Exercising on an empty stomach, is it healthy or dangerous?

Some nutritionists believe that exercising on an empty stomach helps lose weight. According to this theory, the body draws the energy it needs for morning training from fat cells and glycogen stores, rather than from the food you just ate. However, it is scientifically debatable whether it is applicable to all types of sports practice and to all people.

Exercise on an empty stomach

However, some people they prefer to exercise on an empty stomach for entirely different reasons. For example, they can feeling overly full and tired to exercise for hours after a meal.

According to experts from the Austrian Society for Sports Nutrition (ÖGSE), long periods of fasting and high resistance training can lead to an energy deficit, which in turn can have a negative long-term effect on performance, strength, coordination, and regeneration.

At the same time, studies with athletes during Ramadan show that fasted resistance training can even have positive effects, as long as the total daily calorie balance is not too low. Moderate exercise on an empty stomach might promote fat loss and increase insulin sensitivity.

If exercising on an empty stomach makes sense depends on a number of factors that you should weigh according to your individual characteristics.

Exercising on an empty stomach: better to lose weight?

Aerobic-type exercise on an empty stomach or “fasted cardio” It has gained a lot of popularity among people interested in improving their physical condition. However, whether this strategy is effective has yet to be clearly demonstrated. There are studies that speak for and against.

On the other hand, if you do weight training and want to build muscle, exercising on an empty stomach is definitely not a good idea. To build muscle, it is important to have consumed enough protein and carbohydrates before of training.

Eat to avoid “bonking”

When you wake up early and haven’t eaten, your blood sugar levels are low. If you then challenge your body with intense training, you can provoke yourself. drowsiness, fatigue and lethargy. This effect is also known as “bonking”. In this case, you feel weak and cannot carry out your sports training with the vigor that you could have done if you had eaten something.

What is “bonking”?

Bonking is a term that is commonly used in the world of sports and physical activity to describe a feeling of aextreme dropout, weakness and fatigue that an athlete can experience during a long duration event.

The word “bonking” it is popular in the world of cycling and apparently comes from the British colloquial term “bonk”, which means “blow” or “bump”. It is also possible that it comes from the German word “bankrott”, which means “bankruptcy” or “broken bank”.

Also Known As “hunger stroke” or “pájara”. It occurs when the body depletes its energy stores, mainly carbohydrates, and is forced to rely on fat stores. This can lead to a significant decrease in physical and mental performance capacity, as well as a general feeling of exhaustion and malaise.

To prevent bonking, it is important to maintain adequate and balanced nutrition, as well as adequately hydrate before, during and after exercise. Energy supplements can also be taken to provide an extra boost of energy during prolonged exercise.

When is it essential to eat before exercising?

If you want to build muscle, run faster, run a long distance (such as a half marathon), or have similar fitness goals, it may make more sense to eat something before your morning workout.

If you can’t eat a proper breakfast, you can have a light snack before training. Easily digestible foods that provide you with nutrients but are not too heavy on the stomach are especially suitable for this.

For example, eat some fruit, like a banana or an apple, an energy bar or a slice of bread with jam or nut butter. It is usually enough for a light to moderate workout of around 30 minutes. If you train for an hour or more, you should eat a larger meal 2-3 hours before.

If your training is very long, you may need to take a break to eat. You could take, for example, fresh or dried fruit or muesli bars.

For whom is exercise on an empty stomach suitable?

You can test for yourself if exercising on an empty stomach is something for you with a light workout. If you notice that you lack strength or that you feel dizzy and weak, it is better to stop training and eat something right away. On the other hand, if training is easy for you, there is nothing wrong with doing sports on an empty stomach.

Nevertheless, It is not convenient for the elderly to exercise on an empty stomach. People with pre-existing illnesses should also seek medical advice first to avoid short- and long-term physical damage.