Hey Joel,
Do you have the research citations that you spoke of in this blog?
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The truth is, empty stomach cardio is an outdated philosophy whose theory was proven incorrect by research.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 do yoga on an empty stomach, cardio/weights with a protein/oatmeal meal.
I’ll ONLY do fasted cardio/weights if its the morning after a cheat meal dinner – as per the principals based on leptin levels from the Xtreme Fat Loss Diet. I just make sure I drink plenty of BCAA’s and Acetyl L-Carnitine before and during the session though.
Hi Joel,
If I’m going to go for an early morning run I hydrate with some water, but don’t eat anything. If I’m going to lift a HEAVY day I have to eat something. I generally stick to a protein drink prior to my heavy lifting. I’ve found I get lightheaded if I don’t eat anything prior to my lifting.
I get nauseous if I eat something before my short runs/3 miles or less. Anyway that’s what works for me. :-)
Always known that exercising or doing any other sport on an empty stomach was a bad idea. You can feel the difference.
Joel,
First let me say your diet/exercise information is top notch, and I am extremely grateful to have come across you! If you are debunking the empty stomach theory, why then in your XFLD do you have a fast day after your cheat day? Aren’t you basically burning the stored glycogen from the cheat day?
BCAA’s WITH WHEY ?
Hey Joel
Stunning article!
If I have some WHEY protein, do I still need BCAA’s also, as I believe most WHEY protein shakes contain around 10grams of Amino Acids anyways ? Can I weight train in the AM with just WHEY if fat loss is my goal ?
THANKS for all your wonderful email tips ! LOVE THEM !
Cheers
Sorry Joel, but there is research to show that exercise before breakfast burns more fat.
http://ajpendo.physiology.org/content/269/6/E1031.reprint
In summary, 2 identical workouts, one before breakfast, one after and they both used the same number of calories, but the before breaky group used 50% more fat as fuel
I think it depends on intensity. Walking before breakfast is probably worthwhile, but the lack of energy for intense exercise would make it less beneficial. It’s horses for courses.
Joel,
interesting article.
I guess it (i.e. whether eating or not pre-workout makes sense) depends on what you are training for or, rather, what you are trying to achieve with the work-out.
A high(er) intensity training (like weight training or, in running, speed intervals or tempo runs) are better done with readily available carbohydrates to fuel the muscles. As you rightly pointed out, this increases the quality of the effort and its results.
On the other hand, if you are an endurance athlete (marathon, long-course triathlon etc.) you need to teach your body to run on fat (it’s not about burning more or less fat – it’s about continuing to function despite having emptied your glycogen tank in the race). And that – in my own experience – is best (meaning most quickly) achieved by starting on an empty stomach. It might be difficult at first (because the body and especially the brain thrives on carbohydrates), but once you have practiced it a couple of times it gets fairly natural. Obviously, those workouts are rather long and slow (as opposed to the more intense speed workout or weight traing sessions).
Tom
I dont know what to believe anymore there are lot of myths going about losing weights
Anyway I have read empty stomach cardio before , I believed it and I do well anytime I go to gym on empty stomach however reading this have left me confused
I’ve tried on empty! Doesn’t work for me I have rolled outs mixed with protein powder! 30 min’s later I hit the Gym! Tickety Boo for me!
I always wake up and drink a liter of water, and do strengh training or cardio with weights. I never eat anything before my workout, due to time. I always have protein filled breakfast post-work out. Will a protein bar work for a pre-workout snack? I need something very quick? I’m willing try this new option, for a better body!
Hey joel, i never knew about this empty cardio thing but usually i work out early in the morning and i guess what i like to do is workout before i go have breakfast but a lot of the time i guess my performance may suffer or i may just be to tired and lazy to workout so i go ahead, eat and take a shower and get on w/ my day… 2mro b4 i work out im going 2 have a lil snack wait a bit and get 2 working out and i’ll check if i have any better performance… thx for the tips.. always helpful =]
Personpally, I work out great on an empty stomach, even after a 24 hour fast. I didn’t to begin with, I used to get sick and dizzy, but after the first week I was fine. I remember reading a study which said that the extra stress on your body caused you to produce more GH, it wasn’t really about fat burning at all for me although I think it definitely helped me get really ripped! However, I must add that I always took 10g of BCAA before my workout to protect against muscle loss. That said I would be fascinated to read any studies to the contrary if you could dig them out?
I think that this just goes to show that you do what suits you and your body, I don´t believe that it adds to fat burning per se. but if it works with your routine, then go for it. Personally, I find eating in the morning makes me feel sick, and I feel great for the rest of the day if I wait to have breakfast afterwards. But that is just me and my body, might not work for everyone. Best to just try it for a week and review the situation.
I have recently started a bootcamp twice a week in UK and find that it is best to eat a small meal before I exercise or my staying power diminishes after 30 minutes! I agree that an empty stomach is not good before any workout!
Hi Joel
I’m just starting the Extreme Fat Loss, for the 2nd time as I found it excellent. I’ve had a few weeks off it and thought another go would be good. How does this fit in with the Fast Day, when there are 3 sets of excersise and 1 of them is cardio at the end of a 24 hour fast?
@ James Jordan:
Eating food stimulates energetic pathways. As soon as insulin is stimulated your body begins to open up stores of energy for use. That’s where eating for performance comes into play. Not actual energy from food consumed before training.
Hi..I have been doing workouts early in the morning and usually take banana and sometimes nothing..I cannot have the breakfast so early and never have taken whey protein shake…what to do?
@ Joel Marion:
Chocolate does help you lose weight. But it’s got to be real chocolate…not dark chocolate, CACAO. About 40-80 bucks a bottle depending on what brand and concentration. It’s liquid form.
I gotta say here, almost everybody around spends WAY to much time thinking about “cardio”. People don’t even realize you can’t actually separate cardio from weight training. They engage THE SAME processes. “cardio” as we know it utilizes an extremely small amount of small muscle fibers, and weight lifting utilizes those AND the bigger ones.
There is a GREATER cardiovascular benefit derived from dynamic weightlifting than there is from doing “cardio” Proof? Google medical studies regarding anaerobic exercise for your heart vs aerobic.
Active recovery, and resistance cardio, are however great ways to help your body recover from the toxins and damage during training sessions
To believe however that empty stomach cardio is a better fat burner than eating a meal before hand not only flies in the face of biology, it is highly uneducated and factually wrong.
Eating food stimulates the release of fat from adipose tissue for energy use. It also stimulates the release of already stored glycogen, which means that you perform better during training, thus stimulating a further need to recooperate energy from fat stores.
You only need 30 solid minutes of exercise every 4 days to stimulate your metabolism.
Cardio in the morning, is an absolute waste of your time. Just say no.
Any and all of what I said can be found in “The Four Hour Body” By Timothy Ferriss, and EASILY googled.
And if you are too lazy to research for yourself, then your a useless tool who is wasting everyones time around you.
@ sarah:
That has nothing to do with burning fat, and Joel is recommending a protein based meal, not carb based.
Cheers.
@ anna:
Unless doing cardio is your only form of exercise, you don’t NEED to do cardio at all.
Sleep in.
I never exercise on empty stomach – I either feel sick or weak. Not exactly what you want to feel when you are working out. Just something small seems to do the trick. But personally, I don’t work out much early in the morning or until 60-90 mins after I eat my normal breakfast. I just don’t feel good, so I do what works for me. I think people forget that sometimes: you have to adapt to your own body and preferences. Again, thanks for the great article Joel.
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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...