Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Fasted AM cardio.. yay or nay?

So I know I just wrote a post about how important pre/post workout meals are, BUT, I forgot to mention one slight detail. The controversial topic of fasted cardio. Should you, or shouldn't you? In all honesty, it's up to you. If you can handle running or doing whatever you're going to do on an empty stomach, then go for it. ONLY if you're doing cardio IN THE MORNING. I used to do fasted cardio when cardio was actually a part of my routine.. and I loved it. I would have a cup of coffee in the morning and hit the gym about 30 minutes after I woke up. The only thing about fasted cardio is, it can't be lengthy. You want to make sure you keep it at an hour or less, otherwise you'll begin to starve. Why choose to do fasted cardio though? A lot of people believe this is the perfect time for your body to use fat for fuel, which means you'll be burning through that stubborn fat on your body! When you first wake up on an empty stomach, your hormones and metabolism are in perfect alignment for fatty acid mobilization, basically meaning what I just stated above about using fat for fuel. Some people, however, experience nausea  and dizziness if they don't have anything in there stomachs before their cardio session. Everyone is different so what works for someone may not for you. Give it a try, see how your body reacts. BUT, what I would not do, is lift on an empty stomach. I have tried doing this, and trust me, it's not a good idea. So, if you choose to do cardio in the morning, you might get away with doing it fasted. As far as lifting goes, make sure you get a good source of protein and carbs before you hit the weights. Hope this clears up some confusion!

3 comments:

  1. Great post, always wondered about this! I do a 50-60 min powerwalk every morning on an empty stomach, it works for me, as long as I make a big, healthy breakfast the second I get back home :-) But I always have a couple of sips of water before leaving the house, though!

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  2. Fasted cardio feels awesome! You are def right about the not overdoing it part though. I woke up at 530 am to lift today (arms, abs, and cardio) I was still so sleepy before I left that I forgot to eat something. I was DYING by the end of my lifting session. By the time I got to my cardio portion I wanted to throw up/pass out. Definitely no bueno! Will NOT be making that mistake again lol. Great blog btw :)

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  3. Hello so I have a serious question. I have more muscle thighs and I'd really like to slim them down would you suggest lots of running and cardio? I've tried everything and nothing seems to help.

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