited April 2016
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    superchea wrote: »
    Wake up and go to the gym on empty stomach in the morning is that a good or bad thing? I usually don't have an appetite in the am but I still manage to get in 2,000 calories a day.

    Empty stomach does not matter. What matters is if I am hungry or not. I generally don't get that hungry feeling until later in the day, so an early morning workout would probably not be a problem for me. Now, if I AM hungry, I don't care what time it is, I have to eat before working out or running. Cannot do it if I am hungry. I get too weak. I have left the gym to go out to the Wendy's in the parking lot to get some chicken...just to stop the growling tummy.
  • scastor27
    scastor27 Posts: 204 Member
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    Empty stomach for me in the AM. If I'm going after work/class I try to make sure I've had at least a couple hours to let whatever I ate settle...personal preference.
  • Shineylou
    Shineylou Posts: 25 Member
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    If you are looking to build muscle, you should have carbs or light protein before a workout. It will give you an energy boost and build/repair muscle quicker.
  • slikorify
    slikorify Posts: 130 Member
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    Just comes down to personal preference. Whatever makes you feel better during the workout will make you more likely to have a good session, which is the most important thing. If you look around online you can find people that have done incredibly well doing it either way
  • crossfreddy
    crossfreddy Posts: 12 Member
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    Some of my best runs were straight out of bed & with an empty tummy. I need to go straight away though or I start to get hungry. I've read that fasted cardio can help to speed up your metabolism for the rest of the day. However i was training for a 10k at the time, and it was easier for me to get a run in first thing while the rest of the house were still asleep.
  • KatyP86
    KatyP86 Posts: 164 Member
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    It's really up to you ... I personally prefer to have a light breakfast 30-60 minutes before working out but whatever works best for you :)
  • Panda_Poptarts
    Panda_Poptarts Posts: 971 Member
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    I never eat before working out :)
  • kwiatrtdy2
    kwiatrtdy2 Posts: 27 Member
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    I do a cardio class on a Sunday morning and when I'm running late I skip breakfast before going. My performance massively drops and I just don't have the energy to do it properly. A couple of hours after dinner is my happy time :smile:
  • Sawjer
    Sawjer Posts: 229 Member
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    Fasted training. Totally normal bro, Do what works for you. I don't eat my first meal until 7pm sometimes..
  • Wicked_Seraph
    Wicked_Seraph Posts: 388 Member
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    I never eat before working out. I've tried before (my mother insists that it's necessary) and I personally hate having something in my stomach when running, using the elliptical, and so on. I've been improving and don't suffer for it, so I don't see the problem.

    Hell, I don't eat after working out if it's a work day, either... I'm content to drink a lot of water and wait til lunch or dinner.
  • AsrarHussain
    AsrarHussain Posts: 1,424 Member
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    I could not do it, I need food before I train.