Do you workout on an empty stomach?

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  Aug 10, 2010 6:20 AM GMT

  There are studies and arguments pro and con concerning working out on an empty stomach and whether you go into catabolism or not.
  
  Do you benefit from working out on an empty stomach and why?
  
  

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  Aug 10, 2010 1:35 PM GMT

  I've learned that working out in the morning on an empty stomach, will make your body start burning fat not long into your workout.
  
  so it should be good for burning fat. downside is you may not feel very energetic during such a workout.
  it was very useful for me when I had to loose weight the last weeks before a competition to do my cardio in the morning before breakfast

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• Bunjamon
  
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  Aug 10, 2010 1:41 PM GMT

  I've read in multiple places that cardio on a empty stomach causes your body to tap into your muscles to get energy. Correct me if I'm wrong.
  
  I just hate the feeling of an empty stomach, much less working out on an empty stomach.

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  Aug 10, 2010 1:42 PM GMT

  the way ive been told/taught is on an empty stomache first thing in the morning is good for cardio.
  
  later in the day with food in ur system is good for muscle building so u have energy and if its late and u go home and sleep ur muscles grow better or something...

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  Aug 10, 2010 1:46 PM GMT

  I think it's ideal for people who are trying to lose weight to workout first thing in the morning! But if your trying to build muscle or maintain muscle mass the eating some carbs an 1 prior is ideal.

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• Celticmusl
  
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  Aug 10, 2010 1:59 PM GMT

  Cardio in the morning before breakfast on an empty stomach, over 20 minutes in duration, has been proven in clinical studies to burn more body fat than cardio after eating. I'm not sure if the study had anything to do with strength or resistance training.
  
  The current rule of logic for strength training is to eat a small meal before a workout(pre-workout protein drink perhaps) AND after a workout(post workout protein drink containing a good amount of carbs). This is what most of the Personal Trainers that I know will tell me.
  
  I actually eat the biggest meal of the day before I work out, because if I haven't eaten anything I feel kind of sick to my stomach during weight training. Perhaps it breaks down or dilutes the lactic acid build up for me? Who knows.... But I get chastised by the PT's. I don't bother with a post workout meal because I usually don't feel hungry and my digestive system is still working on the pre-workout meal.

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• Rowing_Ant
  
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  Aug 10, 2010 2:03 PM GMT

  I do my early morning run on an empty stomach.Feel so alive doig it! Burns off body fat and boosts my metabolism.

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  Aug 10, 2010 2:12 PM GMT

  I have tried empty stomach and it makes me extremely lazy during the workout except cardio. So usually I eat a small meal and hour or hour and a half before workout.

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  Aug 10, 2010 2:12 PM GMT

  I work out on an empty stomach. Always have...
  I work out at the end of the day. I also do my meditation and listen to music which just pumps me up even more, I pump weights until I shake and then I hit the bag and work out all my stress, then, meditate and chill down.
  Then, I'm hungry and I eat before I go to bed and sleep like a baby.
  
  I can't imagine eating before I work out.

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  Aug 10, 2010 3:03 PM GMT

  Ive tried...and its not fun, usually I end up drinking lots of vitamin water, there was this time I had to order 2 scoops of whey protein mid way my workout routine cause I felt like I was gonna fucking faint right there. It depends on the person. I cant spend too long without eating anything at all let alone while performing any sort of extreme physical activity.

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  Aug 10, 2010 3:09 PM GMT

  Celticmusl saidCardio in the morning before breakfast on an empty stomach, over 20 minutes in duration, has been proven in clinical studies to burn more body fat than cardio after eating. I'm not sure if the study had anything to do with strength or resistance training.
  
  The current rule of logic for strength training is to eat a small meal before a workout(pre-workout protein drink perhaps) AND after a workout(post workout protein drink containing a good amount of carbs). This is what most of the Personal Trainers that I know will tell me.
  
  I actually eat the biggest meal of the day before I work out, because if I haven't eaten anything I feel kind of sick to my stomach during weight training. Perhaps it breaks down or dilutes the lactic acid build up for me? Who knows.... But I get chastised by the PT's. I don't bother with a post workout meal because I usually don't feel hungry and my digestive system is still working on the pre-workout meal.

  
  
  This is the closest answer here.
  
  Be mindful that if your blood sugar gets to low, you'll go into famine mode, and burn protein, and WILL NOT get the results you might want in terms of training.
  
  For weight training, having your blood sugar up during training is critical to performance. Carbing up post workout along with protein is critical during the golden hour.
  
  Some folks sabotage their training through inadequate calories and training with low blood sugar.
  
  There's an easy test: Ketostix. You shouldn't be going into ketosis when trianing..pretty much EVER.
  
  Calories before, and after, working out, are CRITICAL to your excercise performance and recovery.
  
  Early morning HIIT can be done on a empty stomach, but, you SHOULD eat something to make sure that you have adequate blood sugar to avoid a liver dump and the famine response. Caffiene will cause a dump, too.
  
  "Dawn effect" / high morning blood sugar happens with some folks. It's usually best to eat to avoid it, when possible. It's common in diabetics, and folks who have their diets upside down.
  
  Remember: breakfast like a king; dinner like a prince; supper like a pauper (unless you just trained).
  
  100 grams carbs with a 60/40 split of fast (60 / sugars) and slow (40, starch), along with 40 to 60 grams of protein post workout is a good place to start for after workout recovery.
  
  30 to 50 grams of lower gyclemic index carbs (starch or frutose), along with about 40 grams of protein pre workout and some caffiene will be good pre-workout.
  
  You shouldn't generally train in ketosis, nor with your blood sugar over 200.

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  Aug 10, 2010 3:27 PM GMT

  Rowing_Ant saidI do my early morning run on an empty stomach.Feel so alive doig it! Burns off body fat and boosts my metabolism.

  
  
  Once your body enters ketosis, it can produce feelings of eurphoria, but, then, so can just being in the zone. The only way to know is to check it. You DO NOT want to be training in ketosis.

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  Aug 10, 2010 3:28 PM GMT

  Bunjamon saidI've read in multiple places that cardio on a empty stomach causes your body to tap into your muscles to get energy. Correct me if I'm wrong.
  
  I just hate the feeling of an empty stomach, much less working out on an empty stomach.

  
  
  You are correct. In lay terms, it's called the famine response (protein catabolism).
  
  Keeping your blood sugar up, along with some caffiene, can significantly BOOST your exercise performance and perceived fatigue.

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  Aug 10, 2010 3:33 PM GMT

  judoguy saidI've learned that working out in the morning on an empty stomach, will make your body start burning fat not long into your workout.
  
  so it should be good for burning fat. downside is you may not feel very energetic during such a workout.
  it was very useful for me when I had to loose weight the last weeks before a competition to do my cardio in the morning before breakfast

  
  
  If you do HIIIT, vigorously, you'll feel your body switch modes, so to speak, and preserve your muscle better.
  
  I eat a little something before morning HIIT if I'm wanting to lean out, but, not much. Somewhere around 8 to 12 minutes into it I can feel the metabolic changes that lasts for hours. If I don't eat and my blood sugar is low, I feel horrible.
  
  For me, and what many studies say, nothing burns fat better than HIIT. Using HIIT, I was able to get very much leaner than plain jane cardio.
  
  I got super lean doing HIIT for just 12 to 20 minutes in the morning for eighteen weeks, and didn't lose much muscle, and wasn't so frigging exhausted, cuz I could get in and out.

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  Aug 10, 2010 3:37 PM GMT

  Working out on an empty stomach is how I lost my first 30 pounds, in less than two months.
  
  I started out at ~220 pounds in December 2009, dropped to 190 by February 2010, and have been holding steady between 180-190 since then while the muscle builds up and replaces the rest of the fat.
  
  So yes, it seems (based on only my experience) that working out on an empty stomach will burn fat faster. Scientifically, I don't know.

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• calibro
  
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  Aug 10, 2010 3:39 PM GMT

  keep in mind your body goes through its glycogen storage while you're sleeping so you pretty much run out of your immediate food source when you wake up. that's why it's recommended that you eat within the first hour of being up because otherwise your body will go into starvation mode. working out on an empty stomach after waking up will do nothing but put you there. studies have shown that while working out on an empty stomach does burn more of a certain type of fat, it's not the fat that is desired to be lost for weigh loss, it actually makes your performance sloppy, and you burn off roughly the same amount as someone who ate with less efficiency in the burning.
  
  the simple way to see it is that your burn does not just break down fat when there's no immediate food in your body and you need energy. your body is a wrecking ball and will breakdown muscle and other things you want to keep. the best way to avoid this is to make sure you have accessible sugar access in your body, which allows your body to transition into a fat burning mode.

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  Aug 10, 2010 3:49 PM GMT

  Yep, in lay terms, to get lean, you have to FUEL THE FURNACE.
  
  I.e., get busy with HIIT, and EAT.
  
  Fat asses that starve fail in their diets. They train their bodies how to become fat-storing machines.
  
  You can tell folks, but, often they don't listen, but, when they do, they exclaim "Fuck, Dude, you know what you're talking about!"
  
  I bring my calories UP when I bring up my activity level to "burn hot" and..it works...time and again.

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  Aug 10, 2010 7:22 PM GMT

  I work out first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, because i have more energy that way. As soon as I eat i feel sluggish and run the risk of "tossing my cookies" even if I wait 1-2 hours after I eat. Besides one of the supplements I us (NO-Xplode) only work on an empty stomach.

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  Aug 10, 2010 11:35 PM GMT

  chuckystud said

  Rowing_Ant saidI do my early morning run on an empty stomach.Feel so alive doig it! Burns off body fat and boosts my metabolism.

  
  
  Once your body enters ketosis, it can produce feelings of eurphoria, but, then, so can just being in the zone. The only way to know is to check it. You DO NOT want to be training in ketosis.

  
  
  Hey chucky, was wondering what your feelings were on Dave Palumbo's keto diet. I haven't studied it in detail but I believe its high protein, moderate fat and low-no carb. How do you feel about this?
  
  I know some of the guys on his site Rxmuscle.com stay on a keto diet year around and they say it promotes them gaining lean muscle mass while keeping their fat % down and staying lean year around, I think his theory is once your body and brain is trained to go into ketosis it starts to burn excess fat as fuel instead of unnecessary carbs ingested as fuel while maintaining muscle mass with the protein and good fat intake.
  
  What do you think? Maybe it only works best if someone is taking steroids or some sort of hormone replacement therapy or something, what do you think?

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  Aug 12, 2010 3:08 PM GMT

  no I can't have an effective workout without something to eat. That is like trying to drive a car without gas in the tank. I use to workout a lot with out anything to eat while in my teen and eary 20s but since then I have gotten a little wiser about doing so. Eating before working out gives me the extra energy to do what I have to do properly in the gym.

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  Aug 12, 2010 3:10 PM GMT

  if i work out after eating i end up getting sick so i always eat after a work out

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  Aug 12, 2010 3:14 PM GMT

  No. I get nauseous. Then again I don't necessarily eat too much before going to the gym - usually a protien shake.

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• rioriz
  
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  Aug 12, 2010 3:31 PM GMT

  I tend to workout a lot on an empty stomach lately and I have noticed my metabolism has increased. I am looking a lot leaner these days

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