Opinions on fasted workouts..

Options
hellogary11
hellogary11 Posts: 2 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Effective or no?
I've seen conflicting info, research and anecdotal, swearing both camps are the way to go. Any constructive input is appreciated.

Replies

  • JB035
    JB035 Posts: 336 Member
    Options
    Effective in loosing weight, yes. The problem is you will lose muscle mass as well, seems counterproductive to me.

    Get your cals in a deficit overall and you will overall lose fat. Easy enough.
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
    Options
    I do it because running with food in my stomach makes it hurt. I run in the morning after some coffee.

    It doesn't seem to do anything special for me. I gain and lose.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    Options
    Not for me. I prefer not to fall over during my workout.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Options
    There are conflicting opinions but the research is clear. For the average person, exercise in a fasted state provides no additional benefit for fat loss.

    Increased fat oxidation during exercise DOES NOT mean more stored body fat is being burned.

    Whether or not eating before a workout affects performance is a completely different question. There are many variables at play in this situation, so you can do what feels best.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
    Options
    I do it only because I exercise first thing in the morning.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Options
    I think it's a personal preference thing. Some people like it. I just crash and burn.
  • cessi0909
    cessi0909 Posts: 654 Member
    Options
    I only do it on days I am working out before 6am, I have tried to eat and just feel sick to my stomach. It doesn't do anything special....well, other than make it so I don't like like I will get sick
  • ronocnikral
    ronocnikral Posts: 176 Member
    Options
    Azdak wrote: »
    There are conflicting opinions but the research is clear. For the average person, exercise in a fasted state provides no additional benefit for fat loss.

    Increased fat oxidation during exercise DOES NOT mean more stored body fat is being burned.

    Whether or not eating before a workout affects performance is a completely different question. There are many variables at play in this situation, so you can do what feels best.

    From a weight loss perspective, the body will do what it needs to do with the hand it is dealt (excess or deficit calories consumed). From a fueling perspective, increased fat oxidation DOES mean more stored body fat is being burned.

    I do primarily fasted workouts. If not fasted, at least I don't eat during my longer training sessions. My goal is to train my body to run off fats for long days, but I don't expect it to help me with weight loss unless I eat correctly.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Options
    Here's my take based on personal experience and a lot of reading about metabolic flexibility (the ability to use fat oxidation and/or glucose for fuel)

    For weight loss, it's a highly over rated, over debated topic.
    For performance, it comes down to an individuals tolerance for eating before working out, how intensely one works out, how long they have been in a fasted state, and what their overall energy balance is.
    When I workout in the mornings, it's almost always fasted. And is always that way for lower intensity, long endurance types of workouts. Unless one is in a steeper caloric deficit or in a very long fasted state, you're still going to have glycogen stores and energy from the food you've last eaten. When performance is critical, having some easily digested carbs a little bit before hand has been shown to help. But if you're just getting up, putting in the workout and going about your day, I don't think it's overly critical whether you are fasted or not if you feel fine.
  • JoHmes
    JoHmes Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    If I exercise in the morning it's always a fasted one, but in the evening, when I've eaten throughout the day, I definitely have more energy
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    Options
    I can't do it. I feel sick if I don't eat a small snack before I run or go to the gym. Usually it's just a piece of fruit, but I need something in my stomach.
  • H_Ock12
    H_Ock12 Posts: 1,152 Member
    Options
    My preferred workout is fasted in the morning, before my afternoon meal. But if my schedule dictates I have to wait for an afternoon workout, I've found I need to break my fast with a protein shake an hour or so prior or else my energy is low and I end up tiring out halfway through a run of being unable to lift a decent load.
  • c50blvdbabe
    c50blvdbabe Posts: 213 Member
    Options
    Since I workout out as soon as I wake up before work, I have to. However, on the weekends if I go for a long run/bike ride, I eat a little something and then head out 1 hour later.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    edited February 2017
    Options
    ronocnikral wrote: »
    Azdak wrote: »
    There are conflicting opinions but the research is clear. For the average person, exercise in a fasted state provides no additional benefit for fat loss.

    Increased fat oxidation during exercise DOES NOT mean more stored body fat is being burned.

    Whether or not eating before a workout affects performance is a completely different question. There are many variables at play in this situation, so you can do what feels best.

    From a weight loss perspective, the body will do what it needs to do with the hand it is dealt (excess or deficit calories consumed). From a fueling perspective, increased fat oxidation DOES mean more stored body fat is being burned.

    I do primarily fasted workouts. If not fasted, at least I don't eat during my longer training sessions. My goal is to train my body to run off fats for long days, but I don't expect it to help me with weight loss unless I eat correctly.

    The bolded part is a bit misleading.

    You can't necessarily look at substrate utilization during training and draw conclusions about what happens over several weeks.

    Meaning, even if fat oxidation increases during the training bout, this doesn't necessarily indicate greater total losses in body fat over several weeks of doing this.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4242477/
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Options
    ronocnikral wrote: »
    Azdak wrote: »
    There are conflicting opinions but the research is clear. For the average person, exercise in a fasted state provides no additional benefit for fat loss.

    Increased fat oxidation during exercise DOES NOT mean more stored body fat is being burned.

    Whether or not eating before a workout affects performance is a completely different question. There are many variables at play in this situation, so you can do what feels best.

    From a weight loss perspective, the body will do what it needs to do with the hand it is dealt (excess or deficit calories consumed). From a fueling perspective, increased fat oxidation DOES mean more stored body fat is being burned.

    I do primarily fasted workouts. If not fasted, at least I don't eat during my longer training sessions. My goal is to train my body to run off fats for long days, but I don't expect it to help me with weight loss unless I eat correctly.

    No it really doesn't. The amount of fat burned during a workout is small to begin with, the difference between a "fat burning" workout and non is only a fraction of that, and over 24 hours the body equalizes fat oxidation regardless of what ocuured during the workout.
  • ronocnikral
    ronocnikral Posts: 176 Member
    Options
    Azdak wrote: »
    ronocnikral wrote: »
    Azdak wrote: »
    There are conflicting opinions but the research is clear. For the average person, exercise in a fasted state provides no additional benefit for fat loss.

    Increased fat oxidation during exercise DOES NOT mean more stored body fat is being burned.

    Whether or not eating before a workout affects performance is a completely different question. There are many variables at play in this situation, so you can do what feels best.

    From a weight loss perspective, the body will do what it needs to do with the hand it is dealt (excess or deficit calories consumed). From a fueling perspective, increased fat oxidation DOES mean more stored body fat is being burned.

    I do primarily fasted workouts. If not fasted, at least I don't eat during my longer training sessions. My goal is to train my body to run off fats for long days, but I don't expect it to help me with weight loss unless I eat correctly.

    No it really doesn't. The amount of fat burned during a workout is small to begin with, the difference between a "fat burning" workout and non is only a fraction of that, and over 24 hours the body equalizes fat oxidation regardless of what ocuured during the workout.

    So you agree with me :)

Categories