Cardio on an empty stomach after. Fasted cardio: burning fat or muscle? Famous arguments for doing cardio on an empty stomach

Many people leading a healthy lifestyle, especially beginners, sooner or later wonder whether it is possible to start jogging on an empty stomach in the morning, and whether it is possible to run on an empty stomach in principle. After all, even experienced athletes do not always give an affirmative answer to such a question that worries many. All the nuances, as well as positive and negative aspects affecting running on an empty stomach will be discussed in this article!

The benefits of morning running on an empty stomach

Due to the physiology of our body, after waking up from a night's sleep, our body has minimal glycogen stores, which within 15-30 minutes is expressed in drowsiness and mild lethargy. In itself, glycogen is the most important element from which our body draws vitality; with its low content, the human body seeks other sources of energy replenishment. As a rule, such sources are fat deposits, the maximum burning of which will be in the early morning hours, when intense cardio exercise before meals. This pattern is determined by stress stimulation, which is essentially morning running on an empty stomach; it is running that encourages our brain to activate all possible reserves, especially fat, which plays the role of an alternative energy source. Thus, the undeniable benefits of morning jogging before the first meal become visible to people who dream of losing excess weight caused by the accumulation of both subcutaneous and visceral fat.

It is recommended for people with slow metabolism to run in the morning on an empty stomach. In this case, the body gets used to this kind of stress and brings fat burning to automaticity, while launching an accelerated metabolic process. Accelerated metabolism reduces the tendency to obesity, including the accumulation of visceral fat, improves the removal of toxic substances from the body and has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system.

Moreover, individuals predisposed to obesity Not recommended eat before jogging also for the reason that the food eaten immediately provokes increased production of insulin, which in turn inhibits the breakdown of fat cells.

Also, running in the morning on an empty stomach is recommended for people suffering. This is due to increased production of endorphins, responsible for good mood and increasing the brightness of perception of life events. Moreover, regular running exercises will help normalize and simplify morning awakenings, and will also allow you to burn extra calories during the first half of the day, regardless of the person’s type of activity.

Harm from running on an empty stomach

Running on an empty stomach in the morning, and throughout the day, is strictly prohibited for people with minimal fat content in your body, especially for athletes who are actively building weight and people suffering from dystrophy.

These restrictions are due to the same morning lack of glycogen reserves, because in the absence of fat, the body will be forced to absorb energy from muscle tissue, destroying your muscles. The destruction of muscles gives rise to a phenomenon called catabolism, which increases the production of cortisol, one of the main stress hormones. People with dystrophy must be especially careful when running on an empty stomach, because the lack of both fat and significant muscle volume can affect the functioning of the cardiovascular system in general and the heart muscle in particular.

It is not recommended to practice running before meals for people with gastrointestinal problems, especially people suffering from stomach ulcers. Jogging activates the metabolism, causing the body to burn an incredible amount of calories, while causing a strong appetite.

It is the appetite caused by stress from running, especially, that promotes the secretion of gastric juice, and if you take into account the fact that the stomach is empty, the juice begins to affect the existing ulcer and causes it to increase.


Running on an empty stomach should take place at a calm rhythm, the jogging itself should not last more than . Otherwise, you neutralize all the beneficial benefits, and during regular exhausting exercise without first eating, your body risks going into overtraining, which threatens loss of strength, decreased vitality, surges in blood pressure and an extended recovery period after exercise. This rule applies primarily to people involved in strength training and working in grueling physical work.

So is it possible to run in the morning on an empty stomach?

Running on an empty stomach, especially in the morning, is only useful for people who intend to lose weight, or for people with a slow metabolism, which limits their diet and creates favorable conditions for gaining fat mass. Moreover, such people should jog on an empty stomach for no more than 30 minutes a day, and should remember that calorie burning will continue throughout the day. first half of the day, and there is no need to exhaust yourself with hour-long marathons, risking harm to your heart and overtraining.

On the contrary, athletes with large muscle mass should forget about running before meals, but should limit themselves to 200 grams of dairy or other protein products. This will give you the necessary supply of nutrients, eliminate the possibility of the body absorbing its own muscles, and prepares the gastrointestinal tract to digest the main food, which should be eaten no earlier than half an hour after the end of the run.

Skinny runners should drink a glass of kefir, weak coffee or tea is also allowed, which will give your body the necessary carbohydrates. Thus, you will minimize the effect of catabolism on your already small muscles, and also protect your heart from overwork and prevent the possibility of its atrophy as a result of regular morning exercise combined with a lack of nutrients.

Video. Should you run on an empty stomach?

Friends, good day everyone! I would like to touch on the topic of running on an empty stomach and find out your opinion about it. Many of us know that for successful weight loss, running in the morning is recommended, and even on an empty stomach. But recently I found this interesting information:

The main advantages of fasted cardio:

1. In the morning, the body has a low supply of glycogen, which means that when you run in the morning on an empty stomach, it is fat that begins to be burned;
2. As soon as you eat food, insulin is released, which prevents the mobilization of fats. In the morning, insulin levels are much lower, so fat is burned more actively;
3. After a morning cardio workout on an empty stomach, fat continues to be burned for some time;
4. After such training, endorphins are released, which improve your mood;
5. If such training becomes a habit, it will be easier for you to wake up in the morning.

Recent studies conducted in the USA have confirmed some of the points outlined above. According to research results, a kilogram of fat is burned faster in the morning on an empty stomach than if the athlete trained at another time of the day. The amount of fat that an athlete burned after morning cardio is 70% of the total energy expenditure throughout the day. In general, many studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of cardio training in the morning, the results of which almost always came to the conclusion that fat oxidation after cardio training occurs much faster if the exercises are carried out on an empty stomach. However, a huge number of scientists continue to claim that cardio training on an empty stomach does not have such an effect on fat burning. The main controversial issue is whether morning workouts have any effect on overall fat loss in the long term. Those. Scientists do not argue that morning cardio burns more fat, this is true. However, in their opinion, in reality it is absolutely not important when and what you burn (fat or carbohydrates eaten during the day), the main thing is that there is a calorie deficit. You should eat fewer calories than you expend and you will lose weight.

I'm writing for the first time. It is very interesting to know your opinion on this issue

Regarding insulin in the morning - it seems that more of it is released in the morning hours, thus the body prepares the brain for waking up. Cardio on an empty stomach - I came across the opinion that you need to eat easily digestible protein before cardio, so that the muscles do not “go to waste” on a fasted diet, although why exactly protein, what difference does it make in the case of a “not hungry stomach” before cardio. In favor of cardio on an empty stomach - manufacturers of expensive dietary supplements for weight loss in their new products emphasize that their tablet blocks the formation of glycogen in the muscles and, thus, stimulates fat burning, it turns out, take the tablet and spend energy on everyday activities as if on an empty stomach. A friend works in a pharmacy and the company recently held a training seminar for them, so she offered to try it, I refused, I think I can handle it on my own)))

Ira Andreeva wrote:
However, in their opinion, in reality it is absolutely not important when and what you burn (fat or carbohydrates eaten during the day), the main thing is that there is a calorie deficit. You should eat fewer calories than you expend and you will lose weight.

Actually, that's all. The way it is.

Ira Andreeva wrote:
In the morning, the body has a low supply of glycogen, which means that when you run in the morning on an empty stomach, it is fat that begins to be burned;

In the body, about 250 grams of glycogen is in the muscles, another 100-something in the liver. There are still 10 grams of free walking in the blood. Therefore, there is no low supply in the morning. It’s another matter if the glycogen depots were not filled earlier. But this happens on low-carb diets.

And so it all depends on what you will run on - fat or glycogen. Negative balance solves everything.

Comments:

• Scientific explanations and controversies
• Additional points
• Who is suitable for cardio in the morning?
• Practical recommendations

Today, there are many opinions about cardio on an empty stomach. In particular, such disputes are especially relevant recently. In other words, we can describe the following: a person wakes up, drinks very little water and goes for a run. It is also interesting that the process of active running should not last 40 minutes, or even a whole hour - 20 minutes is enough. But is this true? After all, if the truth is nearby, then athletes will be able to lose weight much faster.

There is an assumption that it is more useful to do cardio training on an empty stomach, since the metabolic process accelerates, and thanks to this, fats are burned more intensely. To begin with, it is worth noting some positive aspects of training in the morning:

1. In the morning, glycogen is present in the body in small quantities, which means that running in the morning will burn human fat.
2. After a person has consumed food, the body releases insulin, which prevents fats from being mobilized. In the morning, insulin is at a lower level, so fat burning activity is increased.
3. After completing a workout on an empty stomach, the process of burning fat in the human body still continues.
4. At the end of the morning workout, endorphins are released, which can improve your mood.
5. Getting into the habit of exercising in the morning will help you maintain a proper sleep pattern.

Scientific explanations and controversies

It is important to mention that even research and experiments in America have confirmed some of the above points of benefits. The results of the research showed that a kilogram of fat will be burned faster on an empty stomach than if the athlete trained at another time of the day. After doing cardio in the morning, the athlete was able to burn about 70% of the fat from his total energy expenditure throughout the day.

This subject of debate about morning cardio training has arisen more than once in similar studies. And in the end, almost all of them had the following conclusions: training with cardio on an empty stomach in the morning stimulates a more active process of fat oxidation. However, some experts who conducted experiments say that such training in the morning does not have such a crazy effect on fat burning.

The main debate is: does fasted training have any effect on overall fat burning in the future? That is, scientists are not arguing that cardio burns fat more actively in the morning, because the fact remains a fact. They believe that it does not matter what is burned: carbohydrates or fat consumed during the day; All that matters is that there is a shortage of calories. To do this, it is important to consume fewer calories than you burn, which will promote weight loss.

It is worth saying that a large number of athletes are accustomed to believing that if the time has come for drying the body, then it is important to include cardio exercises in the training regimen in the morning and on an empty stomach. The appearance of such people speaks volumes about the results.

Professional athletes will also say that the ratio of fats, proteins and carbohydrates consumed plays a big role, and not the calorie content itself.

It follows that you can eat the wrong foods (chocolate, chips, soda, etc.) and still lose weight, which is not true.

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Additional points

It has already been said that at the end of the morning workout with cardio exercise, calories will be consumed for some time during the day. However, the number of such calories is insignificant. If it is important to increase the amount of fat burned after training, then interval training should be included in the training program. Its essence is to alternately perform a short-term load at high intensity (from 85% of heart rate or more) with a short-term load at a lower intensity. Thanks to this training, more calories will be burned per day.

It is also important to do strength training, as it can burn up to 170 kilocalories in one session. That is, even during quiet work, sitting in the office, you can actively burn fat.

However, it is worth returning to cardio on an empty stomach. Those who do cardio often ask themselves questions such as: isn’t muscle mass burned during training? To prevent muscles from being damaged during morning workouts, you need to follow these rules:

1. The duration of morning training on an empty stomach should not be more than half an hour.
2. You shouldn’t eat less throughout the day: your diet and daily menu should contain normal amounts of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Otherwise, the body will simply use muscle mass for energy.
3. Don't forget about strength training in your training program.

For those who are concerned about burning muscle mass, it is recommended to consume BCAAs or protein isolate half an hour before the start of a workout. These methods will help prevent muscle damage.

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Who is suitable for cardio in the morning?

Deciding whether to exercise in the morning should be based solely on your individual characteristics. This is because each person has his own standards, training programs, types of load, intensity and duration of training. The same can be said about morning classes.

The following people can exercise in the morning:

1. Those who have a certain experience of regular training for at least 2 years.
2. Which are not in the period during which body weight is gained. It is recommended to forget about periodic training, as regularity is important.
3. Which can feel cheerful after waking up early. You should also monitor your heart: the rhythm should be normal.

Additionally, it is important to consider that early fasted training is a temporary type of exercise that will last for at least three months.

Throughout the entire period of training, you should listen to your inner feelings, since even a healthy person can seriously harm their condition.

Such “hungry” workouts in the morning are suitable for approximately 30% of people. If, after finishing classes, you don’t have the strength to come to your senses throughout the day, and you feel bad, then it’s important to stop this type of training and try something more suitable.

Find out how effective running on an empty stomach is.

You can often find recommendations to run on an empty stomach. It is assumed that such exercises can speed up the processes of lipolysis. At the same time, there are also opponents to this point of view. Many famous bodybuilders practice fasted cardio training, considering it very effective.

It is believed that cardio on an empty stomach speeds up metabolism and also burns a large amount of fat. Today, there is much evidence to support this theory, but physiologists prefer to use the energy balance theory. She suggests that to lose weight per day you need to burn more calories than you consume. The time of their combustion is not of fundamental importance.

If you know in general terms the physiology of the human body, then you will probably agree that the timing of a cardio session is not significant. However, there are reasons that speak in favor of doing cardio on an empty stomach. Let's find out whether running on an empty stomach can be beneficial or harmful.

Arguments for doing cardio on an empty stomach

Let's start with the fact that after waking up, the body has small reserves of glycogen. This means that the body will have to make maximum use of fats for energy. In addition, it is important to remember that the release of insulin, which is facilitated by food intake, slows down the reduction of fatty tissue. The final argument for running on an empty stomach is that it can speed up your metabolism, allowing you to burn more fat throughout the rest of the day.

Scientists have conducted experiments that fully confirm everything said above. For example, the results of a study conducted at one of the universities of Kansas directly confirm the fact that running on an empty stomach accelerates fat burning compared to an evening training session. There are quite a lot of other studies confirming this theory.

However, even despite this, many physiologists continue to disagree with the benefits of cardio training on an empty stomach. One of the main arguments they put forward was a statement. That you can find the results of scientific research that can confirm almost any theory. The most discussed issue today is the possibility of further burning fat throughout the day after a morning workout.

In this matter, we will turn to the opinion of not physiologists, but experienced athletes, for example, Chris Aceto. This man was a famous bodybuilder in the past, and now advises popular bodybuilders on proper nutrition. Chris is confident that there is simply no better way to fight fat than fasted cardio training.

If we return to the question of the importance of calorie burning time, then Aceto is confident that if you have done an effective cardio session in the morning, this will have a positive effect on fat burning throughout the rest of the day.

Here are some more benefits of a fasted cardio session:

• The body accelerates the secretion of endorphins, which leads to an increase in your mood.
• Morning cardio allows you to quickly “wake up” your body.
• Regulates appetite throughout the day.
• The circadian mode quickly adjusts, allowing you to wake up easily in the morning.
• You will have free time in the evening, which you can spend with your family or friends.
• Metabolism increases.

When talking about the benefits or harms of running on an empty stomach, you should consider not only the calories that were consumed during the cardio session, but also those that the body uses after its completion. This is very important, because after cardio exercise the body continues to burn fat for several hours. As a result, after a fasted cardio session, even while working in the office, you continue to lose body fat.

However, a very important issue when using cardio training is the need to preserve muscle mass. To avoid losing muscle tissue, your cardio workouts should not be excessively long. For example, Chris Aceto advises exercising on an empty stomach for no more than half an hour.

It is also very important to try not to feel hungry throughout the day. A very effective way to maintain muscle mass is strength training. It is thanks to the combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercise that you can effectively lose weight. Admittedly, running on an empty stomach has enough benefits to not try it yourself.

When it comes to effective fat burning, then, as a rule, thoughts immediately arise in the head about exhausting long-term workouts, endless crunches and a strict diet. And then the lethargy, apathy and constant feeling of hunger that accompany such a regime. Today I would like to talk about one “gentle” but effective training option that will certainly work for all people - cardio training on an empty stomach, that is, on an empty stomach. Its effectiveness in the fight against excess weight is dictated by scientific validity. Let's figure out what “fasted” cardio is and how to use it correctly in practice.

Fasted cardio

What is cardio training? This is a type of physical activity that is usually characterized by low intensity and medium duration. Its main purpose is to train the cardiovascular system and muscle endurance, improve general physical condition, and maintain good tone of the nervous system. As a plus, cardio also helps fight excess fat mass. We can slightly optimize the delivery of the lesson to enhance this effect. To do this, you need to train on an empty stomach. Such a seemingly simple nuance, but what an effect!

Benefits of Fasted Cardio

This method triggers a whole cascade of processes in the body that are positive from the point of view of health and physical condition:

1. “Hungry” training is a kind of stress to which the body will respond by releasing beneficial hormones into the blood. Moreover, the longer the session, the more they will accumulate in the body, and the stronger the effect they will give.

2. Testosterone and growth hormone directly affect adipose tissue. If you have worked out well, the released hormones will force the body to take energy from fat reserves.

3. Such regular exercise will significantly speed up your metabolism.

4. A good mood after class is a definite plus. It is associated with the active functioning of the endocrine system during training.

It is worth saying that regular cardio, unlike “fasted” cardio, also has a beneficial effect on the body, but in general the effect will be much less.

1. The best option would be morning workouts. Due to the fact that the last meal was the night before, the body has a reduced level of glycogen and carbohydrate fuels on which muscles and organs work. This means that you will switch to burning subcutaneous fat much faster. In addition, it is much more comfortable than limiting yourself to food during the day in order to have a class in the evening.

2. Monitor your heart rate - this is the main condition for proper training. The best zone for cardio is from 100 to 160 beats per minute. It is strictly not recommended to exceed the extreme heart rate zone, especially for a long time. You risk doing more harm to yourself than having a useful lesson.

3. The duration of the workout is whatever you like, but 30 minutes is the minimum at which it begins to be effective. If you find it difficult to do 30 minutes of continuous work, reduce the intensity or take breaks. In general, this will not affect the effectiveness of the lesson, the main thing is not to harm yourself. A prolonged high pulse is our main enemy. As you train, your endurance and the quality of your cardiovascular system will increase. Therefore, in the future you can easily increase the duration to an hour or more.

4. The frequency of classes per week depends on your condition. Three workouts are the best option for entry level. But if you are burdened with any other physical activity, then you can reduce it to 2. It is not recommended to do less, the effect will be zero. As you train, you can increase the number of classes, because such training does not have negative consequences if done correctly.

5. Exercising on an empty stomach does not mean that you cannot eat at all. As science says, “fat burns in the fire of carbohydrates.” Therefore, before training, you can eat a small portion of low-fat protein or carbohydrate food. The main rule here is that the portion should be really small, because we don’t want to lose the effectiveness of the exercise. It is advisable to consume complex carbohydrates that will take a long time to be absorbed by the body, such as vegetables.

6. Intuitiveness and attentiveness. First of all, listen to your body and do what is best for you. Some people have been training for a long time and can easily handle 6 hour sessions a week. Don't chase others to avoid harming yourself. A little time and patience, and you will also achieve results.

7. Choose the type of physical activity you like: jogging, cycling, elliptical trainers. The choice is yours, the main thing is that the main factors of cardio training are observed - an adequate heart rate zone and a comfortable duration.

As we found out, cardio done on an empty stomach, especially in the morning, is a more effective method of combating excess fat and improving the health of the body as a whole. A good mood and energy boost for the whole day are guaranteed. Feel free to start training and the results are guaranteed!