Jump to content

Myth or Fact: Early morning Cardio on empty stomach


Recommended Posts

I was told by a friend who's spent around $500 on a personal trainer in the last 2 years and made some major changes, that effectiveness of early morning cardio on an empty stomach on your body in terms of burning fat cannot be achieved by even double the effort any other time.

 

The logic was that in the morning after you've gone to the bathroom your body contains no food, so when you do cardio for 40 mins or more it hits your FAT and burns lots of it.

 

The statement that this effect cannot be replicated by even TWICE the effort in the evening or other times was a little hard to digest.

 

I did some online googling and found variations of the truth.

 

What are your thoughts?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it can work, it won't burn fat like you burn wood in a fire but if there is no food in your stomach it will burn stored sugar then fat...however you'll feel like crap. I used to do this and its no fun for intense training.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to do this and its no fun for intense training.

 

And that's the key. If you can do your morning cardio without having breakfast, and do it at the exact same intensity and duration as you would normally, than maybe it would be more effective than exercising after eating. BUT if cardio on an empty stomach is that much more difficult for you, then you're not going to be able to sustain the same intensity and so will lose out on the training effect.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with Veganpotter, I think it can work but is no fun.. I also used to do this and I found it effective but I felt completely drained for the day instead of invigorated like exercise normally does for me. Plus the intense hunger cravings to replace each and every burned calorie plus some after an empty-stomach morning workout was nearly impossible to fend off! hehe But if you can avoid binging on sugar and carbs for the first hour or two after that workout, I think it would likely be very effective. What to refuel with though? Maybe green-smoothie?!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with Veganpotter, I think it can work but is no fun.. I also used to do this and I found it effective but I felt completely drained for the day instead of invigorated like exercise normally does for me. Plus the intense hunger cravings to replace each and every burned calorie plus some after an empty-stomach morning workout was nearly impossible to fend off! hehe But if you can avoid binging on sugar and carbs for the first hour or two after that workout, I think it would likely be very effective. What to refuel with though? Maybe green-smoothie?!

 

Now you are giving me ideas... but I dont know what kind of ideas?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the best thing to refuel with is just a few lower fiber fruits...a green smoothie would be good as a meal a few hours later.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have my best workouts early in the morning after a quart of water and 30 mins to let it sink. Of course we are all different and therefore it's important to listen to our bodies. If you're tired, but still want to go out, do something with low intense but longer duration or basically don't go out untill you feel motivated. Negative thoughts is highly stressful and awful for training results. For some, powerwalks are highty efficent before breakfast, others need something little as a kickstart, others can do HIIT for 10-20 mins with no problems and some can't do anything at all in the morning. I dare to say, it's something to get used to. So refreshing to have the workout done early in the morning, leaves the rest of the day to do other things.

For me, it's the bomb! But I am a morning person! I think of it more as therapy to be out in the nature hearing the birds sing than a workout.

 

When I come home I stuff myself with fresh, juicy fruits. So yum!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

From the Buddhist perspective..also maybe the Aruyvedic approach...and anyone who cares about their body..

the first activities and meal(s) in the morning should be very light..hence breakfast..you are breaking a "fast".

Its reccommended that the only things you participate in are meditation, yoga, streching, etc... and a light nutritious meal.

I personally feel that the most anyone should workout in the morning, is a brisk walk.

Whoever told you that cardio in the morning is twice as effective, may be right, but isnt weighing all the factors like what many other people here have stated. Ive been very successful working out in the afternoon, and it seems like your friend is making you feel guilty. My success lies in moderation, who cares if you can speed things up...if you stick to this for the rest of your life you will be in amazing shape, while your friend will probably eventually quit. Tortoise>Hare

 

I reccommend you read Spiritual Nutrition by Cousens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry I didn't read all of the replies, but from what I understand the common belief in the bodybuilding industry is that:

 

The best time for cardio for fat burning is immediately after a weight training session, or on an empty stomach.

 

Also, the pace, the intensity, the heart rate, etc. are also factors for optimal fat-burning.

 

It depends what the goal is. Simply increasing lung capacity and efficiency, or fat-burning, or actually training a muscle, raising the heart rate, etc.

 

I'd say that early morning would be a great option overall.

 

Try to find out things that are industry standards. They usually get that way for some reason. Sometimes, it's BS as we know, but often times, perhaps even most times, if the majority of athletes who are super concerned and focused on results train a similar way, there is probably a logical and practical reason behind it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I''ve heard alot of different ideas of when and how you should workout. If you can do the cardio first thing in the morning without any nourishment you'd be doing better than me! I find that to get the most out of a workout I need to fuel my body. When I ran my first 5k in the morning, I just had a banana, about an hour before, and did fine. I know I wouldn't have done very well with an empty stomach, I would have possibly gotten through it but would be completely drained.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have also found that if I have a large meal at night (say around 7 PM), that I am able to run one of my 10 mile runs in the morning before breakfast. But when I am dieting down for a contest, I don't eat a large meal at night, so it makes the running in the morning not fun and the distance is not there (hit the wall at 3 miles!). So I end up running after breakfast during dieting.

 

So I would also take into effect the last meal that could fuel up all the reserves, in which your body is accustomed too. (Took me a while to get up to 10 mile runs).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

veganpotter wrote:

I used to do this and its no fun for intense training.

 

That is the biggest factor, whether it works for you or not. From what I have read over the years, as well as trying different things out myself, I don't think that the timing really matters, and what it really comes down to is calorie surplus vs. deficit. Simply put, eat more than you burn and it's hard to lose fat. Burn more than you eat, and your body will resort to fat for fuel.

 

If you take notice of endurance athletes, they eat simple carbs every 30-60 minutes while exercising. Once all stored glycogen is used, the body turns to fat for fuel. However, this is not as efficient of a process and takes more energy than burning carbs, so you hit the famous "wall". So if you do plan to workout first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, plan on cardio for 30-45 min. max and then eat!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

I've been doing intense cardio both in the mornings on an empty stomach and in the afternoons after having had a meal or two that day( not on the same day). I feel I actually get better results working out on an empty stomach, then coming home and eating something light.

But thats just me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been doing intense cardio both in the mornings on an empty stomach and in the afternoons after having had a meal or two that day( not on the same day). I feel I actually get better results working out on an empty stomach, then coming home and eating something light.

But thats just me.

 

 

I think you are doing the right thing. Intense cardio is going to tell your body to keep the muscle and get rid of the fat. With long distance cardio, you will burn fat, but your body might also start to give up some muscle.

 

I try and always eat before I workout. I don't think working out on an empty stomach will increase the fat burn as it will all even out over the course of the day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Low intensity cardio is great in the fasted state, for increased fat utilization. High intensity is fine in the fasted state, but there isn't really much benefit to it. There are some studies showing high glycogen depletion workouts while fasted seems to cause the body to supercompensate, and store more glycogen than it normally would. So, there may be a purpose, if timed right, for endurance athletes, or maybe even bodybuilders seeking a full look on stage, to do this. I don't think anyone has figured out a protocol like this that has been tested, though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't breakfast the most important meal of the day ? So no fuel for the morning .

 

Early cardio to trigger fat burn , why can't the body break down muscles instead ?

 

Growth hormone is elevated during periods of short fasting. Growth hormone inhibits the breakdown of protein. Protein breakdown occurs more rapidly as the fast approaches 24 hours and beyond. That said, if you participate in tons of intense cardio, depleting glycogen stores, your body will turn to protein for gluconeogenesis, formation of bastardized carbs, basically. A good thirty minute bout of intense activity while on less than a 24 hour fast will not likely drop glycogen too low, unless you are low carbing. Low intensity activity will burn more fat than carbs for energy, and won't impact glycogen stores much.

 

Basically, the gist of what I am saying is don't try to run a marathon or do lots of crazy crossfit shit in the fasted state, and you will be fine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I live my life based on the idea - from doing a good amount of research - that your body WILL NOT BURN FAT unless you initially feed your furnace (stomach) in the morning. If I am to go on a morning run, or workout, I will have at least a bite of toast (for you marathoners probably white bread,) before I do anything.

 

I'm also under the impression that if you exercise on an empty stomach that your body will react as starved and breakdown muscle fiber as fuel reserves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I live my life based on the idea - from doing a good amount of research - that your body WILL NOT BURN FAT unless you initially feed your furnace (stomach) in the morning. If I am to go on a morning run, or workout, I will have at least a bite of toast (for you marathoners probably white bread,) before I do anything.

 

I'm also under the impression that if you exercise on an empty stomach that your body will react as starved and breakdown muscle fiber as fuel reserves.

OK, but that's simply not true. Putting carbs in your mouth (you can then spit them out) has been shown to slightly increase energy output so the workout may feel more productive. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/apr/15/high-energy-carbohydrate-drinks-performance-brain)

 

What is this research you speak of? You have evidence that cardio without eating toast (why?) only burns muscle? Why do people think their bodies prefer to burn muscle without some sort of trick. Fat is your energy store, assuming you're not using energy quicker than it's being mobilized and assuming you didn't eat something like toast that's signaling your body to store fat, your body will burn fat.

 

Extraordinary claims.... you can't just make some blanket statements that disagree, especially following cubby's explanation of the mechanisms at work. I would seriously be interested to know why you think this way and what research you have to support it.

 

Anyway in response to the original post from years ago... I think fasted morning cardio works well but it's not magical. Definitely not twice as effective as cardio done at other times.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...