I agree. I have noticed this myself. I’ve gone through a few figure competition workout/diet programs now and the trainers have told me to do my workouts AFTER breakfast. I used to do them as hard as I could on an empty stomach due to the popular belief of burning more fat…but I have noticed I can go harder and longer and don’t poop out as fast if I eat first. I just have to wait an hour or so after eating to avoid stomach cramps. I have even waited till mid-day or evening to do my workouts, so I have had 3-4 meals in by that time and do MUCH MUCH better! So I always eat first. THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS OUT!!! I have always believed that working out on an empty stomach was strange, especially since I couldn’t go as long or hard…but that was over 7 years ago, and I was no expert, so who was I to know??? Turns out I was right and should have listened to my body…I have been doing more of that this last 5 years!
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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I find this post somewhat hypocritical. In your Extreme Fat Loss program, you are a big advocate of doing extra workout on fast days as it is more effective for fat burning, but now you’re going against that grain. I myself am a believer in working out on a fast for a greater fat burn, and would love to see the research against it. I’m sorry if this was posted somewhere amidst the other 451 comments, i haven’t had a moment to read through them all.
I jog first thing in the morning almost every day and I haven’t had a problem with it. I feel like it boosts my metabolism, and after my shower and a nice breakfast, I am more motivated to go out and be active. I’m home visiting the folks right and haven’t been jogging (shame on me, I know) and I notice that I have less energy because of it.
I work out early in the morning before classes at about 6 AM. I am a grad student and so time is tight when it comes to getting in a good work out in the afternoon or evening. I don’t eat in the morning before a cardio or weight training day. But I do find that if I did not eat a good dinner the night before, I have a hard time finishing the workout.
If I am starving in the morning before a work out I grad a handful of trailmix and then hit the gym. Never have had an issue unless I am going for long endurance training in the morning (used to run collegiate cross country). In this case I need to eat something substantial, give some extra digestion time then hit the road running (literally). : )
I have never experienced a good workout on an empty stomach. Often couldnt even finish because I was out of gas.
Interesting, I just watched a clip on you_tube by Vince Del Monte who said
Morning cardio on an empty stomach is best for fat burning! What gives?
Joel serious!!..but vince,shakur..all support early morning “empty stomach” cardio…vince even posted a few videos supporting it..and based on what you said – “The truth is, empty stomach cardio is an outdated philosophy whose theory was proven incorrect by research”..apparently that just proves them wrong..??
Okay, so check this out…
I got an email from another online fitness maven talking about how, to burn more bodyfat, a person SHOULD do more empty-stomach cardio. It was from John Benson, dated 6/18/2010.
“What Should I eat before my workout?”
(what follows is from his email)
==========
“I’ve been saying this for almost a decade now… and research
is catching up with the idea.
It’s nice to be right. : )
Several studies now confirm that exercising while your body is
low on food may be a good way to trim excess fat.
European researchers found that cyclists who trained without
eating burned significantly more fat than their counterparts
who ate. Now, this is important: Cycling requires a LOT of
energy. Far more energy than you need to get rid of bodyfat.
Working out with weights and doing moderate to intense (but
short) cardio will take care of 99% of your needs when it
comes to fatburning.
But with weights, and espeically with the cyclists that were
tested, performance may be an issue.
In fact the members of the group of cyclists that didn’t eat
performed worse on the intensive training. Still, they burned
a higher proportion of fat to carbohydrates than the group
that ate. (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the
journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.)
Why? Simple. Your body’s blood sugar is lowest in the morning
prior to eating. When you train, moderately or with intensity,
most of your fuel comes from your bodyfat and NOT ingested
carbs. Isn’t that cool?
Which would you rather burn… bodyfat or carbs?”
————–
Yesterday morning I ate about 30g of pea protein with some organic applesauce and had a MUCH better resistance-based workout than I had in a week of empty-tank workouts. What works for ME is to have something my body can access in the middle of the workout and later-on. I’d rather have a focused, intense, 40min workout than struggle through an hour with longer breaks because I’m foggy.
Anyway, just sharing that ever’body’s got they own way of doin’ it. What’s right for you isn’t going to be right for me, unless you pay me to endorse it.
Love the site and the insight, thanks Joel!
Definitely a helpful post. I’ve been doing Empty Stomach workouts and runs in the morning. ‘won’t be doing that anymore, thats forsure.
Joel
What about the morning after your cheat day, if you want to fast the whole day ???
Thanks for all the great information you provide. I love It.
Evelyn
Hey Joel,
I’m just trying to get this cleared up because one of your friends and colleagues, Vince DelMonte recommends fasted cardio in a few of his videos and blogs. I respect both of you guys and really value your advice, so you can see how this can be a bit confusing. Any clarification would be great. Is there something I’m missing?
Theres’s no doubt having a small meal before workout is essential. Believe it or not, a majority of the fitness instructors I’ve come across recently admonish those who aren’t getting something in their stomach ahead of time.
I used to not eat, and my performance suffered; I know because I compare what I can do now compared to then, and it’s a walk over, no contest. All areas of my fitness, strength, and endurance have improved as a result of SLOWLY integrating food into my pre-workout routine. Notice I said routine. That also means I’m allowing myself to wake up, get some fluids in the tank as well, adding the meal, then getting to it. In about 45-60 mins I’m ready to hit it, and it pays dividends. This weekend my wife and rode the annual Bike MS150, and we’ve never felt better on the bike. We could have easily completed a Century!
Hi,
For me, when i do work out, i do so usually without having food in the morning. My performance is usually not affected. But if I am really hungry, i have something like light yoghurt and wait for about 20-30mts and then work out.
Thanks
Elsa
I’m a Marathon runner, and regularly do long (3hr+) runs on an empty stomach starting at 5am. Long easy running like this just feels better when fasted.
My mid-week sessions of repeat miles and hard tempo runs do suffer if I’ve not eaten (even sugar in my coffee makes a big difference)
Also, training this way forces your body to store fat in the musles (think Marbling in Steak) making it readily available for prolonged exercise.
It doesn’t burn belly fat.
Yes; I do empty tank morning workouts…sort of. I ALWAYS drink a lot of water beforehand and often take some test, boosting herbs to maximize my anabolic blood-chemistry, so I prevent muscle-breakdown.
This is actually kind of funny!
I can’t TELL you how much it would never hhave occurred to me, until the moment I read this blog entry, to ever eat a meal before doing my morning cardio workout.
Hell, I thought I was doing good to actually eat breakfast AfTER the morning cardio.
For many years I avoided eating breakfast (except on special occasions) like the plague. I can’t say I’ve noticed a lack of ability to perform intensely on an empty stomach, though.
It’s a very personal preference, I prefer to do weights and cardio on an empty stomach either intense or not.
But gee I don’t know why it’s still a puzzle cause it’s very easy to test it out on yourself … Just one month do it, one month not … It’s not really rocket science!
Raymond
I tried both cardio and weight training on an empty stomach years ago. I found I was weak and particularly when really ramping up the intensity, I would get nauseous and even dizzy. If you feel ok with it then well and good, but I train in the evenings and have good results with that.
I do my cardio on a no eating stomach and I do spectacular and I am usually hypocylcemic!! I notice that as in dr mercola’s blog that it is absolutely true that if you do not eat before work out and do it first thing in the morning I have plenty of energy for my workout and I noticed far better results then just eating as suggested normally with a little protein and grain etc. I have tried everything, and in all ways suggested. So far the way that dr mercola has suggested and with the scientific findings to back it seem to “hands down” be the best advice. No offense to this blog. I have been for years a hypoglycemic person too, and it blew me away that working out on an empty stomach would be in fact the best way to approach a work out. But as he has had the best fitness persons on the planet come to his blog and post on his videos as in the trainer for football teams etc, there is a way to work out with doing 2 minutes cardio to walking and slower heart rate, then doing this 8 times and it burns more in 20 minutes then 60 to 90 minutes on an average persons cardio routine, and once more is, that it is best to work on an empty stomach, then after take in about 25 grams of protein with little OR no carbs at all for at least 2 to 3 hours so that the growth hormone that we normally have as a child can take hold and boost us and burn the heck out of our calories.. This garbage of eating before workout is very very deceiving. Be careful to listen to it. Too many of us hypglycemics can testify that this is not really very reliable to eat before workout. I know, because I am hypoglycemic. But now my blood sugar is stable, despite working out on an empty stomach. I was totally blown away and when I hear folks saying its a myth I have to say, geeze louise and get back jack because I’m living proof.. it really is better to not eat first hand. Now if you happen to be a person with a certain biology, which is still not that common and you have to eat then eat.. you have to LISTEN TO YOUR OWN BODY and NOT blogs and no offense because I love this blogg
Hi…there are so many different sayings out there about whether you should do morning cardio on an empty stomach or not. I personally started doing cardio on an empty stomach for the past 4wks or so (well, I just have a cup of coffee ‘to wake me up’ – even though i hate coffee – and one kiwi as I read that they are good ‘protectors’ of nitric oxide in the body and help lose fat during the workout. Then I hit the gym about 30mins later and I personally feel great!!! I feel I have increased my stamina and motivation.
BUT, coming back to what you said with needing to eat something 30mins before…could you please give us some MORE tips on WHAT exactly we should be eating, i.e., what kind of protein and what kind of carbs?! I always seem to have great trouble with what kind of ‘easy-to-prepare’ protein exists, except for whey. Thanks in advance
I’m still skeptical. I wonder if the extra calories you consume will give you enough extra energy to burn them off or is it really a trade-off and neither method is superior to the other.
you should talk to your boy vince about this joel- he’ll tell you something else
Hey Joel,
I think that’s a good theory…thanks for sharing that with us. I have one question for you. I have been doing my morning ab workout every morning and I do it before I eat anything. I find that it makes my midsection feel tighter and stronger. Then when I’m finished, I’ll have my breakfast. Do you think that it’s okay to do that? Or would you eat something before you work abs in the morning? Just curious on what you think of that idea. Thanks,
David ~
Exercise on an empty stomach?!
Wow, I had no idea people were doing that.
For me, a pre-game meal usually consisted of some kind of complex carbohydrate and protein. Nothing greasy and only just enough to make my stomach stop growling, but never enough to feel “full”…I did have to run still!
And yeah, gave my body about 20 mins before I had to do anything.
New food in stomach + running around = feeling like crap.
Menu items ranged depending on what was available nearby, but it was frequently things like: chicken (fried, but I always pealed the skin off), fruit, cheese, water, “power bars” that had at least 10g of protein, small deli sandwhich, and those “lunchable” things with the meat, cheese, and cracker combo. Pizza, hamburgers and other fast food was a big no-no. The only exception to that being a taco from taco time. Lots of veggies and a bit of meat.
One thing I’ve learned about exercising. There’s a difference between feeling “tired” and feeling “bad”. You’ll always feel “tired’ after a good workout, but you should never feel “bad”.
Heck, frequently I feel “really good and energetic” despite being “tired”. It’s funny.
I have always done my morning cardio sessions on an empty stomach because of being told.
“You burn 3 X more calories on an empty stomach”.
But I am open to try different things and I will give it a go having a small meal / or some protein before training. I understand that you would generally perform better with carbs/protein in your system compared to being running on an empty belly.
I have always found that I complete my weight sessions better after about 1/2 hour of eating.
Regards
Scott
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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...