working out in the am before breakfast

There might be some truth to it, but I think the difference is negligable.

In my opinion I don't think its good to work out without eating anything, You need at least a light snack to start up your metabolism and to help you with your workout. It is good to workout in the morning because you get into a good routine of getting up, I usually have half of a banana and a handful of cereal, and then I eat when I get home. I think that whenever you will workout is the best time, if you can't do it in the morning thats ok just do it when you can, everyone is different

~Leash

I found opposing articles on the subject. This one is most recent
http://www.limelife.com/blog-entry/Morning-Workouts-Burn-More-Calories/25551.html

This one is from several years ago.

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/diet.fitness/9907/14/workout.times/index.html

I think since the first article was published in Nov. of this year it is more likely to be accurate... says early morning workouts DO burn more calories than night workouts.... but suggests a midday workout may be just as effective. And probably due to the fact that in the morning you are more likely to push yourself through a workout routine that at the end of the day when you are exhausted. For me, if I don't do one in the am, I probably won't fit it into my day, so this is good news for me

First of all, the idea that working out on an empty stomach "burns more fat" is nonsense. You cannot manipulate the fuel substrate the body uses for exercise unless you manipulate the intensity--and even then it is pointless because the fuel substrate utilized during exercise has almost no effect on stored body fat.

You need carbohydrates to exercise and you need them to burn fat. Your body will get them from somewhere--most likely, even on an empty stomach, you have enough stored glycogen to get going. If you did get to the point where you were 'burning fat" only, you would have a really, really, really ****ty workout. You don't see it as much anymore because training and inter-race feeding techniques are so much better, but think of what a marathoner looks like when they "hit the wall"--the shuffling gait, the glassy-eyed stare, the mental disorientation, the sharp and significant decrease in performance--essentially the zombie death march---THAT'S what a real "fat burning workout" looks like. Have good day......

In terms of whether a workout at different times of day has more "calorie burning" effect, or "afterburn", there are so many other variables at work, the "research" is realistically useless as an individual guideline.

Many people are stiffer or just generally slower in the morning, so they don't work out as hard; there are significant behavioral issues, work concerns, lifestyle schedules, etc, etc, etc.

Choose the time of day that works best for you and makes you more likely to remain compliant with your program. The benefits of consistency far, far outweigh any hypothetical "benefits" that might pertain to any particular time of day.

I work out mostly in the AM. I make sure I'm hydrated and my first moves (lifting, running or biking) is slow and light. When your 55 a little stretch and warm-up is necessary.

The lifting experts say to have a little caffeine, carbs an hour before. That means I'd have to wake up at 3:30AM. Also some protein after (whey, etc).

If I waited until after work, I would want to take a nap, go shop, go to school, everything but work out.

I'm a morning person so it works for me.

(double post edit)