{"id":30590,"date":"2017-03-11T09:15:57","date_gmt":"2017-03-11T14:15:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=30590"},"modified":"2017-03-15T10:53:54","modified_gmt":"2017-03-15T14:53:54","slug":"fasted-cardio-weight-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/fasted-cardio-weight-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Fasted Cardio Really Burn More Fat?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Does
Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On the surface, it seems to make sense. Exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and your body should burn more fat<\/a>. After all, without food intake for eight to 12 hours, you’re in a fasted state. With glycogen stores depleted and low morning insulin levels, your body has to turn to other energy sources, like fat, to power through your workout.<\/p>\n

Fasted cardio is a technique that has been around for years in the bodybuilding community, and one that\u2019s gaining popularity among regular gym goers and even endurance athletes. But will forgoing your morning oatmeal<\/a> really lead to a leaner body and better athletic performance?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the skinny on sweating it out sans food and whether or not it is suitable for your body and fitness goals.<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>How to Know If the Ketogenic Diet Is Right for You<\/a><\/p>\n

The Fast Track to Fat Loss?<\/b><\/h3>\n

“Some studies have found that exercising in a fasted state can burn almost\u00a020 percent more fat\u00a0compared to exercising with fuel in the tank.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Un-fueled workouts are a common protocol among bodybuilders, especially in preparation for competition when they need to lean out as much as possible before they walk on stage. Some celebrities also turn to this technique to get ready for their close-up, whether that’s a photo shoot or red carpet event.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs fasted cardio a good way to burn fat? The answer is yes and the answer is also no,\u201d says Jay Cardiello<\/a>, a NSCA and ISSA-certified strength and conditioning specialist. The fitness expert who has worked with celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Curtis \u201c50 Cent\u201d Jackson and Sofia Vergara, says, \u201cIt\u2019s effective, but it\u2019s not sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some studies have found that exercising in a fasted state can burn almost 20 percent more fat<\/a> compared to exercising with fuel in the tank. Why? Once we eat, insulin (which regulates the breakdown of fat<\/a>) increases in our body. According to some research, higher insulin levels have been shown to suppress fat metabolism by up to 22 percent<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, research has demonstrated that fasted cardio does not increase fat burning over a 24-hour period<\/a>. While your muscles adapt to using more fat when you exercise, you don\u2019t actually lose more fat overall on the days that you exercise versus\u00a0days that you don\u2019t. Another study<\/a> suggests that ingesting carbs before working out increases\u00a0the post-exercise \u201cafterburn\u201d effect<\/a> more than the fasted state. That means more calories burned throughout the day, not just during your sweat session.<\/p>\n

But First, Safety<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re curious about running on empty, be sure not to go it alone. Cardiello has employed the fasted cardio method with clients for a short period of time and within a controlled environment. He advises that fasted cardio \u201cshouldn\u2019t be used unless you are being looked after by a nutritionist, professional strength training coach and a medical professional.\u201d For example, 50 Cent used fasted cardio to prepare for an album cover photo shoot. Cardiello closely monitored the rapper\u2019s fitness and nutrition throughout this period to ensure that he was healthy and safe.<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>Why You Should Eat More Fat and Less Sugar<\/a><\/p>\n

Glycogen-Depleted Workouts: The New Face of Fasted Cardio<\/b><\/h3>\n

Beyond bodybuilding and celeb weight loss, endurance athletes have started to turn to \u201cglycogen-depleted workouts<\/a>,\u201d too. To prevent “bonking” during a race, athletes hope their bodies adapt to low blood-sugar levels by burning fat. Occasional early morning exercise without fuel has been shown to increase VO2 max<\/a> and the concentration of glycogen found in muscles when at rest.<\/p>\n

While fasted runs can adapt the body to\u00a0more efficiently burn fat as fuel<\/a>, they didn\u2019t help athletes lose weight or improve their aerobic conditioning or endurance during the studies. Plus, runners still need to practice fueling during workouts to properly prepare for taking in nutrition on race day<\/a> \u2014 particularly if you\u2019re going the 13.1-distance or more.<\/p>\n

Not So Fast<\/b><\/h3>\n

\u00a0\u201cFor most people that small change won\u2019t translate into body fat changes and performance benefits over the long-term.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While fasted cardio may turn your body into an efficient fat-burning machine, Lauren Antonucci, registered dietitian nutritionist and certified sports dietitian, and owner of Nutrition Energy<\/a>, cautions against this technique. \u201cCan I force my body to burn a higher percentage of fat than carbs? Yes, I can. But I think that the more important question is will I see a benefit as an athlete? So far, the answer is no,\u201d says Antonucci. \u201cFor most people that small change won\u2019t translate into body fat changes and performance benefits over the long-term.\u201d<\/p>\n

When you wake up in the morning, your body is in a catabolic state due to high levels of cortisol \u2014 the hormone associated with stress. That means that your body is primed to break down molecules for energy. But if you\u2019re in this state too long, it can lead to degradation of body tissue, including muscle, and a decrease in overall health.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t eat, you\u2019re not going to have the energy to train at full capacity,\u201d says Cardiello. \u201cIf you\u2019re on empty, you\u2019ll go into a major breakdown phase after the workout.\u201d In fact, research has shown that hitting the weights without fuel<\/a> can lead to the breakdown of muscle.<\/p>\n

\u201cRecovery from these types of workouts can be very long and not as enjoyable. I\u2019d rather fuel myself optimally and give myself the best chance of recovery,\u201d Antonucci says. \u201cThe return on investment [for proper fueling] will make it back to you in how you feel during your workout, how you recover, and over the long-term.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>Intermittent Fasting Methods: Which One Is Right for You?<\/a><\/p>\n

To Eat Or Not to Eat<\/b><\/h3>\n

If eating before your early morning session at the track or gym doesn\u2019t work with your schedule or stomach, that\u2019s fine. Just pay attention to potential side effects such as dizziness or nausea.<\/p>\n

And if you\u2019re truly interested in improving athletic performance or losing fat, make sure you\u2019re asking the right question \u2014 not are<\/i> you eating before workouts, but what<\/i> are you eating throughout the day?<\/p>\n

\u201cCheck in on your diet and reduce your calories. Make some dietary changes overall,\u201d says Antonucci. According to Cardiello, \u201cFeeding the whole system will help increase the intensity level during a workout, thus recruiting more muscle activation and boosting metabolism for the whole day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Originally published August 2014. Updated March 2017.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Will running on empty turn you into a fat-burning machine? Read on to find out if fasted cardio sessions will lead to greater fat loss and better athletic performance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":56885,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,24,6],"tags":[201,288,289,71,138,108,341,343,285],"class_list":["post-30590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cardio","category-exercise","category-fitness","tag-carbohydrates","tag-cardio","tag-exercise","tag-nutrition","tag-pre-workout","tag-running","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2exercise","tag-weight-loss"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30590"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30590\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}