Should You Exercise On An Empty Stomach?

Do you exercise on an empty stomach? Fasted exercise is a term that has been popping up in recent years, some advocate for its potential benefits and others warn it mightn’t be so great on the body, so we’re here to weigh in on it!

There has been very little study on the topic of fasted exercise, but research suggests that working out in a fasted state may increase the body’s reliance on fat stores for energy since glycogen levels are low. This means your body is burning fat rather than energy from your last meal. While this may lead to greater fat burning during the workout, it mightn’t be great on the muscles.

When your body doesn’t have any readily available energy from food, it may break down muscle tissue for energy if you’re working out on an empty stomach, especially if your protein intake is inadequate. When it comes to weight loss, you want to lose fat while preserving muscle, that’s why protein is so important!

You get up and just go! Some people like to exercise in the morning before they eat because it saves time on preparing, eating and digesting a meal. 

If you’re working out on an empty stomach your body can perceive your elevated heart rate as a physiological stressor. Chronic stress is associated with weight gain, which is the last thing you want on a weight loss journey. 

That all depends on how long you’ve fasted, and the intensity of your workouts! Some people prefer working out on an empty stomach anyway, and if you do this frequently, you need to protect your muscles by ensuring your last meal before exercising was high in protein!

Hunger can lead to fatigue, so keep in mind if you choose to exercise on an empty stomach you could suffer from decreased performance! Use your body as a guide, it’s pretty good at letting you know when something is wrong.