Do you like to go to the gym without eating breakfast? Have you ever wondered if exercising on an empty stomach is a good idea?
It is not possible to give a categorical answer that it is bad or good, because the needs are personal and the answer depends on the sport practiced. One of the most common reasons for exercising on an empty stomach is the desire to lose weight quickly.
Exercising on an empty stomach has advantages and disadvantages. It is recommended depending on the exercise you do and the objective you have, i.e., to lose weight, gain muscle mass, among others. Additionally, you must take into account your fitness level.
At the same time, exercising on an empty stomach can have negative health effects, such as fatigue and decreased energy for high-intensity exercise. Therefore, if you want to do high-impact exercises, it is recommended to eat something before doing it in order to have better performance.
Benefits of exercising on an empty stomach
Health experts highlight two main advantages:
- Burning fat: By exercising on an empty stomach, your body reserves are completely depleted. Therefore, the body turns to fat for energy, which allows for increased lipid oxidation. In other words, exercising on an empty stomach makes it possible to lose weight more easily. It is important to note that, although exercising on an empty stomach generates better insulin sensitivity, which in the long term influences weight loss, you must be patient since the results are not immediate.
The recommended exercises to perform while fasting are speed or strength workouts since fasting makes it possible to have a good performance. It is a good alternative for overweight people.
- Gaining muscle mass: Exercising while fasting can also help you increase your muscle mass. What matters most when it comes to gaining muscle mass is the protein you consume and not so much the calories. For this reason, it is important to reduce inflammation in the body’s system since inflammation takes advantage of a large part of the proteins that are consumed, and these proteins are taken advantage of by the muscle mass by preventing it.
Disadvantages of exercising without breakfast
- Adaptation is required: Your body needs time to adapt to moderate or intense training while fasting. For this reason, it is recommended to perform intense exercises only when you have already practiced. Otherwise, if you are a beginner, it is better to do it progressively.
- Fasting is not recommended in intense sessions: When exercising intensely, you need a high energy intake immediately. Since your body is fasting, it looks for energy from any part within itself. Therefore, if you want to lose fat, it is not advisable to exercise intensely on an empty stomach.
- Psychological obstruction: It is likely that when exercising on an empty stomach you may think that you will lack nutrients or that you do not have the required energy. This makes your muscles feel tired and fatigued, even though you do have energy. Therefore, you cannot perform properly.
Combining proper training with fasting can greatly optimize your physical health.
UNIB offers the Master in Physical Activity: Sports Training and Management.
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