Is It Safe To Work Out On An Empty Stomach?

Learn the pros cons and safety tips of exercising on an empty stomach based on your fitness goals and body needs.

You might have heard of people skipping breakfast before a workout. Maybe you have done it yourself too, and in this day and age, this has become very common and is often called as fasted cardio, which is basically just exercising without eating anything beforehand. Some believe that it is a good way to burn more fat, but is that really true and is it safe?

The idea behind these kinds of workouts is that there is no food in your system, and your body will tap into stored fat for energy. Instead, this can happen when you have gone several hours without eating, like after a night of sleep, that is why a lot of people dofasted cardio first thing in the morning.

Some research supports this idea that it can actually help in burning more fat during the workout, but in one of the studies, participants who kept breakfast before exercising burned more fat compared to those who ate earlier. And on top of it, some studies also suggest that it can improve your insulin sensitivity, which is a good thing for managing blood sugar.

Empty Stomach Workout Is Not Ideal For Everyone

The idea of burning more fat might sound very great to you but Working out on an empty stomach, isn’t ideal for everyone.

If you are working on an empty stomach, then there is a possibility that you feel more tired because body needs a source of energy to keep going, and that is missing you during that time.
For some people, they can also experience dizziness or nausea. If they try to work out without eating and these are signs, your blood sugar may be too low. If that happens, often, it can make your workouts miserable.
Another concern is that if your body does not have enough carbohydrates to use for energy, it can start breaking down muscle instead, that’s not what you want. Especially if you’re trying to build a maintain muscle mass.

What Should You Eat Before a Workout?

Always make sure that if you go for longer workouts, then don’t go empty stomach. Always try to eat something before working out. It can either be a slice of toast or banana with peanut butter that would also help you and keep you going throughout your workout session. If you suffer from any medical conditions, then also it is very important to eat before working out.

If you are curious about exercising on an empty stomach then you should start slow . You should try a light to moderate workout like walking ,jogging or yoga. You should see that how your body response and always listen to how you feel. After working out, you must make sure that you take the right amount of protein and carbohydratesbecause your body asks for a good balanced meal for the recovery after working out.

Overall exercising without eating, first can be helpful for some people. If their goal is fat loss or if the workout is low to moderate intensity, but it might not be the right choice for everyone and whether you eat before your workout or not depends upon your fitness goals and how your body feels about it.