Joel,
Thanks for confirming what I’ve known for years to be true for me personally. I DO NOT eat before running, but drink in as much caffeine as possible. I DO eat before your metabolic resistance training though, as anyone who has done this type of workout knows, you must have gas in the tank to burn through these killer workouts or you WILL bonk big time.
Keep up the great job of keeping us laymen informed:)
Over the weekend I hit the gym with my buddy Mikey for a morning cardio workout.
Now, I say “cardio”, but really it was a metabolic resistance training session.
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, the simple definition for metabolic resistance training is “cardio with weights”. We’ll cover this more in detail in another update so as not to get too off topic.
So we’re about 10 minutes into the workout and Mikey looks like he’s in pretty bad shape (despite being in really GOOD shape). So I asked him what the deal was.
“I didn’t eat anything for breakfast.”
Me: Why the heck not?
“I thought that’s what you’re supposed to do if you want to burn the most fat from your morning workouts.”
Uh oh.
Perhaps you’re still believing this old myth just like good ol’ Mikey, so allow me to take a moment to dispel it.
The theory behind empty stomach is cardio is simple: supposedly, by doing cardio on a empty stomach, you tap directly into fat stores since glycogen (carbohydrate) stores are somewhat depleted after an overnight fast.
Seems to make sense, but research has proven this to be wrong.
Several studies have shown no difference in substrate utilization (glycogen vs. fat) for those working out on an empty stomach vs. those who eat a small meal prior to their morning workouts.
In fact, one study showed the exact opposite—those who had a small meal first burned more calories and more fat than the empty stomach group.
How can this be?
The reason is rather simple if you think about it. I was kicking butt and taking names with my workout, and Mikey was barely able to get through his. Even if not eating beforehand allowed you to burn more fat (which it doesn’t), the major trade off is performance.
And why does performance matter? Well, if you can’t perform at an optimal level and put forth maximal effort, then you are not going to be burning an optimal amount of calories–period.
The truth is, empty stomach cardio is an outdated philosophy whose theory was proven incorrect by research. Still, there are plenty of people who hold on to the theory despite the available research. Perhaps they’re not aware of it, perhaps they just go by what the fitness and bodybuilding magazines tell them (bad idea); I’m not sure.
Whatever the reason, popular philosophy doesn’t always mean correct philosophy, and this is one such instance.
So I’ll leave you with some practical recommendations:
At the very minimum, have a couple scoops of whey before any morning “cardio” workout.
That said, if it’s still negatively affecting your performance, you need to go a bit further. The meal doesn’t have to be large, but it should contain some complex carbs (oatmeal, etc) along with a small serving of protein.
Give it about a half hour to begin digesting and then hit your workout.
Better performance = more calories burned = more fat loss = improved cardiovascular functioning = even better performance = even more calories burned = even more fat loss.
Don’t be like my friend Mikey and have a crappy workout because you didn’t eat. As I shared with you, the research shows that’s not going to make a difference anyway. Instead, eat your Wheaties (figuratively speaking) and then dominate your workout!
Alright, now it’s comment time:
I want to know: Do you still do empty stomach cardio? Will you give it up based on this post? Do you notice your performance suffers?
Or maybe you do REALLY well with empty stomach cardio.
Either way, let me know your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below!
Chat with you below!
Your friend,
Joel
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Maybe some people are capable of a good workout on an empty stomach, but I personally slow way down and get fatigued much easier. In fact, even a protein meal doesn’t do it for me, it has to be at least some carbs. This I discovered on the Cheat Your Way Thin, which was great but on low-carb days I had to have some carbs in the morning before a workout. That did not seem to affect the weight loss, though, so I think it was the way to go for me.
Now what would you say to Brad Pilon? He has the Eat STOP Eat “diet” that uses a 24 hour fasting. I am still able to maintain a HIIT and weight training on a fasting day the same I do on a regular HIIT and weight training day.
@ Roweb:
Roweb, I used Joel’s Cheat Your Way Thin diet successfully (20 pounds lost and kept off) and at the beginning, I found on low-carb days I could not work out very well as I fatigued too easily and just had a lousy unproductive workout. So I started having a small serving of carbs in the morning, just a fiber bar or a piece of toast, and that worked for me and did not seem to affect my weight loss. I think the tradeoff of the carbs and calories was more than made up for with better workouts. Hope that helps. :)
I actually do really well doing cardio in a fasted state – and I love it. I have tried eating and then doing it (waiting a bit first) and I just feel heavy and almost like I’m going to upchuck my meal. It’s worked well for me.
That being said, I see the logic in what you wrote. I have noticed I seem to drag a bit on the resistance training when I do it on a fasted state – so I am going to try the oatmeal w/whey protein powder you suggested in the morning and see how that affects me.
@ Michael Powell:
Michael – I would say never weigh yourself! I wish that I could throw every set of scales in each one of the worlds gyms into the trash. Your weight says nothing about you except that the total mass of your body is 180lbs, not how fat you are.
I assume that with exercising your muscles have increased in tone, are holding more water and nutrients to supply the fibres, as well as damaged tissue from your workouts.
I suggest you buy a body fat caliper and measure or just look in the mirror. The scales are for measuring fish and meat, not for human bodies unless you intend to enter a bout of boxing.
I think the whole thing is really about knowing your body and what you can achieve at certain body states.
Expecting to go into a full blown workout after having nothing to eat for 12 hours is crazy, if it is something that you have not worked up to. Its like expecting to run a marathon after only doing shuttle sprints. The body is hugely adaptable and will accommodate the situations that we place them under as long as we allow them to slowly adapt.
However, for the average person who is trying to lose body fat, carrying out out light cardio, jogging or walking can burn calories and fat as long as the level of exertion does not exceed the ability of the body to dig into and metabolize adipose resources.
Joel
I am not to familiar with Cardio with weights, but is that not what we are doing on the fast day, working out with empty stomach, all day long?
Joel / or anybody,
on the 25 day plan, do we adjust our Gram needs every cylce with our new body weight or do we continue using our original weigt for BCAA, protein gram needs etc. thanks
the only time i can manage doing cardio with a meal in my system is if i wait two and a half hours after eating before i start my cardio session. otherwize i just feel like garbage during the session cos my body is preocupied with digesting my food instead of giving me energy for my workout.
i prefere empty stomach cardio. i am always able to complete my 20 mins hiit session with enough energy despite not eating beforehand , its not a problem.
Hey there…will be curious as to Joels response but weight training has worked for me. I would always weigh 178-182 and bounce around even though I do alot of cardio. Maybe too much was a problem. I now do mostly weight training and end it with 15-20 minutes of cardio. It’s been about a month and I’m down to 167. I also have been on the XFLD which helped. I was hoping for more weight loss but I’ve been hitting the weights hard so maybe I’m loosing the weight but then gaining muscle. Hope this helps. Maybe some others with more knowledge will reply. Best of luck.
Thanks for this post, Joel! The research settles the issue for me. I really like using a half carton (5 1/2 oz) of coconut water with 2 Tablespoons of rice protein powder 1 hour prior to working out. I’ve found that to be the best amount for enough energy for my workout. A heavier meal doesn’t seem to digest well enough to work out an hour later. By the way, I use the rice protein since I can’t have any dairy. It’s been working out well!
I now always have some form of carb 1/2 hour to an hour before any workout. I seem to last longer then when I would work out on an empty stomach. The engine has to get gas from somewhere and I would prefer that it did not get it from what muscle I do have…..
I like this! It’s true and keeps from a blood sugar crash at about 11:00 am and drive to overeat!
You mention research, research, research….where is the research? You did not post any. I would like to see links to the research, not just one isolated study either. That would be very helpful, cause I hate getting up early AM for cardio and if I don’t have to, I don’t want to.
But then again, if I don’t do cardio in the AM, when do I do it? I lift weights Mon/Tue/Thur/Fri PM. I don’t just want to do cardio 3 times a week.
Thx!
Hi Joel, I tried weights on an empty stomach only a couple of times and soon realised that I had no energy. Moderate intensity cardio on an exercise bike or rowing machine.I train for 45mins to an hr, about 45mins after I get out of bed and have had a couple of burners to give me a boost, then about 25 or 30mins before the workout I have some hydrolyzed whey, glutamine, creatine, L-OAKG and a few other aminos to try and keep cortisol down or limit any muscle being burned. I never eat any carbs til after I finish…..have I been doing this wrong all this time?? I then would have oatmeal and some fish oil, please advise if this is wrong
Iv’e seen much controversy around this topic. My thought is this…I believe morning fasted cardio is just like any other form of exercise, in that it fits in the “box of tools” of things to use for different goals and purposes. The reason some swear by it and others despise it is because it works for some and it doesn’t work for others. To me, the question of WHEN it should be used is more important than IF it should be used.
In a case where one has reached a plateau, gotten stale or bored with their current routine, or their bodies have adjusted to the current training regimen, morning fasted cardio could prove to be beneficial in helping break these cycles. At the very least, it could be psychologically beneficial.
It is not the be all-end all of cardio training or fat loss, as no one particular form of training is. Sure, some tools are better with cardiovascular training and fat loss than others, but still no one tool does the entire job alone. Its always the tools combined that form a synergy that creates the greatest results.
Bottom line, dont fall into the “paralysis by analysis” syndrome by over thinking this concept. Try it and see if it works for you, if not then move to the next tool. If so, learn how to use it where/when/how its most effective for you. And on a side note, remember that the mind is an extremely powerful tool…I think that morning fasted cardio works for some people because they believe very strongly that it works!!!
Joel,
I read about early morning cardio in, Bodybuilding: A Scientific Approach by Frederick C. Hatfield, PhD. (I have seen it on Amazon for a penny in the used market.) Strictly speaking he does not recommend empty stomach cardio. He recommends at least taking L-Carnitine & Octacosanol preworkout. I rarely ever do early morning cardio because of my schedule, but I have been delighted by the weight loss I achieved on at least one occasion when I tried it. Early morning cardio is probably fine for people who have to work out as soon as they get up in the morning. As far as I can tell, the ideal is to eat a low-glycemic index meal thirty minutes before a workout, use BCAAs and L-Glutamine during the workout, and do your cardio at the end of the workout. Performed in that order, the workout and cardio are both maximized. (Dr. Frederick C. Hatfield earned his doctorate in philosophy from Temple University with competency examinations taken in sport psychology, motor learning and sport sociology.
Dr. Hatfield is President of the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), a major provider of continuing education and a certifying agency for sports training, fitness therapy and personal fitness trainer professionals. Under his direction, Fort Hood (Texas) has implemented an ISSA certifying protocol for the U.S. Army. He is frequently retained by law firms to serve as an expert witness in fitness and sports training-related litigation.
hey joel well i dont do cardio i do ad training for 30-45 minutes on a empty stomach im following what vince delmontes friend shakur did to get ripped
Doing any kind of exercise on an empty stomach is muscle suicide! The goal of any cardio session or any “metabolic resistance training session” is to burn body fat and preserve our beloved muscle. So why not set yourself up nutritionaly to use body fat as a fuel source prior to engaging in physical activity so you don’t end up eating away your muscle?
Neither extreme works for me! No food = no energy. Full meal = get bogged down and feel sick when I push hard, probably because the body is working too hard on digesting the food. A little snack, about an hour before the workout, does the trick for me.
I have been exercising on an empty stomach for years. I’m a morning person and I have a daytime job. I’m not willing to workout in the evening when I come back from work, sometimes mentally drained, and have many other things to do. I also noticed that when I did exercise in the evening (years ago) it was hard for me to wind down and sleep. Since I wake up at around 4:45 in the morning to workout, I’m not going to eat breakfast or drink protein that early, and then have to waste time waiting an hour to be able to workout. By then, it’s time to get ready to go to work. I’ve never had a problem working out on an empty stomach at that time in the morning at all, nor do I feel lack of energy. Since I’m not willing to switch to working out in the evening, and I can’t do it during the day while at work, I will continue doing what I’m doing, whether research states that it works or not.
For weight workout and all other NON-running activities I agree 100% with the article.
However when I want to burn serious fat I run early morning on EMPTY stomach 6-8 mi. It is the simplest and most effective way for me. If I want to run longer I’ll take something liquid – solid food causes microscopic lesions in the stomach (because of the bouncing) with all nasty after workout effects acids etc.
What about the fasting day in the extreme fat loss diet…we were working out 3 times a day there…not good?
I agree with your post, I am on day 2 of your XFL….on the fast day, I am not eating anything but taking BCAA’s….
Anint I working out and doing cardio on an empty stomach minus the BCAA’s?
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Hey, it’s Joel! So you want to know a little more about me, huh? Well, I’d be happy to oblige :-)
I guess it all started back in 2001 (my freshman year of college) when I was just a “skinny fat” 19-year old kid. At the time, I was spending close to 2 hours a day in the gym (now my workouts last about 30 minutes), and despite my efforts, you’d probably never guess I worked out a day in my life by looking at me...