The concept of working out on an empty stomach has had its fair share of controversy. And it’s a topic that we can’t ignore when it’s associated with intermittent fasting. Well, it has its advantages and disadvantages. The scenario varies from person to person.
Working Out on An Empty Stomach: The Pros
Yes, doing your exercise routine first thing in the morning, which is also known as fasted cardio, does have an advantage but it’s not scientifically proven. It’s believed that when you work out on an empty stomach, your body burns the excess fat to produce energy. It happens because there are no carbohydrates to burn in the body.
Working Out on An Empty Stomach: The Cons
- Burning Protein: Protein is one of the vital elements that goes into repairing our cells. Not eating anything before comes with an intense risk of burning protein instead of fat. When that happens, you are doing damage to your body instead of losing fat.
- Losing Energy Resources: Another major con of working out on an empty stomach is the fact that you might lose important energy resources from your body. If you don’t eat a balanced diet, making up for that loss could be a hard task.
- Low Blood Sugar: Then comes the low blood sugar. The sugar level in our blood is maintained by digesting food. When there is nothing to digest, the blood sugar level can drop dramatically. As a result, you might feel lightheaded, exhausted, and a little out of your headspace.
- Storing More Fat: This might shock you but did you know that you can gain more fat by working out on an empty stomach? Yes, it happens. If you continue to do a fasted cardio, your body might adapt to store more fat than before to adjust the levels.
- Losing Muscle Mass: Losing muscle is one of the downsides of working out on an empty stomach. You might not notice it immediately, but in the long run, you’ll lose muscle mass due to a lack of protein.
- Slow Metabolism: Over time, your metabolism will slow down if you continue to work out on an empty stomach. If the body is deprived of nutrition, it will automatically adjust the metabolism rate. As a result, you might start to gain weight as the food is taking longer to digest.
So, What Do You Do?
While working out on an empty stomach does offer some core benefits, it’s ideal to not go the route. You don’t have to eat a full course meal before exercise but eating the right food can fuel your workouts to provide a better and more efficient result.
Whole Foods: It’s better to eat whole food before a workout. Whole foods are usually simple in structure and easy to digest. It gives you instant energy before a workout. Nuts and seeds, different kinds of fruits are a great example of whole food. And don’t forget bananas!
Carbohydrate: Carbohydrate is the primary source of our energy. So, eating carbohydrates before a workout is a surefire way of making sure that you are getting the energy you require. Rice, potato, whole wheat toast, cereals, etc.
Lean Protein: Lean protein is a great source of energy. Protein is required to heal the muscles that we tear during a workout. Eggs, low-fat milk, etc. are easy sources of lean protein.
The Bottom Line
Intermittent fasting is a great way of losing weight fast. But pairing it up with exercise on empty stomach might not be beneficial to your needs. Make sure that you eat a minimum amount of at least 2-3 hours before a workout.
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