Train on an empty stomach, all the information

During many years training fasting has been on the lips of all who exercised, from which had just picked up a dumbbell until he was competing, yet it has never reached a clear conclusion on this issue, whether it is harmful exercise in this state, if you lose more fat by this method, if we get negative results …

For this reason I will speak in this article from a scientific point of view and metabolism, so that you can get an idea of legends and truths that follow this theory. The first thing I want to make clear is that this article is directed to peopleSANE and a fat percentage NORMAL. In people OBESE or illness is totally prohibited since the effects in some cases even counterproductive

Train fasting to burn more fat …

Many people think or have the mythical idea that if we exercise fasting weight loss, or rather, the fat will be accentuated. Among the arguments that these people claim can relate the following: Perform cardio early in the morning on an empty stomach has these great advantages over the exercise at any time of the day:

• Before eating, in the early morning, your levels of muscle and liver (stored carbohydrates) glycogen stores are low. If you have dinner at 10 pm and have breakfast at 7 am, your body spends 9 hours without taking any food.
• During this 6-9 hours overnight fast, glycogen levels slowly gives your body the glucose needed for various bodily functions that occur, even while you sleep.
• As a result, you wake up in the morning with depleted glycogen levels and reduced blood sugar. This is the optimal time of day to burn fat instead of carbohydrates

The truth is that, to leave for granted before the subject of the article, to the question, when is the best time to do cardio workout? The answer will at any time

However, we can affirm that under certain protocols which will pass not describe and maybe give for another post, you might be able to reduce the fat percentage of a person for merely aesthetic purposes and is almost below 10 %. As we see, this situation is extremely complicated, and it is not what you usually see, so the focus of this article we’ll put it in those who think the idea of training fasting as a method to lose fat.

Fasting Cardio

When we talk about cardio on an empty stomach, the first word that comes to mind for many is:

cortisol

For those who are not familiar with this, there is another a “catabolic” hormone, which helps to mobilize fats our adipose tissue, muscle protein also to produce energy. Cortisol is elevated in three stages:

• In times of psychological stress or danger threatens
• After a workout wear
• On an empty stomach

We will focus on the latter which is what interests us:

On an empty stomach

When we awoke after sleeping 6-9h our cortisol levels are elevated, however, negative effect that they are elevated when exercising. The answer is no.

Many stop reading this part and start to go out with torches calling for my head, though I will explain why this statement.

Cortisol is a hormone daytime, ie naturally elevated levels are early morning and late low of the day. This is reflected in people who practice Ramadan, which do not consume any food during the day and evening, more than 15 hours of fasting being.

It was here where he was that people who practiced it lowered their body fat percentage, like LDL cholesterol levels. Unlike it happened with HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein 1 (protein that helps clean grease and prevent adipocytes accumulate fat) where its levels were higher. In addition to these changes, was that these people was a change in the rhythm of cortisol, ie cortisol levels early in the morning were low and high at night, which gives us a clue we can control cortisol levels. By this I do not mean that we now put all to fast, on the contrary, our lifestyle is totally different, and we need macronutrients to keep us awake and alert for most of the day

You lose muscle training on an empty stomach

Now that we understand the functioning of cortisol and its influence on fasting, can speak truly important, if doing cardio on an empty stomach can lose muscle mass. I want to do me give you an extreme situation led to an example and want you to think about it:

Can a person eat 1 time a day and not lose muscle mass? To surprise of many the answer is yes. This was reflected in the study “Impact of reduced meal frequency without caloric restriction on glucose regulation in healthy normal-weight middle-aged men and women.” Where I quote:

The weight of the subject and fat body mass is reduced (1.4 and 2.1 kg, respectively) after diet consumption in January food / day, but not after consumption of 3 meals / day diet. No significant differences in fat-free mass and total body water between diet groups were observed. 

If one meal a day, our body is unable to use the muscle through cortisol, I think the idea that doing 4-5 meals a day with adequate amounts, is at least one conspiracy theory.

Cardio fasting to lose more fat

To understand this issue we must differentiate between acute effects (which occurs during training) and the effects that occur during the day. The reason I say this is because we can not draw conclusions by observing only one hour, when we get another 23 to burn calories.

This is the main mistake in most studies, these acute effects observed and extrapolated to the rest of the day without truly see if that effect is maintained on fat oxidation. Still, use more fat as fuel is not translated as a greater loss of fat.

Examples are KDs where the body uses mainly ketones from fats as an energy source but nevertheless fat loss is the same as a low carbohydrate diet.

= Diet Low Carb. White circles Black squares = ketogenic diet

Although it is assumed that more fat is used during training before breakfast, personally I have not so clear. We now know that people obese (insulin resistance and low metabolic flexibility) glycogen degrade more easily.

In this graph we can see the relationship between the passing time and the respiratory coefficient (parameter tells us if we use fat or carbohydrates). If you look around, people with low metabolic flexibility (obese) oxidise more carbohydrates during the night, so liver glycogen reserves are lower than those of a person who trains normally. This means that the obese person who entrance fasting would tire more easily.

This is where the hormone appears adiponectin. This hormone, which is expressed in abundance in our muscle tissue, improves insulin sensitivity and increases the use of fat as an energy source. Thus, the obese person who is tired because your glycogen stores now descended overnight has improved its training, but make no mistake, has been self – training stimulus, not exercise fasting. We can see the same effect in people who do not train on an empty stomach, where exercise increases levels of adiponectin.

Thus we can say that is the training itself and not the fasting state which acts on adiponectin

The problem comes is because your body will not be deceived easily, so this increased use of fat temporarily are the charges once you place a food intake (hence we have to look at the effects post -Training and not just those occurring during).

Thus, training fasting increases the use of fat during training but descends throughout the day. While people who train after eating less fat oxidized during training and during the day, as in the case of COPD.

If we look at time 0 the train fasting oxidize more fat than those who have eaten (obvious), however, at 12h or even 24h people who trained with a full stomach oxidize more fat than those who trained fasting, so the end of the day both groups have used the same body fat as an energy source.

Will more training on an empty stomach fat is lost?

Referring to the previous point, the question that arises is why this decline occurs in the use of fats in the group trains fasting, ie Will more fat if you train on an empty stomach is lost as opposed to doing another time?

My theory is that fat used during training fasting is not the usual fat we know if not found within our muscle (IMTG), which would also explain why there is greater glycogen resynthesis when training fasting (7). After training and eating food, fat is used to replace the deposits of intramuscular triglycerides (IMTG) while carbohydrates are used as energy source. Meanwhile, those who have eaten food before training burn more calories, more fat will be used during the day.

This can lead us to think that if we divide our training session in two parts, one on an empty stomach and one in the evening, we will have a greater use of fat as an energy source.

If anyone thought this way, I congratulate you because it is right. Divide our training into two sessions, where one is fasting makes us use more fat for 24 (8).

To reach that conclusion a group of subjects is divided into 3 groups:

• Group A: coaching fasting and afternoon (AM / PM)
• Group B: only trained fasting (AM)
• Group C: only trained in the afternoon (PM)

When they are looking at how many calories they spent discovered that groups who were putting fasting oxidized workouts more fat and calories expended more than the group trained in the afternoon. However, it was observed that the group trained afternoon spent more calories during the evening. Two details that caught my attention in this study were:

1. The nitrogen excreted in urine was almost identical in the three groups, by reflecting the train fasting does not lead to loss of protein
2. The 3 groups lost the same amount of fat

This shows that training on an empty stomach, but raise the use of fat during training, it does not translate as greater fat loss, something I have discussed throughout the article

Cardio fasting or after training

It is one of the most frequently asked questions, and which can continue to apply the same exposure of the article. However, we can make an assessment: depends on the type of cardio workout, and as our response after performing the weights.

We will normally be able to make 3 types of cardio workouts:

1. LISS (Low Intensity Steady State) or Low Intensity Cardio to Ritmo Steady: this in other words, walking briskly. It is a completely oxidative activity, besides not produce joint impact, so facing health would be a good recommendation. The disadvantages can be seen in the time factor, since we get to really benefit for burning fat, we should at least keep this train for 1 hour or more.
2. MISS (Medium Intensity Steady State) or Medium Intensity Cardio and Ritmo Stationary: compare this to a higher trotted (or jogging) intensity, and by which, using the energy substrate will fat. The potential drawback is related to that in this case we provoke a joint impact itself, so we should pay attention and take into account this factor in order to avoid possible injury. It differs from the previous, that a lower dose would be effective time, about 45min possibly would be a good training. Here we could change the race for another activity, such as cycling or rowing machine.
3. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) or Cardio High Intensity Interval: In this type we will sandwiching high intensity intervals recovery times. It is perhaps the kind of “more fun” cardio, long as you go walking, and of course, your athletic ability allows. This would be the first point of interest when comes to value, it is that many people think they can do HIIT, but the reality is that possibly be an activity halfway between the MISS and this HIIT, since in each range, so to speak, we will squeeze practically the most our body, high intensity, and this is something that not all people are able or can afford. Such intensity ranges have a short duration, followed by intervals during which will “recover”. Normally the total duration of training (warm-effective series, and cool) will be short compared to the other two, say less than 30 minutes. Here we will employ all substrates, applying the Phosphagens each new sprint. This type of cardio training is the most demanding.

Thus, my answer to the question, would you leave time for fasting, the LISS type for everyday 2-3 times a week sandwiching the MISS; HIIT then, in my view, it would be more “bearable” Once the weight’s session. Not to forget the HIIT will be that more increases cortisol levels which we have spoken, and it is also necessary for good physical condition. On the other hand, after training loads, perform long duration cardio I do not think it’s the most “desirable” and before it, the better bet for something short but very effective.

Cardio benefits of fasting

Insulin sensitivity

Cardio fasting improves insulin sensitivity by muscle tissue, where technical way increases AMPK is responsible for increasing expression of GLUT4 (glucose transporter). This translates to a greater ability to meter the glucose within the cell, so glycogen resynthesis is greater.

Metabolic flexibility

In addition, the training promotes fasting metabolic flexibility because it increases the use of fat as an energy source. By improving metabolic flexibility saves more glycogen the body, using it only in specific situations, so the onset of fatigue is delayed (most runners know that you spend as glycogen career is over).

An example of people who follow this protocol are the Ethiopians and Kenyans, where part of your training is fasting, and your carbohydrate intake is greater than 70%.

Thus, during the training results in increased use of fat as an energy source and the rest of the day use carbohydrates. Thus, this group of athletes becomes efficient in both metabolic pathways, both fat oxidation as carbohydrate.

Other benefits

Among other benefits that are not directly related to fat burning and serving other factors we can include:

• More time : do morning exercise we supposed to do our work day without having in mind the fact of going to the sports session. In addition, by working circumstances, it may be more convenient to us.
• Generates a habit : taking the fact routine exercise as nothing will make us get up unconsciously adapt this habit as usual, and possibly once tried will not want to move to another schedule time
• We active : many people cope better their daily chores with the fact that he trained in the morning, and this is due to activation it produces training. Get to work with another mood … Also we will produce other benefits effect be more productive during the morning.

conclusions

Because of the problems that our ancestors were when finding food our body learned how to stay alive by maintaining constant plasma levels for short periods.

The fact of thinking that because we have not eaten food in 8h make us lose muscle or fat gain does not have any argument.

Our body has reserves of glycogen in the liver, unlike what many people think bears spend them time and if we consider that our body does not use glucose alone or only fat but can use both simultaneously lengthen yet more that shortage of glucose in our bloodstream, so it will not degrade if we train muscle fasting.

Still, until there is conclusive studies regarding this type of training, we must find ways to help you lose fat more easily and in less time, as in the case of HIIT, although this article my position is reflected: Cardio NO fasting makes you lose muscle.

The cardio fasting has a number of benefits that can help us prevent diabetes problems or even improve our performance, however, increased fat loss is not among these effects.

I hope that with this article, you see the training paradigm fasting, remember, what matters is not how much you spend for a train, if not the remaining 23h.