Exercising in the morning

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If you exercise in the morning on a empty stomach are they any consequences to it? While reading various post some say you lose muscle doing that while others say it's better to lose fat that way. Is there anyway to truly know how much it hurts or helps working out on an empty stomach?
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Replies

  • zeenatunisa
    zeenatunisa Posts: 3 Member
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    Hi

    It is much better to exercise in the morning, when u exercise in the morning, you burn fat....

    if you are overweight, its better on an empty stomach....

    Also, increase your protein intake, so when doing cardio, your body does not burn muscle....
  • Damien_K
    Damien_K Posts: 783 Member
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    SideSteel wrote: »
    A few things to comment on here:

    First of all, no you're not going to burn more body-fat by training on an empty stomach. The differences between fasted and fed training are insignificant.

    https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-014-0054-7


    Next, you could make a theoretical argument against training completely fasted IF the goal is to maximize skeletal muscle over the long term. Prevention of muscle protein breakdown in response to training COULD make a difference over the long term and so getting in some protein or amino acids pre training MIGHT make a difference in the long term. Do I think it will be a huge difference? Probably not, but it's worth mentioning.

    Finally, here's what REALLY, REALLY matters: Training performance and training consistency. And peri-workout nutrition can play a big role in those.

    And so consequently, I would focus less on what is "optimal" from a research perspective and I would focus more on

    a) What is going to give you the best chance at sticking to it?
    b) What is going to give you the best performance?

    Regarding a) above, what I'm getting at is that personal preference should play a role.

    Great to see you are still on MFP SideSteel.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Personal preference, how it affects your exercise performance and simply how it fits in your day.

    It's important that you do it - it's unimportant at what time of day, unimportant whether fed or fasted (unless you are doing endurance cardio....).

    You have an enormous store of energy in your body (both glycogen and fat) - training fasted isn't going to cause muscle loss.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Damien_K wrote: »
    SideSteel wrote: »
    A few things to comment on here:

    First of all, no you're not going to burn more body-fat by training on an empty stomach. The differences between fasted and fed training are insignificant.

    https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-014-0054-7


    Next, you could make a theoretical argument against training completely fasted IF the goal is to maximize skeletal muscle over the long term. Prevention of muscle protein breakdown in response to training COULD make a difference over the long term and so getting in some protein or amino acids pre training MIGHT make a difference in the long term. Do I think it will be a huge difference? Probably not, but it's worth mentioning.

    Finally, here's what REALLY, REALLY matters: Training performance and training consistency. And peri-workout nutrition can play a big role in those.

    And so consequently, I would focus less on what is "optimal" from a research perspective and I would focus more on

    a) What is going to give you the best chance at sticking to it?
    b) What is going to give you the best performance?

    Regarding a) above, what I'm getting at is that personal preference should play a role.

    Great to see you are still on MFP SideSteel.

    Thanks @Damien_K!

    I've never left, just gotten very busy. I'm actually making an effort to try to post here more often =)
  • rebasporty
    rebasporty Posts: 287 Member
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    It is all about personal preference. I prefer to workout in the morning because I am more consistent when I do. If I exercise at night I find that life gets in the way for me.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    You do what works for you - if you don't like to eat before exercise and you have the energy to workout then go for it.
    All that matters is the total calories you consume in the day, that you eat less than you burn, the timing doesn't matter one jot.
  • Joanna2012B
    Joanna2012B Posts: 1,448 Member
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    I run in the morning right when I get up....I have to run on an empty stomach. However, when I do a class (HIIT or Spin) I need to eat at least an hour before my class or I drink a protein shake about 30 min before. I believe it all to be personal preference. I know people that have to eat before they workout otherwise they can't perform well.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    As a runner and one that strength trains (4 of 7 days a week doing both on the same day), it is all personal preference. Depending on your goals eating the right amount of calories is all you need. When you eat them, how you eat them does not matter.
  • KiyaK
    KiyaK Posts: 519 Member
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    violetness wrote: »
    You will find an opinion here to suit whatever camp you are in on this. :)

    Agreed. I would suggest you do a Google search on fasted exercise study & read the articles from trusted sources. Aka: medical/academic sources, not bioscience blog posts.

    From my research in that area, it seems that it depends on your goals. If you want to burn fat, exercising fasted is better. If you want to improve your performance in your activity (ex: hit lifting PRs, decrease running time, etc) it's better to workout fueled.

    Do your own research & form your own opinion. Don't just blindly swallow what people on forums tell you.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    KiyaK wrote: »
    violetness wrote: »
    You will find an opinion here to suit whatever camp you are in on this. :)

    Agreed. I would suggest you do a Google search on fasted exercise study & read the articles from trusted sources. Aka: medical/academic sources, not bioscience blog posts.

    From my research in that area, it seems that it depends on your goals. If you want to burn fat, exercising fasted is better. If you want to improve your performance in your activity (ex: hit lifting PRs, decrease running time, etc) it's better to workout fueled.

    Do your own research & form your own opinion. Don't just blindly swallow what people on forums tell you.

    I posted a well-designed research paper earlier in this thread demonstrating no difference between fasted and fed cardio.

    It absolutely is valuable to do your own research and people should do that, but on this particular topic The evidence seems to point towards it not making any difference.

    That being said, you make mentioned that you believe the research shows otherwise.

    If you happen to have a particular study in mind I'd love to see it if you'd be willing to share.

    Thanks!
  • BreonnaQueen
    BreonnaQueen Posts: 58 Member
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    I say do what works for you. It honestly doesn't matter much what time you work out... as long as you are working out and eating right. I use to work out at night and lost weight. I now work out in the morning... still lost weight! I say this because everyone's body and health goals are different. You may find you have to eat before working out or you may find (like me) you cannot eat a meal and then workout.
  • KiyaK
    KiyaK Posts: 519 Member
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    SideSteel wrote: »
    KiyaK wrote: »
    violetness wrote: »
    You will find an opinion here to suit whatever camp you are in on this. :)

    Agreed. I would suggest you do a Google search on fasted exercise study & read the articles from trusted sources. Aka: medical/academic sources, not bioscience blog posts.

    From my research in that area, it seems that it depends on your goals. If you want to burn fat, exercising fasted is better. If you want to improve your performance in your activity (ex: hit lifting PRs, decrease running time, etc) it's better to workout fueled.

    Do your own research & form your own opinion. Don't just blindly swallow what people on forums tell you.

    I posted a well-designed research paper earlier in this thread demonstrating no difference between fasted and fed cardio.

    It absolutely is valuable to do your own research and people should do that, but on this particular topic The evidence seems to point towards it not making any difference.

    That being said, you make mentioned that you believe the research shows otherwise.

    If you happen to have a particular study in mind I'd love to see it if you'd be willing to share.

    Thanks!

    No, I don't have links to any articles. That was quite kind of you to provide them. I am just a normal person, encouraging others to do their own research. To me, that includes reading articles provided to them as well as seeking out alternative opinions. The existence of one well-designed research paper demonstrating something does not exclude the existence of another well-designed research paper demonstrating a different outcome. Just because you provided a link does not mean OP can't continue their own research.

    I was not attempting to argue with you personally. I am simply stating what I have read. The OP and others are more than welcome to ignore my post. No skin off my nose if some rando on an Internet forum ignores me. *shrug*
  • VenusCannon
    VenusCannon Posts: 13 Member
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    I exercies in the morning for me. Then I take and teach in the evenings. I also dance when I cook. It helps pass the time and I get another 10-20 minutes of exercise in at the very least.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Options
    KiyaK wrote: »
    SideSteel wrote: »
    KiyaK wrote: »
    violetness wrote: »
    You will find an opinion here to suit whatever camp you are in on this. :)

    Agreed. I would suggest you do a Google search on fasted exercise study & read the articles from trusted sources. Aka: medical/academic sources, not bioscience blog posts.

    From my research in that area, it seems that it depends on your goals. If you want to burn fat, exercising fasted is better. If you want to improve your performance in your activity (ex: hit lifting PRs, decrease running time, etc) it's better to workout fueled.

    Do your own research & form your own opinion. Don't just blindly swallow what people on forums tell you.

    I posted a well-designed research paper earlier in this thread demonstrating no difference between fasted and fed cardio.

    It absolutely is valuable to do your own research and people should do that, but on this particular topic The evidence seems to point towards it not making any difference.

    That being said, you make mentioned that you believe the research shows otherwise.

    If you happen to have a particular study in mind I'd love to see it if you'd be willing to share.

    Thanks!

    No, I don't have links to any articles. That was quite kind of you to provide them. I am just a normal person, encouraging others to do their own research. To me, that includes reading articles provided to them as well as seeking out alternative opinions. The existence of one well-designed research paper demonstrating something does not exclude the existence of another well-designed research paper demonstrating a different outcome. Just because you provided a link does not mean OP can't continue their own research.

    I was not attempting to argue with you personally. I am simply stating what I have read. The OP and others are more than welcome to ignore my post. No skin off my nose if some rando on an Internet forum ignores me. *shrug*

    I get it, it's just that you claimed that you researched this and you believe research indicates that fasted cardio is superior.

    I was asking you which paper you've read. If you don't want to provide it that's fine but can you tell me which paper or the author or the title so I can go find it?

  • KiyaK
    KiyaK Posts: 519 Member
    Options
    SideSteel wrote: »
    KiyaK wrote: »
    SideSteel wrote: »
    KiyaK wrote: »
    violetness wrote: »
    You will find an opinion here to suit whatever camp you are in on this. :)

    Agreed. I would suggest you do a Google search on fasted exercise study & read the articles from trusted sources. Aka: medical/academic sources, not bioscience blog posts.

    From my research in that area, it seems that it depends on your goals. If you want to burn fat, exercising fasted is better. If you want to improve your performance in your activity (ex: hit lifting PRs, decrease running time, etc) it's better to workout fueled.

    Do your own research & form your own opinion. Don't just blindly swallow what people on forums tell you.

    I posted a well-designed research paper earlier in this thread demonstrating no difference between fasted and fed cardio.

    It absolutely is valuable to do your own research and people should do that, but on this particular topic The evidence seems to point towards it not making any difference.

    That being said, you make mentioned that you believe the research shows otherwise.

    If you happen to have a particular study in mind I'd love to see it if you'd be willing to share.

    Thanks!

    No, I don't have links to any articles. That was quite kind of you to provide them. I am just a normal person, encouraging others to do their own research. To me, that includes reading articles provided to them as well as seeking out alternative opinions. The existence of one well-designed research paper demonstrating something does not exclude the existence of another well-designed research paper demonstrating a different outcome. Just because you provided a link does not mean OP can't continue their own research.

    I was not attempting to argue with you personally. I am simply stating what I have read. The OP and others are more than welcome to ignore my post. No skin off my nose if some rando on an Internet forum ignores me. *shrug*

    I get it, it's just that you claimed that you researched this and you believe research indicates that fasted cardio is superior.

    I was asking you which paper you've read. If you don't want to provide it that's fine but can you tell me which paper or the author or the title so I can go find it?

    You are obviously someone who has a much more extensive professional and science-based history in this field. I appreciate that your are working to make replies in the forums more based on research and truth instead of broscience. I apologize if my post muddied the waters in that regard.

    In my (obviously inferior) research, I simply did what I suggested OP do, which is Google & read articles by sources I trusted. I realize that even if I spent the time finding the articles I thought were particularly helpful, they would not stand up in your eyes, as they are not research papers or peer-reviewed studies. So I will not bother.

    To be clear, I did not claim that fasted cardio was "superior." I never mentioned cardio specifically. I stated that choosing fasted or fueled exercise depended on your goals. At the time, I did not think that this statement was quite so inflamatory, but I have since been corrected.

    I will refrain from commenting on forum posts in the future unless I have appropriate citation to back up my claims. Sorry for wasting everyone's time.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Options
    KiyaK wrote: »
    SideSteel wrote: »
    KiyaK wrote: »
    SideSteel wrote: »
    KiyaK wrote: »
    violetness wrote: »
    You will find an opinion here to suit whatever camp you are in on this. :)

    Agreed. I would suggest you do a Google search on fasted exercise study & read the articles from trusted sources. Aka: medical/academic sources, not bioscience blog posts.

    From my research in that area, it seems that it depends on your goals. If you want to burn fat, exercising fasted is better. If you want to improve your performance in your activity (ex: hit lifting PRs, decrease running time, etc) it's better to workout fueled.

    Do your own research & form your own opinion. Don't just blindly swallow what people on forums tell you.

    I posted a well-designed research paper earlier in this thread demonstrating no difference between fasted and fed cardio.

    It absolutely is valuable to do your own research and people should do that, but on this particular topic The evidence seems to point towards it not making any difference.

    That being said, you make mentioned that you believe the research shows otherwise.

    If you happen to have a particular study in mind I'd love to see it if you'd be willing to share.

    Thanks!

    No, I don't have links to any articles. That was quite kind of you to provide them. I am just a normal person, encouraging others to do their own research. To me, that includes reading articles provided to them as well as seeking out alternative opinions. The existence of one well-designed research paper demonstrating something does not exclude the existence of another well-designed research paper demonstrating a different outcome. Just because you provided a link does not mean OP can't continue their own research.

    I was not attempting to argue with you personally. I am simply stating what I have read. The OP and others are more than welcome to ignore my post. No skin off my nose if some rando on an Internet forum ignores me. *shrug*

    I get it, it's just that you claimed that you researched this and you believe research indicates that fasted cardio is superior.

    I was asking you which paper you've read. If you don't want to provide it that's fine but can you tell me which paper or the author or the title so I can go find it?

    You are obviously someone who has a much more extensive professional and science-based history in this field. I appreciate that your are working to make replies in the forums more based on research and truth instead of broscience. I apologize if my post muddied the waters in that regard.

    In my (obviously inferior) research, I simply did what I suggested OP do, which is Google & read articles by sources I trusted. I realize that even if I spent the time finding the articles I thought were particularly helpful, they would not stand up in your eyes, as they are not research papers or peer-reviewed studies. So I will not bother.

    To be clear, I did not claim that fasted cardio was "superior." I never mentioned cardio specifically. I stated that choosing fasted or fueled exercise depended on your goals. At the time, I did not think that this statement was quite so inflamatory, but I have since been corrected.

    I will refrain from commenting on forum posts in the future unless I have appropriate citation to back up my claims. Sorry for wasting everyone's time.

    This is truly the most remarkable reply I've ever gotten.

    Have a lovely day.