Fasted training: everything you need to know about it :: How to do it right

Training rules

There are many opinions about exercising early in the morning. Some people consider this nonsense and a dangerous idea, while others, on the contrary, consider it an ideal way to lose weight. Whatever one may say, there have been and will be such disputes, we just have to look at the facts. And they are as follows: scientists have found a connection between the effectiveness of weight loss and early exercise.

Doctors monitored the metabolism of fasting athletes and noticed that they lose weight faster during fasting periods. For many years, professionals have been using this trick to get in shape faster. But you need to know a few important rules so as not to harm yourself.

Advice one

The correct choice of loads is important. Which option to choose for weight loss? Taking into account all the hormonal features of the body’s functioning immediately after waking up, scientists are unanimous in their opinion - you need to stop on light cardio immediately after waking up. This could be dynamic yoga, cycling, dancing, aerobics, step and much more. The point is to use only your body without additional weights.

Therefore, strength training is not suitable. You can simply undermine your health. But we are talking specifically about morning exercises on an empty stomach. Afterwards, for example, in the evening, you can complete your sports cycle by lifting iron, bench presses and dumbbells. It’s worth starting the morning with light aerobic exercise.

Why is that? It is at the moment when the body is still waking up that it produces a lot of cortisol , a hormone that helps metabolism. It launches all fat burning processes to their full potential. This saves not only during training, but also normalizes metabolism throughout the day.

Tip two

Do not overdo it. Time should be limited to 40 minutes. But you need to start with 15-20 minutes, gradually lengthening the sessions. The fact is that when doing work in the morning, the body uses energy from our fat reserves, but it is limited, and then muscle tissue is used. In order not to destroy muscles and undermine your health, you do not need to organize one and a half hour aerobics marathons.

40 minutes is the optimal time to start losing weight.

Tip three

Light cardio at first light isn't for everyone. There are several points that are important to observe:

Training should begin between 6 and 8 am . It is at this moment that cortisol is highest;
Before this, you should get a good night's sleep (at least 7-8 hours). That is, going to bed at two or three in the morning and getting up a couple of hours later for aerobics is a bad idea. The body must be rested. Only in this case, all hormones are produced correctly, and metabolism starts at full strength;
Fasting and sports are incompatible if you have chronic diseases. For example, problems with the stomach, kidneys. Ideally, you should consult a doctor.

Is it better to do exercises on an empty stomach?

If you want to hear the answer right away, it will be “Yes”

Does this mean all the talk about pre-workout nutrition was in vain? Not really.

Some studies have shown that consuming carbohydrates before exercise allows athletes to exercise longer than when training in a fasted state.

Another study found that men in a fasted state ran significantly shorter distances in 60 minutes. Compared to men who ate pre-workout. This was despite no significant differences in heart rate and perceived exertion.

But while not eating before a sporting event will not help you achieve outstanding results, training on an empty stomach for amateur sports can help in other ways. Especially for those who care more about their waistline than their marathon results.

Another of the many studies conducted on this topic concluded that men aged 18-25 who did fasted cardio exercise while eating a high-fat, high-calorie diet had improved glucose handling and insulin sensitivity compared to those who exercised without refusing food before exercise or those who did not exercise at all.

Of these three groups, only those who did the exercises on an empty stomach did not gain weight.

The benefits of sports on an empty stomach

There are many advantages of this method of losing weight.

Firstly, this is an ideal option for those who cannot lose weight for a long time and seem to have tried everything. Early dancing or running literally restarts metabolism and fat is burned faster. Have you tried this method yet? Rather, set your alarm for eight in the morning and do cardio regularly.
Secondly, it is a relatively easy way to get in shape. There is no need for forceful movements or work to the point of exhaustion. By the way, you can avoid muscle pain that usually occurs in the first days. If you choose yoga or dancing, your body will not suffer as much.
Thirdly, I don’t know a better way to awaken than this. Yes, it is not easy to wake up early, but as soon as you start moving, sleep will go away on its own. Plus, you will have a charge of vivacity and good mood, but isn’t this the key to a great day?
In addition, early sports train endurance, willpower and establish a routine.
Plus, a running metabolism will help you better absorb what you eat throughout the day.

Exercises on an empty stomach for weight loss

The question of whether you should practice exercises on an empty stomach to lose body weight is not as clear-cut as it seems. Although it seems that everything is simpler than that: after skipping a meal, the body has nowhere to get energy and it begins to take it by burning fat.

For example, a study at the University of Bath in the UK found that when overweight people briskly walked for 60 minutes on an empty stomach, their bodies switched to increased burning of stored fat (not carbohydrates) compared to the group that ate before. training.

“Overweight people respond differently to fasted exercise—they typically increase their metabolic rate faster than healthy people,” says Darrin S. Willoughby, Ph.D., director of the Exercise and Biochemical Nutrition Laboratory at Baylor University in Texas. .

This is confirmed by the British Journal of Nutrition, reporting findings from a 2013 study. When exercising on an empty stomach, people lost 20% more fat than people who had a small snack before exercise.

Another experiment published in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found the same result: Fasted aerobic exercise reduced body fat percentage more than pre-workout meals.

But some scientists do not agree with such conclusions.

Sports nutritionist Kelly Pritchett. “Why is excess fat burned?” - he reasons. “To perform intense physical activities such as long-distance running or weight lifting, your body must burn glycogen, or stored carbohydrates. If it used them, then there must be a power switch.

Presumably due to the excess fat that you have. But there's one catch. Your body is not a fan of exercise, and as you quickly burn fat, your body begins to regulate its metabolism and burn fewer calories. Your body goes into survival mode and uses more nutrients to store energy in the form of fat at your next meal.”

Also cited is a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which showed that prolonged fasting can in some cases cause a drop in the body's metabolic rate.

In this case, we can draw the following conclusion. Each theory has its supporters and opponents. But the theory of fasting training has enough followers who show its effectiveness. And if you're concerned about losing weight, the best way to find out if fasting exercise is right for you is to try it yourself and decide whether it helps you or not. After all, a person is individual and what does not suit one may perfectly help another.

And if, after all of the above, you ask me “is it possible to eat before training”, I will answer “Yes”. It's okay to eat, but if you try fasted workouts, you'll be able to find out exactly what's best for you.

Minuses

With all the positive effects of this method of losing weight, it also has its disadvantages:

This method is not suitable for everyone. If you like to go to bed at dawn and get up by lunchtime, this exercise regimen will not suit you. You simply won't keep up;
There are health restrictions. Not everyone can afford such training. Consulting a doctor will be the deciding verdict whether it is worth it or not;
Early rise. For example, it was very difficult for me to force myself to wake up at this time in winter. Waking up turned into agony and haggling as I talked myself into getting up after 5 minutes. With the arrival of spring, everything became much simpler;
Hunger. People who get up with a voracious appetite will definitely experience discomfort.

Benefits of running on an empty stomach

Prevents stomach upset

Some people deliberately only run “when hungry” because they don’t like the feeling of a lump in their stomach or experience bouts of nausea. This can be avoided by experimenting with different types of food, avoiding fatty or starchy foods.

Prepares for competitions

Running without food forces the body to learn to extract energy from accumulated reserves. This will be very helpful in the final stages of long competitions, where the conditions will be similar.

Meals after

What to eat when the load is complete? You want to eat everything you find in the refrigerator. However, this is a mistake.

It is best to start by drinking tea or coffee (without sugar) with some light snack. For example, with bread and cheese or with fruit.
After a light breakfast, be sure to eat a hearty meal, but after one and a half to two hours. Food must be protein and fiber. For example, a piece of lean meat with vegetables, an omelette made from a couple of eggs or cottage cheese 5%. Naturally, do not allow any sweets or starchy foods.
Once a week or two you can have a small cheat meal.

What to eat before running in the morning

What you eat before your morning run will depend on the amount of time you have between breakfast and your run. In principle, if this time can be a couple of hours, you can have a hearty breakfast, but if it’s about half an hour, let the food be fairly light. The main source of energy before exercise is carbohydrates. Fast ones provide energy almost immediately, while slow ones saturate it for a long time.

What do you eat before your morning run? Fruits can be the best option for breakfast . In addition to fast carbohydrates, they contain vitamins and minerals, and this is very important, because during running we sweat and the body loses these necessary components. Slower carbs for breakfast are also important. Their excellent sources are porridge (especially oatmeal and buckwheat), as well as multigrain bread or toast. You can add honey - it contains healthy fast carbohydrates, many vitamins and minerals, and amino acids.

In addition to tea and coffee, you can choose cocoa with skim milk, which tones the body in the morning, or a fruit smoothie.

Remember the liquid. The body actively loses it during jogging, and reserves need to be replenished to prevent dehydration. Drink a couple of glasses of water after waking up, and also drink small sips while running and after it.

Recommendations for beginners

If you are just starting out on your weight loss journey, be sure to follow these tips:

Drink water during exercise (not just for beginners);
Start with short workouts - no more than 15 minutes a day. Add five minutes every week;
It is enough to exercise two to three times a week. You shouldn’t immediately load yourself up like Stakhanov;
Choose light cardio that you like, there are a lot of selections on YouTube;
Monitor your sleep and eating patterns;
Don't forget to praise yourself for your willpower!

Do you like morning sports? Tell us about your favorite aerobic exercise and share your secrets on how to wake up early in the morning with ease and without the desire to kill.

Optimizing Hormones for Weight Loss and Muscle Building

Let us highlight the following features of the hormonal background of training on an empty stomach:

Modern man eats often and a lot. This develops insulin resistance in the body, which makes it increasingly difficult to lose fat, and also increases the susceptibility to diseases of the cardiovascular system. Increasing the intervals between meals and short fasts normalize insulin production and increase the body's resistance to it.
Somatotropic hormone has unique abilities. Thanks to its high concentration in the blood, the effectiveness of strength training increases, muscle and bone tissue grows better, and fat burning increases. It has been proven that daily fasting allows you to achieve maximum concentrations of growth hormone in the body. Its level reaches 2000% in men and 1300% in women. Consistently high levels of this hormone in the body help support increased intervals between meals and fasted workouts.
The effectiveness of fasted exercise is based on the fact that in the absence of additional nutrients from food intake, the body begins to use up its own glycogen reserves, which is facilitated by low insulin levels in the morning.
Nothing can be said about testosterone. Although this hormone is not produced on an empty stomach, but is synthesized in the muscles, its level will increase during training with increased levels of growth hormone.
Increased testosterone levels are responsible for a positive attitude, sexual desire, increased physical strength and decreased fat mass.

Important! Exercising on an empty stomach is not recommended for people with liver problems and diabetes.

Reviews from athletes

At some point I realized that I was overweight and obese. After a while I started running and decided to do spot workouts on an empty stomach. It was difficult, at first I had no strength, but then I got used to it and began to increase the load. Grade:

Vitaly

When I started running in the morning I was immediately lazy to prepare breakfast. I am at the right weight and have started to lose it quickly. So I started cooking breakfast. Grade:

Gregory

At first I ran in the evenings, then I started working out in the morning. I thought for a long time about whether I should have breakfast before training. At first I ran on an empty stomach, lost weight, but then began to cook light meals. In general, there are no clear recommendations; you need to choose depending on the circumstances. Grade:

Maksim

They often run to lose weight. I also decided to start working on myself in a similar way. At first I had breakfast, but after sleep I felt a loss of strength. Grade:

Anatoly

At one point I decided to take care of my body. For this, regular training in the gym was not enough, so I decided to run. I worked out on an empty stomach, it was not easy, but I was pleased with the result. Grade:

Olga

There is no clear answer to the question of whether it is worth exercising on an empty stomach. In some cases, a better result can be achieved in this way, in others it will have a negative effect on the body.