Is it good to run on an empty stomach or not?
Normally when I decide on a topic to write about running on an empty stomach, it is because while working I find it with some insistence. As it happens (or not), several patients have asked me this week if running on an empty stomach is good or bad. Well, who says running, says exercising running on an empty stomach.
So what, I’m going to share my opinion with you:
Why do exercise running on an empty stomach?
Some people ask me if it is good to do exercise on an empty stomach because it is difficult for them to eat breakfast before going to play sports, and they prefer to train and then calmly do it with more desire and hunger.
However, the bulk of the people who consult me about this question, what really motivates them, is to use sports on an empty stomach as a means to lose weight faster.
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Does running on an empty stomach work to lose fat?
When I speak about running, I speak in general, of running on an empty stomach, regardless of which one. It is simply that the most frequent action at this time is to go for a run.
The idea that running on an empty stomach helps you lose fat faster is partly true and partly not true:
When we wake up we have not had any food for many hours, so our blood glucose levels are going to be very close to zero. In these conditions, it happens that the body to obtain energy for our daily actions and maintain the basal metabolism, must resort to our body fat store and extract it from there.
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This is the reason why it is often said that breakfast is such an important meal, it is because we are going to have, predictably, several hours of activity until the next meal, and our energy levels are very low.
Is it good to go running on an empty stomach to lose weight?
If we go running on an empty stomach or go to the gym on an empty stomach, by activating our metabolism , energy demand will increase, and therefore, fat burning.
The argument against why doing sports on an empty stomach does not contribute to losing weight, is that most studies suggest that it is not so important in the end when we eat if not the amount of calories we eat
That is to say, it is true that if we eat breakfast after exercising on an empty stomach, we will have an active metabolism and the body will use that food as part of recovery. However, in the same way it will tend to store a part, which if we do not consume it will also be stored as body fat.
If we want to lose weight, the most important factor is that our caloric intake at the end of the day is less than our energy requirement.
Doing a workout on an empty stomach a good idea?
We have to think that there is a fundamental difference between aerobic exercise (ex: going for a run) and anaerobic exercise (ex: lifting weights). While in aerobic exercise we maintain a medium but constant intensity over time, when we do anaerobic exercise we put everything we have for short periods of time.
Now the question I ask you is: if you are going to train weights on an empty stomach and you have no energy … what is the point? Therefore, the answer to the question if going to the gym on an empty stomach is somewhat relative, will depend on your physiognomy, your type of training, etc.
As a general rule, I would not recommend it, especially in those cases where the training has to do with generating muscle mass or following hypertrophy or maximum strength routines.
Is it good to do running on an empty stomach in morning?
My opinion is that the mistake is trying to categorize things in one drawer or another. Let me explain: really training on a fast can be good for losing weight, but it has some cons that we must take into account:
Training in fasting is good as long as we feel good energy and it does not cost us an extra sacrifice to do so, since if not several things can happen:
- That we train below our means.
- That we compensate by making improper gestures and actions, and therefore, we can injure ourselves more easily.
What decreases our sports performance and we stagnate in the objectives and results.
The general guideline that I would give you is that you try yourself and see how your body and your organism react. Do not fixate on a specific style, if one day you get up, look at yourself and feel energetic, try. If another, you feel low of strength, do not force yourself, try to eat to regain strength.
Think what, being hungry (real, not emotional) and denying it, is nonsense. Our body is intelligent, and if it demands sustenance from us, it is for something. The best way to lose weight is by giving the body what it asks for and needs, I tell you, if it is not emotional hunger. Otherwise, your body will understand to conserve the maximum of fats and reserves since “lean cows” can come.
is it better to run on an empty stomach?
In this section I am going to recap a little about everything I have told you:
There is no definitive answer to the question whether it is good to running on an empty stomach or not. The question is to listen to our body and see how we are. Running on an empty stomach can be an interesting option to lose weight as long as we feel good to do it. However, weight training on an empty stomach may not be such a good idea.
Benefits of running on an empty stomach in the morning
According to research, running without eating before may have potential benefits.
- Increased fat burn
- Reduced energy intake
- Might improve aerobic endurance
- Less digestion problems
- During prolonged exercise, it’s common to experience digestive issues like: stomach or intestinal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
