Exercise Question of the Month

Q. Is it true if you exercise on an empty stomach you will lose weight faster?

A. Those who advocate exercising on an empty stomach say that it helps the body go after the fat stores faster. During sleep, our body uses glycogen, our storage form of carbohydrates, to maintain blood sugar levels. According to morning exercise advocates, when we wake up, our carbohydrate reserve is running on empty which, in turn, makes it more likely that our body will start burning fat. Some also add in that eating carbs in the morning stimulates the release of the hormone insulin which facilitates fat storage.

Because most people wake up in the morning, empty-stomach exercise supporters are many of the same people who advocate morning exercise as well.

Let’s look at some of the evidence in support of working out on an empty stomach: Some research does in fact find that morning exercise may enhance the ability to burn fat when a fat-containing meal is given after exercise.15 Other research also hints that the body prefers to utilize monounsaturated fats more than saturated fats.16

Both of these issues are interesting and is a testament to the complexity of the human body. The real question, however, is whether this apparent enhanced ability to burn fat after exercise also translates into greater weight loss for those who perform exercise in the morning and on an empty stomach. Unfortunately, this issue has not been well-studied, although anecdotal testimonials suggest that for some, there may be something to it.

Does this mean working out on an empty stomach is right for you? The ability to successfully exercise without eating breakfast is surely an individual one. Some people may have no problem working out prior to eating while others may struggle with it.

Beyond this, it’s important to point out that carbohydrates are needed for the fat burning process. So, if somebody were exercising in the morning, in the total absence of carbohydrates (which is very unlikely), fat metabolism wouldn’t work properly. In this condition, the body essentially looks around and says to itself what else do I have to eat? Well, if we are not eating carbs, and fat breakdown needs carbs, then that leaves only one thing left—protein.

It’s possible that in extreme cases, not eating could lead to the body cannibalizing its own muscle tissue to power exercise energy requirements. This is admittedly a worst-case scenario but is worth mentioning because there are people in the world who take things to the extreme and may extend this not eating in the morning idea to new levels by not eating at all!

Another point is that working out on an empty stomach may be inappropriate for people with diabetes, who, if blood sugar goes too low, may pass out.
So, what's the bottom line? For the moment there is no “bottom line” because this topic has not been studied very much. The research so far is intriguing but to date, nobody appears to have done a 3-or 6-month study of fat loss in people where some performed exercise on an empty stomach while others ate breakfast first. This would be a more real-world test of the significance of empty-stomach exercise. For the moment, all that can be said is if you are healthy and want to try this approach, give it a shot and see if it works for you. If you find it difficult to exercise before eating, then forget it and eat breakfast first. The important thing is that you exercise and do so.

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see ya
Tony