Out of bed without having breakfast? Then you start training without eating anything first. You have then done a sober training. A workout on an empty stomach can be very tiring, because you have no energy. Is this really so sensible? In this blog we will investigate whether exercising on an empty stomach is wise.
Burn fat on an empty stomach
A frequently asked question is: ”Do you burn more fat if you exercise on an empty stomach?”. First of all, you lose weight by using a calorie deficit. This means that you take in fewer calories than you burn. As soon as you eat more than you consume in a day, you can exercise whatever you want, but you will not lose weight.
However, exercising on an empty stomach does affect fat burning. For example, when you do strength training on an empty stomach, the process of burning fat is extra stimulated. Your body has no fuel and will get this from your fat stock. But as soon as you start eating a lot after training, this will also be topped up again. So you can only burn fat if you eat less than you consume.
Why exercise on an empty stomach?
There are people who like to train on an empty stomach. A number of advantages will be explained below:
- Low-intensity training: If you train on an empty stomach, you will not have much energy. It is therefore advisable when you start exercising on an empty stomach, you do not do this with a high-intensity training.
- Intermittent fasting: If you do intermittent fasting and you want to exercise in the morning, you can do no other than exercise on an empty stomach.
- Stimulates fat burning: When you train on an empty stomach, your body has no energy. The energy that your body does not have, it will get from your fat stores. In this way, fat will be burned.
Intermittent fasting sports on an empty stomach
If you do intermittent fasting, you often eat nothing in the morning. When you exercise, your body needs energy. It is wise to exercise 2-3 hours after your first meal. This way your body has energy to use. Combining intermittent fasting with exercise on an empty stomach can therefore ensure that you have less energy, which also means that you perform less.
Why not train on an empty stomach?
Training on an empty stomach could therefore be done with a low-intensity training. But why shouldn’t you train on an empty stomach?
- You lose muscle mass: When you train on an empty stomach, you have no energy to burn. As soon as your body has no more energy to burn, your fat stores will be burned. But not only your fat mass will be burned, your muscle mass will also be lost.
- Your muscles are damaged faster: If you occasionally train on an empty stomach, your muscles will not be damaged as quickly. If you do this regularly, you are more likely to get injured.
- You can make less effort: Your body needs fuel during training. If your body has no carbohydrates to burn, you can make less effort. You may even get dizzy when you exercise on an empty stomach.
Conclusion
You can certainly exercise on an empty stomach. It is advisable to do this with a training with a low intensity. High-intensity training requires a lot of energy. If your body doesn’t have this in its stomach, you can’t burn anything. This in turn means that you have no energy during your training. This means that your sports performance will deteriorate. You also run the risk of injuries and loss of muscle mass by training on an empty stomach. We recommend that you eat something before training to be able to practice your sport with enough fuel.