What are the main benefits of a fasted work out?

FlowerPower8579
FlowerPower8579 Posts: 25 Member
edited November 25 in Fitness and Exercise
Can anyone help me answer this one?

Replies

  • LenGray
    LenGray Posts: 869 Member
    Pros
    -No farting during squats
    -Less likely to need the bathroom during workout
    -Can do first thing in the morning

    Cons
    -So hungry I want to hurry up and finish my workout
    -Less focus
    -Possible headaches/fatigue
  • Lean59man
    Lean59man Posts: 714 Member
    edited March 2018
    I can't see any advantages to it.

    I usually work out before eating though for convenience.

    I recall as a teen rushing out right after eating dinner and playing a hard game of basketball on a full stomach. It didn't bother me at all.

  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    As already stated, it's pretty individualized and depends on what the workout is for many people.

    I'm good working out fasted for both short intense sessions and longer low intensity ones. But if I've got a more intense and longer workout, I'll see a reduction in performance.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    https://weightology.net/fasted-cardio-an-undeserved-good-reputation/
  • CricketClover
    CricketClover Posts: 388 Member
    For me, if I am going first thing in the morning (which is typical) I always go fasted but because I have to take my thyroid meds fasted and not eat for 30-60 mins after taking said meds.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    Andy__Dane wrote: »
    Pros

    I get an extra 10 minutes in bed before getting up for training

    This is the number 1 pro.

    Rolling out of bed in your gear and rolling straight into your training.
  • Sunshine_And_Sand
    Sunshine_And_Sand Posts: 1,320 Member
    I'd say little to no benefits for weight loss/body composition

    Other pros:
    Extra time to sleep
    Some people puke if they do heavy cardio on a full stomach
    For me, I like to eat breakfast with my kids so I do yoga "fasted" as soon as I wake up, so that they will be asleep and not bothering me while I'm on the mat
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Most of the pros are fitness related...particularly for endurance athletes.

    Fasted exercise has no bearing on weight loss...someone with a 500 calorie deficit who is exercising fed is going to lose the same amount of weight as someone with a 500 calorie deficit who is exercising fasted.
  • Rose18l
    Rose18l Posts: 147 Member
    The myth is thay fasted cardio will burn more calories than non fasted cardio. In reality the difference between them in almost none. On the otherhand your body has less ready energy so that might impact your workout intensity.
  • nrtauthor
    nrtauthor Posts: 159 Member
    For me, personally, I get really, really, really weak if I try to do any physical activity without eating something first. Like the huge change in my endurance is baffling. Haha.
  • WilmaValley
    WilmaValley Posts: 1,092 Member
    I have to eat before exercise or I just don't have the energy to do what needs to be done.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    For me the number one benefit of doing a fasted workout in the morning is not barfing. I'm going to guess that someone has said something about burning more fat than carbs and all that but the reality is that most of us have enough stored glycogen to get through 90 minutes or so of moderate exercise and that the fuel source for the workout has no bearing on weight/fat loss.

    Some people like to eat a little something before working out, do what works for you.
  • dljepava
    dljepava Posts: 1 Member
    not much
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    dljepava wrote: »
    not much

    Good use of context. You'll fit right in here.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    There are none. If that's what you prefer. Do it. If not, don't. In terms of fat loss or fitness, nothing. The link link from anvil is a good one.
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,374 Member
    For me, the big pro is not puking during my workout.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    For me the benefits were:

    I simply got better at doing fasted exercise, which was helpful for scheduling my training into a particular eating pattern or just fitting it into my day.
    Got to the stage where fed or fasted felt virtually the same and I performed the same, for both strength training and cardio up to moderate intensity / one hour training sessions.

    It also have me a better ability to cycle for longer before needing to feed. That's a bit of a niche benefit and irrelevant if you don't do endurance cardio.

    Didn't of course make a scrap of difference to weight or body composition.

    For the vast majority of people's regular exercise routines you have plenty of fuel on board already so it comes down to preference, scheduling, avoiding adverse impacts (either way) and it seems a whole load of "feelz".

    If you feel you need to fuel yourself from something just eaten then eating might give you a psychological boost even though in every likelihood you haven't digested what you have just eaten anyway.
    But there's also people who seem to get a boost from making everything as complex as possible which might involve either fasted exercise or the other extreme of a cocktail of timed eating, PWO, intra workouts, recovery foods etc. etc.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    The benefits are I don't have to eat anything before I go out the door at 4:30 am to run and also to avoid runners trots.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    edited March 2018
    I’m in the “just roll out of bed and do it” camp. I worry that if I sat down for breakfast first I wouldn’t get up again. I’m never really hungry first thing in the AM anyhow.
  • TechPoppa21
    TechPoppa21 Posts: 3 Member
    Ive been doing intermittent fasting for a while now and found that my body got over being "hungry" after a couple weeks. I didnt see any downside in my fasted workouts i actually felt better overall and less stressed about "the most important meal of the day". I read that peak fat burning is at the 16 hour fasted state but i usually try to work out first thing in the am.
  • Fizzypopization
    Fizzypopization Posts: 29 Member
    I do 90% of activity when I am under fast. I rarely eat in the mornings. Don't notice any big difference. I'm actually more alert, but thats it.
  • h1udd
    h1udd Posts: 623 Member
    for me, its just good timing, I get straight out of bed, motivation is high, chug a pre-workout (either a branded one or water + caffine or coffee if its -3deg outside) ... then hit the gym .. by the time I have warmed up the caffine has kicked in and BOOM I smash the workout.

    But

    if I eat first, the lethargy sinks in, I get distracted by other things, like the internet, may family gets up and wants to suck my time out of me, the phone rings etc etc etc

    That said ... When I work at home on Wednesdays I do a lunch workout and workout BEFORE eating as well, Mainly so I use lunch as a re-fuel, but mostly when there is no food in my stomach, I am lighter/more mobie can bounce around a lot more with out the drag of food in me

    I prefer working out fasting ... makes absolutely no difference to my performance though in terms of power or ability to lift
  • jefamer2017
    jefamer2017 Posts: 416 Member
    I have no energy if I don't eat first.
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