Training on an empty stomach: what you need to know
We all know that food is fuel and fuel is energy. So does training on an empty stomach benefit our health? Here’s what you need to know about physical fitness and empty bellies.
We’ve listened to our parents warning us about the risks of missing breakfast since our early school days. How we’ll have no energy to study - and especially none for playtime. Yet here we are, in the middle of the summer years later, contemplating exercise on an empty stomach.
Like anybody with an ethos for a healthy mind and body, you need to know the facts before delving into this phenomenon and changing the way you train.
Training on an empty stomach: how it works
In a 24-hour day, our bodies go through cycles of digesting, followed by fasting. During this time the body releases the hormone insulin. Nutrients enter into the digestive system and glucose is transported to muscles to provide energy, or glucogen. Think of glucogen as an energy store.
The body goes into fasting mode six hours after eating, releasing more glucogen to stabilise blood sugars. Stored fats are turned into energy known as ketones - so training on an empty stomach literally converts fat into energy. This makes perfect sense when considering our evolutionary makeup: when food wasn’t always available, we relied on our fat storage for energy.
In brief: a fed body gets energy from food stores, then the body burns sugar - and when it has nothing else, it burns up fat. Once you start eating again this ketone state stops, insulin is reinstated and you start using food as fuel for energy.
The benefits of training on an empty stomach
Also referred to as intermittent fasting, with significant hours when our bodies are food-free, there are many advantages to training on an empty stomach. Here are some of them:
- Best method of weight loss: It’s only natural that you’ll lose weight while exercising on an empty stomach, especially if it’s part of your regular routine and not just a one-off. That’s because you’re consciously eating less calories. And if fewer calories are digested - you got it - the body turns to fat stores for energy. The process of ketone bodies kicks in, using fat from your stores and burning it off. Regular exercise on an empty stomach will see lasting results. Studies have been carried out on various athletes which have all strongly shown improved weight loss on an empty stomach.
- Increases endurance for runners: According to Runtastic, studies confirm that training on an empty stomach can produce positive results when using specific workouts and depleting the stores of glucogen.
The drawbacks of training on an empty stomach
As with all changes to the norm, training on an empty stomach is no exception to controversy. There are old-school bodybuilders who would staunchly argue against fasting for fitness, so let’s take a look at the disadvantages:
- Little evidence to evidence that it’s best for weight loss. According to VeryWellFit, there’s insufficient research to prove that exercising on an empty stomach is best for weight loss. It highlights that one study showed no difference in cardio weight loss whether the sample group ate or fasted.
- Eating before exercise is best for performance and recovery. Eating carbohydrates and protein is acclaimed to be best for energy levels, performance, and repairing our muscles afterwards.
- Less energy = less motivation. Workouts on an empty stomach can leave us lethargic, less motivated and deflated when we fail to reach our goal. Think about it - can you even concentrate when your tummy is grumbling to remind you it’s lunch time? Exercising on an empty stomach is not for everyone, nor is it for everyone all of the time. Changing our insulin levels is hormone-affecting, so it changes our mood and bodies all in one.
Overall, a balanced view is probably best when considering the fairly new concept of training on an empty stomach. If you want to try it, make sure you seek advice on how to safely implement it into your regime - Holmes Place nutritionists are always on hand for advice on weight loss and exercise plans. Remember to always listen to your body: if you feel energetic before breakfast and feel that a run or workout is up for grabs then follow your intuition. If you seriously feel like snuggling under the duvet then remain there, enjoy your breakfast and exercise when your energy levels are raised.
