Why should exercise before breakfast?

What is the best time to do physical exercise? Most people do it when they can, depending on their daily obligations, but if you can, go for a run or go to the gym before sitting at the breakfast tableit’s good for your body, according to a new study.

For six weeks, scientists in the UK followed the progress of weight loss of 30 overweight men and obesity who had been divided into three groups: those who ate breakfast before exercising; those who ate afterwards; and a control group that made no lifestyle changes.

Apart from the schedules, the training routines and food intake were the same in all the participants.

The researchers found that those who were physically active before eating their first meal of the day “they burned twice as much fat” compared to the group that exercised after breakfast, according to Dr Javier González of the University of Bath.

Exercising early helps lose weight and promotes health

The recommendation is not only for people who need to lose weight, but for everyone in general. “Our results suggest that changing when you eat relative to when you exercise may lead to profound and positive changes in health González said in a statement.

The combined research teams from the Universities of Bath and Birmingham concluded that the increase in fat burning was due to the fact that our insulin levels are lowest in the morning.

After fasting during sleep, the body turns to fat already stored in tissues for energy, rather than consuming energy from food.

It’s good for the heart

The findings reveal “profound and positive” effects of morning exercise on health by helping to keep blood sugar under control, warding off diabetes and heart disease.

“The group that exercised before breakfast increased their ability to respond to insulin, which is even more remarkable given that both exercise groups lost a similar amount of weight and both gained a similar amount of fitness,” said González. “The only difference was the timing of food intake.”

Also, the group that started sweating first thing in the morning did better as the day progressed: their muscles were more responsive to insulin and showed an increase in proteins that help Regulate glucose in the bloodstream.

In the end, those who exercised after breakfast showed similar insulin responses to the control group, making their workouts ineffective in that regard.

“This work suggests that exercising in the fasted state overnight may increase the health benefits of exercise for people, without changing the intensity, duration or perception of their exertion,” said study co-author Dr Gareth Wallis of the University of Birmingham.

“Now we need to explore the long-term effects of this type of exercise and whether women benefit in the same way as men,” Wallis added.