Exercising on an empty stomach

[brightstar]

A friend of mine said you burn more fat if you exercise on an empty stomach since you don’t have food calories to burn. That true?

[PamelaPoison]

I couldn't do that. I'd pass out if I tried a workout on an empty stomach

[Freddy]

I don't know if that's true and I don't know if that's really a good idea. Wouldn't that really throw off your metabolism? Wouldn't you be starving when you were done working out which could make it a lot easier for you to eat too much and eat too much of the wrong foods?

[JokerzWild]

Some people do claim that doing cardio on an empty stomach is best because you'll burn through more fat that way. However, there's also a risk that you could burn through muscle, as well. Furthermore, just because you might burn more fat doesn't mean that you'll reach your weight loss or fitness goals any faster compared to if you ate before you exercised. Most studies say that its brief and intense workouts that really lead to the drastic and lasting changes. Therefore, I would recommend eating before you eat, if only to ensure that what you burn is always fat and not muscle.

[Speeddemon]

I don't think that working out on an empty stomach is going to result in enough extra fat loss that it's going to make some giant difference to how much weight you lose or how fast you lose it. What I think is important is that you get that exercise in every day (as often as you can), regardless of whether your working out after a snack, meal or on an empty stomach. I think people spend too much time focusing on how much fat that they can lose by doing different things before exercising, that they lose focus on the fact that as long as you're exercising on a regular basis, you're ahead of the game. I think the less complicated we make exercise, the more likely we are to do it.

[enviroTodd]

Healthful exercising requires natural energy. Natural energy comes from eating food. At least give yourself some carbs before a workout for a boost of what you need and to reduce the risk of dizziness or fainting. Then, have protein afterward to fuel your muscles so they can recover. Drink lots of water, regardless.

[Bethie]

Ok so I have a question. If you aren't supposed to exercise on an empty stomach, what if you exercise without eating anything but if you have a huge cup of coffee. That provides you with hydration and with caffeine for energy. Would that be a good way to keep you able to perform and make sure your body has energy to burn but would it stop you from wasting your efforts burning food calories when you could be working on burning fat off your body?

[BabyButtons]

It certainly would help you to burn a lot of calories, but I think the problem may be that after you exercise you may be really hungry and this could lead to you ingesting more calories than you burned. That might not always be the case, but I know that whenever I've exercised without eating first, when I'm done my workout I'm always REALLY hungry and I'm far more likely to make bad food choices when I feel this way.

[enviroTodd]

It certainly would help you to burn a lot of calories, but I think the problem may be that after you exercise you may be really hungry and this could lead to you ingesting more calories than you burned. That might not always be the case, but I know that whenever I've exercised without eating first, when I'm done my workout I'm always REALLY hungry and I'm far more likely to make bad food choices when I feel this way.

That’s exactly the problem. It should also be noted that energy from caffeine and energy from food aren’t the same thing. Caffeine is a stimulant so it makes you feel as though you have energy even though it’s not actually providing you with any fuel. Food on the other hand provides you with the actual fuel your body needs in order to produce energy. The difference is that with caffeine, you could end up getting very weak and dizzy. You may not feel fatigued but you won’t feel good and you won’t perform at your best unless your body has actual fuel running it.

But you also pointed it out, BabyButtons. You’ll feel so hungry afterword that the odds are you won’t make the right food choices.

[BabyButtons]

That’s exactly the problem. It should also be noted that energy from caffeine and energy from food aren’t the same thing. Caffeine is a stimulant so it makes you feel as though you have energy even though it’s not actually providing you with any fuel. Food on the other hand provides you with the actual fuel your body needs in order to produce energy. The difference is that with caffeine, you could end up getting very weak and dizzy. You may not feel fatigued but you won’t feel good and you won’t perform at your best unless your body has actual fuel running it.

But you also pointed it out, BabyButtons. You’ll feel so hungry afterword that the odds are you won’t make the right food choices.

So cleverly put, enviroTodd. That's exactly it. The energy that caffeine gives you is not the same as the energy that you receive from food. If you want to use caffeine to help give yourself that extra boost when you workout, combine it with some food and then you'll get the benefits of both energies

[TinaDancer]

So cleverly put, enviroTodd. That's exactly it. The energy that caffeine gives you is not the same as the energy that you receive from food. If you want to use caffeine to help give yourself that extra boost when you workout, combine it with some food and then you'll get the benefits of both energies

Does that mean I just have to eat a lot of chocolate before each workout haha!

[Whirlybird]

Does that mean I just have to eat a lot of chocolate before each workout haha!

I would exercise all the time if that's what that meant! Workouts would be my favorite thing suddenly haha