Does Fasted Cardio Equal More Weight Loss?
You've probably heard the buzz, seen it on social media, or maybe even tried it yourself: the idea that working out on an empty stomach will burn more calories and melt away fat faster. It's a common belief in the fitness world, often touted as the ultimate hack for weight loss. But is there any truth to this popular notion? Let's dive in and separate fact from fiction.
Your Body Is Like a Car
Imagine your body is a car. Just like a car, your body is designed for all kinds of movement, from walking and running to lifting weights or even just using your brain!
Think about it: have you ever tried to drive your car on fumes, or even worse, with the wrong kind of fuel? You wouldn't get far, would you? It would sputter, struggle, and ultimately grind to a halt.
Your body, especially when you're asking it to perform during exercise, works on that exact same principle. Trying to push through a workout completely fasted is like expecting peak performance on an empty tank. You wouldn't intentionally sabotage your car like that – and deep down, you know your body deserves the same respect and proper fuelling to avoid a similar breakdown.
The Importance of Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the undisputed main character of energy when it comes to exercise. They're your body's preferred and most efficient energy source for working muscles during physical activity. Without enough carbohydrates, your muscles simply won't have the readily available fuel they need, leaving you with little to no energy to work out effectively.
Whilst carbohydrates are the star players for immediate energy, proteins and fats also act as crucial energy sources, though they generally step in for different roles or in specific situations. Think of them as your body's backup fuel and essential maintenance crew.
Benefits of Fuelling Your Body Correctly
Here are the benefits of fuelling our bodies correctly before and after exercise:
Increased Energy and Endurance: Eating carbohydrates before a workout ensures your muscle and liver glycogen stores are topped off, delaying fatigue and allowing you to push harder for longer.
Preventing Muscle Breakdown: When you work out, your body's protein needs increase. Consuming a small amount of protein before exercise helps to kickstart muscle repair and growth, and can help prevent muscle protein breakdown during your session.
Enhanced Performance: Proper pre-workout nutrition can improve your strength, speed, and overall performance, which in turn leads to a more productive workout and better results over time.
Improved Recovery: By providing your body with the building blocks it needs before you train, you are also setting the stage for faster and more effective recovery afterwards.
The Risks for Women
It's easy to fall into the trap of believing that fasted cardio is the key to a slimmer physique. However, for women especially, exercising on an empty stomach can have a number of negative effects. Fuelling your body properly is crucial for better performance and long-term health.
The key concerns for women who exercise on an empty stomach are:
Hormonal Disruption: Fasted exercise can increase the stress hormone cortisol. For women, chronically elevated cortisol can disrupt the delicate balance of hormones like oestrogen and progesterone, potentially leading to irregular menstrual cycles, increased anxiety, and even fat storage, particularly in the abdominal area. Ultimately, fasted cardio is doing the opposite thing to weight loss.
Muscle Loss: Whilst the body may burn more fat for fuel during a fasted workout, it can also break down muscle tissue for energy, a process called muscle catabolism. Since muscle is more metabolically active than fat, losing it can actually slow down your metabolism and make long-term fat loss more difficult.
Decreased Performance and Increased Injury Risk: Without readily available fuel from carbohydrates, your energy levels can drop quickly, leading to premature fatigue, dizziness, and a less effective workout. This not only hinders your ability to perform at a high intensity but also increases the risk of injury due to poor focus and coordination.
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