Is it true that exercising on an empty stomach helps you lose weight?

Why fasting is said to help you lose weight

The popularity of "hungry" training gained thanks to the book "The Body for Life" by Bill Phillips and Michael D'Ors. It says that 20 minutes of intense aerobic exercise on an empty stomach will help to achieve visible results. According to the authors, the whole point here is glycogen - the custodian of energy reserves. Its source is glucose, which is formed from carbohydrates. And it is chains of glucose that create glycogen molecules.

Food and physical activity directly affect the amount of this substance in the body. The level of glycogen in the morning, before meals, is quite low, and therefore it is believed that it will be used as an energy source during exercise. stored fat.

The book was released in 2002, and the theory of training on an empty stomach had no evidence. Only in 2013 were the results published research scientists from the UK.

They found that active men the percentage of fat burning on an empty stomach was higher than after breakfast. And the subjects did not consume additional calories and did not feel increased appetite during the day. But scientists noted that this is a short-term study and it is not yet worth drawing conclusions about long-term results.

Indeed, fasting exercises can be effective. And yet, this method of fat burning has a number of disadvantages and cannot become a universal remedy for everyone who wants to get rid of fat. extra pounds.

Does Fasting Exercise Have Real Benefits?

Physical activity to reduce body fat has become a subject research Brad Schoenfeld published in 2011. The article presents the results of the experiment, during which the participants exercised for 2 hours with different intensity on bicycles. A total of four trials were conducted: in two they took before training carbohydrate food with a high glycemic index, the other two were fasted for 12–14 hours before and during the session.

The experiment showed that during moderate-intensity training, fat oxidation was the same - regardless of whether the subjects ate or not.

Also in 2014, the results of another researchwhere the subjects were women. The same theory of Bill Phillips and Michael D'Ors was taken as the basis - supposedly aerobic exercise after an overnight fast accelerates the fat burning process.

20 women were divided into two groups. All participants adhered to a hypocaloric diet. In addition, with an equal amount of exercise, some trained on an empty stomach, while others took food before workouts. But despite this, weight loss was eventually observed in both groups.

So, if you follow a reasonable diet in combination with physical activity, it will not matter if you do the exercises before or after meals. The main thing in this matter is to rely on well-being.

Is there any harm in exercising on an empty stomach?

You need to look at training from a health point of view, because this is a serious stress for the body. Therefore, it is worth focusing only on your condition. If there is weakness dizziness, a decrease in productivity, then you should stop the lesson, because its effectiveness will be minimal.

In addition, after a while, training on an empty stomach will stop showing results: the fat burning process will slow down due to body fatigue. Brad Schoenfeld at the end of his research notes that for those who train to build muscle mass, it is better to give up fasted exercise. Because the process includes a protein that stops working for muscle growth and recovery.

Worth it for burning fat use strategy high intensity interval training. This is the alternation of work at maximum intensity with periods of rest or calm movement. Such training leads to more calorie consumption and fat breakdown. True, if you do this on an empty stomach, you can significantly reduce productivity.

Exercising on an empty stomach cannot cause specific harm to health. And if they do not affect well-being in any way, then there are no other contraindications. But before classes, it is still better to consult with specialists. Indeed, in pursuit of the desired forms, it is important not to harm yourself.