working out on an empty stomach

[rubthebuddha]

i've heard it said that working out on an empty stomach helps reduce fat, since there's nothing around to pull calories from and, this forces stores of fat to be used instead.

the logic on this sounds good, but have people found this to be not just logical, but actual?

i need to lower my bf%, and i want to open up more time in the evening after classes to spend with my roommates and girlfriend (and relax). i also want to get my blood pumping a little better early in the day rather than a few hours before i go to bed. my plan is to get up an hour earlier and work out, then shower up 'n stuff at my usual time.

thoughts?

[yenhoi]

I workout in the morning on a empty stomach. Well, I drink some warm water, and I drink a huge shake before bed. Im mainly concerned with not losing weight, however.

:D

[Robinf]

Go for it. You might enjoy it more. Just make sure you're totally awake--you don't want the risk of swallowing a dumbell from yawning :D

I don't know if there are any studies done on this. I haven't looked myself.

[Guile]

Bill Phillips advocates working out for 1/2 hour on an empty stomach to burn fat.:D

[Shaolin-Do]

Err....
Youre talking about putting yourself into a state of metabolic stress..... Your body is going to be burning all of your energy and trying to synthesize more protiens trying to make energy out of them... But if you are on empty, theres nothing to metabolize, no more energy to make. So your body says "Oh sh!t, better SLOW DOWN metabolic rates"... Slowing it down would make you metabolize things slower, hence not burning calories as fast.. Would you ever drive your car on empty? (Not intentionally smart @sses...) And besides, all of the weight you lost will just get gained again when you eat.
As for losing water weight - You are supposed to drink at least 1 gallon of water a day, or so many cups per weight, ect.... So unless you lost more than 8 lbs a day, your going to gain it right back in water weight. If your out to lose weight, just change your diet while working out. Dont do it on an empty stomach.
And if your trying to gain muscle mass, then definately dont work out on empty. Trying to slim down? change from low reps of high weight to high reps of low weight. But high and by far, its not a very wise idea to work out on an empty stomach, granted a short quick workout before work or school, ect.

[Shaolin-Do]

hmm... just re-read the post.... Would still be good to have some sort of cereal, protien shake, ect.... I would say eating before you go to bed so theres still something to work off of, but if you want to lose weight you shouldnt eat more than 3 hours before bed....
If you want to lower body fat to tone up, just do lots of reps on a lower weight. A good stretch in the morning will keep your blood circulating better all day. I believe there are also a couple vitamins made specially for that, but I forgot what they are.....
Hope that helps a little.... :)

[rubthebuddha]

Originally posted by Guile
Bill Phillips advocates working out for 1/2 hour on an empty stomach to burn fat.:D
i advocate beating bill phillips on an empty stomach to burn fat. :mad:

[IronFist]

lol

[Former castleva]

Not good.

[Fred Sanford]

i need to lower my bf%, and i want to open up more time in the evening after classes to spend with my roommates and girlfriend (and relax). i also want to get my blood pumping a little better early in the day rather than a few hours before i go to bed. my plan is to get up an hour earlier and work out, then shower up 'n stuff at my usual time.

If your workout and diet stay the same and the only change you make is working out on an empty stomach in the morning then I doubt you will see much of a difference, but who knows.

[IronFist]

Well, I'm not trying to lose weight, but I think working out on an empty stomach sucks. It hurts because I'm so hungry and weak feeling I can't concentrate on working out.

Sometimes in the morning I'm not too hungry when I wake up, but usually I am.

IronFist

[trevorstalker]

If I remember this correctly...

Working out on an empty stomach in the early morning is going to burn muscle fibers instead of fat due to high levels of cortisol on your system. In order to burn fat you have to reduce your cortisol levels, by eating something (low cal), like oat meal.

[Tsukasa_1]

i like to eat before hand
then my belly is nice and full:D

[Becca]

I have found that not eating within 3 hours of working out is best for me. But if I'm going to work out in the AM, I get up at least an hour before I start and drink a high protien shake. Then do some light stretching, gradually working up to a "full work out". I don't seem to have the energy to give it my all if I don't have SOMETHING.

[Serpent]

But that means getting up even earlier! *WAAAH!*

Surely the old routine of:

Get Up
Work Out
Shower
Eat
Go To Work

is a tried and tested method? You guys are saying that this is actually bad for you? Sources! I want sources and evidence!

Please?

;)

[Becca]

No, the tried and true way in not bad, it just don't work for everyone. Like most women, I tend to be a bit hypogycimic, so not eating for 6 or more hours then working out throughs my blood sugar off. But I don't have much endurence if I do cardio and strength training too soon after eating, so I save them for mid day or later, when my blood sugar is already stable.

BTW - hypoglycimia is the opposite of diabetes (diabetes is the tendency to have high blood sugar if you don't eat right, hypoglycimia is low blood sugar) The symptoms for both are the same; it takes a blood sugar test and a good doctor to tell the diference. And both are similar in that they can be controlled with small meals spaced through out the day and watching your proccessed sugar intake.

[Ford Prefect]

There have been plenty of studies done that verify the fact that working out in the morning on an empty stomach is an optimal way to lose fat. Don't eat 2 hours before bed either. I just recently bulked up and sliced off about 12 lbs of fat quickly using this approach.

Please note that this does not apply to working out in the middle of the day after starving yourself for 6-8 hours. This will actually have little effect or it is possible for it to have the reverse effect due to how your metabolism would alter to suit this pattern of food intake and physical labor...