Sports on an empty stomach

All come to understand that there is a kind of necessary less. This path is long and strewn with thorny weird experiments with vegetarianism, raw food, a separate power supply, and other pieces. Apart stands practices such as fasting. Thing interesting and useful in all respects, especially in the context of sport.

What is the best?

And as you practice more on the soul? On an empty stomach or thoroughly refreshed? I am personally able to move only early in the morning, before breakfast. Many people, on the contrary, to function properly, only after eating tightly.

The debate about how best to engage in sports, probably not ever fade away. Fans exercise on an empty stomach with a bite to eat lovers once again, and it seems that the truth is still far away. Today we will try to give a definitive answer to the question of how to most effectively engage in sports.

It is time to debunk old myths about food and exercise

The final answer to give, of course, difficult. Everyone is different, and each reaches the best training results in a variety of conditions. Telling the man he needs to train, it's kind of convincing, what time of day to work or to adhere to a diet. All too individually. But there are a number of myths that people continue to believe.

Contrary to popular belief, studies have shown that snacking during the day does not speed up metabolism, omissions eating does not automatically make you fat, and exercise on an empty stomach does not invalidate the results training. In reality periodic missing meals, also known as intermittent fasting diet alternative power or longevity diet, may be useful awesome.

Let's start with the good. For example, with the fact that handsome Hugh JackmanIn preparation for Once the role of Wolverine, Practicing intermittent fasting is to build muscle. Why his choice fell on this diet? The fact that it runs a chain of hormonal changes that are favorable for increasing muscle mass and for burning calories.

Fasting exercises give two significant effect

1. Increases insulin sensitivity

We argue very simply. When we eat, the body produces insulin to help assimilate the nutrients. Then hormone redirects the sugar from the blood into the liver, muscle and subcutaneous fat to use energy later. The problem is that the habit of eating too much and too often makes us more resistant to insulin, ie lowers the sensitivity. In medical practice, it is called insulin resistance. Low sensitivity to insulin increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, and plus to all greatly complicates the process of losing weight. In short, prevents to live with terrible force.

Reducing the frequency of meals - a good way to solve the problem of resistance to insulin. The body produces insulin less often and, accordingly, it becomes more sensitive to it. Improves blood flow to the muscles, it becomes easier to lose weight, the restraining influence of unhealthy diets.

2. The action of the hormone somatotropin

Growth Hormone - almost magical elixir of youth, which helps the body to build muscle, burn fat, strengthen bone tissue, improve physical function and prolong longevity.

Along with regular exercise and good sleep, quiet position is the best way to increase the level of growth hormone in the body.

One study found that after 24 hours of fasting growth hormone levels in men increased by as much as 2000%, while in women the body - to 1300%! Effect ends quickly, so there is good reason to fast on a regular basis in order to constantly maintain the level of growth hormone, which is such a miraculous effect on our body.

Fasting and Sports

Speaking of useful hormones, testosterone can not be avoided. It helps to increase muscle mass and reduce body fat. In addition, it increases the level of physical strength, energy and libido, and helps in the fight against depression and heart problems in both men and women. Fasting in itself does not affect testosterone. But there is an amazing way to get the body to produce more testosterone, and at the same time growth hormone, thereby creating ideal conditions for the build muscle and fat burning: active starvation + sport!

Exercise, especially intense that involve multiple muscle groups (compound exercises such as squats), cause large spikes of testosterone. That is why it is useful to combine exercise and starvation. Numerous studies have shown that exercise during Lent - a great way to build muscle and increase insulin sensitivity. This approach is effective not only because of hormonal reactions, but also because it helps the body more actively absorb nutrients from food.

In short, the sport on an empty stomach makes proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the form of deposited fat in the most minimal quantities. It was found that people who actively exercise while fasting, lose weight much more intense (possibly because of higher levels of oxidative enzymes).

Such training teaches your body to expend more energy efficient and do not waste it in vain, increase the efficiency of the storage of glycogen in the muscles. Periodic "lean training" further improve the quality of the ordinary. Some studies have also shown that "the Lenten exercise" can significantly improve endurance athletes who measured by the ability to make and use oxygen during exercise, and it's quite a sensible method to measure physical load.

Not so, of course, rosy

It would be unfair to hush up the fact that all is not so rosy. Some studies have shown that as a result of training during the fasting is broken productivity. However, we researched are basically the traditional positions such as Ramadan, which does not allow the use of the liquid (which is not recommended to do the athletes). Even the fact that still most people eat before exercise, is already talking about the fact that the sport after a meal, and so gives good results. Hell, there are even studies that have shown that the consumption of food before exercise may reduce the number of calories consumed during the day. But all this does not cancel the undeniable benefit of periodic training on an empty stomach.

So, if you want to try to exercise on an empty stomach. ↓

Action plan

We are well aware that you're thinking right now. Something like: "Come on bounce, I can not bear loads without eating anything!". First, let's have more faith in yourself. You can do a lot more than you think, you only need to arm a good mood. Secondly, we give a few simple tips that will help you more safely learn this diet:

1. You can not drink only water. Do not be afraid to overcome their old habits and get energy from black coffee, tea, caffeinated pills, creatine, and other non-nutritive substances.
2. Stop fasting when you want. Many people prefer to eat immediately after a workout, when the short starvation have already had their effect. There is not much difference if you renew fasting. Even if you exercise in the morning and do not eat until the evening, the wave of hormonal changes will last all day and will prevent the loss of muscle mass. Whatever you decide, your body will always support you.
3. Eat as much as you want. Notice we did not say "eat as many calories as you want." After all, it is not necessary to use a lot of food.

And finally,

The habit is - it is probably the most robust human habit. We are all human, we are all humans, our habits - we. Fight with the habit of always something to eat - a noble cause, but thankless. It is terribly difficult, especially for those people who spent N-Noe number of time to learn how to eat on a regular basis and at one and the same time. It's true: the intermittent fasting takes a while to get used to. Our body needs to get used to the fact that it will not receive food as often as before. This uncomfortable feeling with the passage of time, but if you feel that this way of eating - it's not yours, there is no need to continue. Just do not be afraid to try.