AM workouts on empty stomach - couple questions?

K

kgravel

Cathlete
Forgive me if this has been asked before -- but I am curious about am workouts on an empty stomach.

I have read several items stating that you will burn more fat on an empty stomach working out in the morning. Does anyone know if this is really true, and if so, is it a significant difference?

Secondly, I am trying to switch to all am exercise from mostly afternoon/occasional am sessions. Specifically, I would like to embark on Cathe's Jan rotation. I can easily do a Firm AWT tape w/no problem on an empty stomach in the am -- but bumping up to 1 1/2 hours of Cathe some days on an empty stomach in the early am, am I going to kill myself? I am a solid intermediate exerciser, and can complete a CTX rotation, but have not attempted a more advanced Cathe rotation like the one listed for Jan. Any words of wisdom? Thank you in advance!

Kim
 
Kim:

current wisdom advises against this. In the early morrning, you may not have much glycogen stored in your muscles, and this is the body's first source of fuel for exercise. You will be tired much more quickly and the body will deplete muscle tissue next to use as fuel. If you stop to eat a banana and drink some orange juice, you have enough blood sugar to start you off and apparently this facilitates the transfer to taking fat stores as the next available source of fuel. In other words, the truth is exactly the opposite to what you have thought: to train the body to use fat stores as fuel, you actually need to have some sugars recently in your system.

I was reading this recently in an article, was it in M & F Hers? Does anyone else remember?


Clare
 
Kim,
I don't know about the early morning, empty stomach, fat burning thing...but you may not want to up the intensity and duration and time of workout at the same time. Just a thought. Good luck!
Angela:7
 
I workout at 430 every morning and only sip water during a 60-75 minute workout. I never have any trouble, even if I had an early dinner the evening before. I am usually starving after my shower, though, and eat a good breakfast every day.

PennyLaney
 
I emailed Maribeth about this and she suggested eating before every workout, even an all cardio workout. About three months ago, I began eating half a protein bar before each workout. I experimented with other foods first (juice, nuts, handful of cereal, etc.) but found the protein bar to work best. I eat the bar at about 5:30 a.m., workout from 5:45 to either 6:45 or 7:00 and then I eat breakfast around 8:00. If it is an ultra intense workout, I will eat the other half of the bar immediately after the workout. Once I implemented this plan, I noticed more muscle tone (because as Maribeth said, my body wasn’t eating muscle to fuel itself during the workout) and I wasn’t so ravenous come breakfast time.
 
I never work out on an empty stomach, but then again, I never work out in the morning either. I just don't feel good if I'm that hungry and empty. I eat a piece of fruit, a rice cake, piece of toast, graham cracker, or a spoonful of peanut butter.
 
I am also an AM exerciser with this problem. I have to exercise first thing in the morning (I don't have any other time throughout the day because of my job and long commute). I usually wake up around 6 am, and am exercising by 6:15, 6:20. I found that I have to do this on an empty stomach - otherwise I get REALLY bad stomach cramps. One time, I ate a banana about 30 minutes before, and could barely finish the workout! (this is mostly true for cardio - weights isn't as bad).

I am torn because I really want muscle development (I don't want my body to be eating muscle to fuel itself) but it seems like I simply cannot eat before cardio without feeling sick. I tried OJ before (a small amount - only like 4oz) and this seemed to go down ok, but I don't know if this is enough to off-set the effects of my body eating muscle. Can anyone help with suggestions? Thanks in advance!

Alison
 
I had a feeling that I might need to eat something, I think I will definately try the 1/2 protein bar trick. Guess I just didn't want to have to get up even earlier to accomodate, lol!

Maybe I'll put off the rotation and just focus on 1 hour of exercise as I am used to until I acclimate (sp?) to the time change.

Thanks for suggestions!

Kim
 
I have always worked out in the early AM. I never really thought about eating anything for years. But when I went on the Zone diet, and was also marathon training I knew I had to eat something. Oatmeal works before a long run and I am with the Half a protein bar group for my other workouts. I think it is a good idea to get something on your stomach before a workout...:)...Carole
 
This is a little off topic, but what type of protein bar do you recommend? I've been unable to find one that doesn't taste like cardboard. I might be able to switch my workouts to am, if I could find something like this to get my energy started in the morning.

THanks
Cathy
 
I use a Balance Bar, which is not all protein but a balanced amout of protein, carbs and fat. The have a much better taste than just the protein ones. Costco has the best price but they are sold in bulk. Target has a good price too and you can buy them singly to find out which ones you like the best. Yogurt Honey Peanut is my fav....:)...Carole
 
I second the vote on Balance bars. They are hands down the best tasting bars out there. So many of them are covered in sickly white stuff, with a cardboard interior! Hard to believe they can nourish! It's also nice to find that the Balance range does not rely over-heavily on the usual culprits for flavours (choc, choc brownie, choc smores, choc peanut, choc this that and the other)

Caramel nut blast is my absolute fave, and now the only flavour I will buy.

I also like Cliff bars. A more modest protein content, but try their carrot cake flavour. It's more a hearty bar a hiker might use and like. I am and I do!

Clare
 
As suggested by others, a protein snack or protein/carb snack is a good idea. This helps prevent burning muscle for energy.
 
I've been in the Army for years and we always do intense workouts in the morning on an empty stomach...but you must do a sufficient warm up...I do Cathe on the mornings when we don't have Physical Training...


I thought the glycogen was out of your muscles in the morning because you haven't eaten anything for several hours...so you would burn mainly fat...but don't quote me on that :)
 
I work out on an empty stomach either in the morning or 2 hours after eating. Never had any problems with it. I do only workout for 30-40 minutes though HIIT and pyramid style weights with BFL.

And I wait one hour after cardio to eat; but eat immediately following weights.

Colleen
 
>I workout at 430 every morning and only sip water during a
>60-75 minute workout. I never have any trouble, even if I had
>an early dinner the evening before. I am usually starving
>after my shower, though, and eat a good breakfast every day.
>
>PennyLaney

I am the same way, although once in a while (rare, but on occasion) I will get hungry and have a cracker. Otherwise the strain of lifting will cause reflux or spasms of my esophogas giving me the very sick to the stomach feeling... Not that I shouldn't be eating, but eating at 4:30 a.m. and trying to get it all in and done by 6:00 (60 to 75 minutes Cathe + prep time (weights, water)... hard!
 
Sometimes I workout without eating anything- but if it's one of my heavy intense days, after my shower I feel like if I don't eat..I'll get sick. So I know it's not that healthy but I'll get up have a coffee and a poptart around 5:30 am and start my workout at 6:30a.....that seems to be a bit better- something about having fruit in the early morning just dosen't cut it- I need the coffee and something sweet. anyway my husband was in the marines and he said after they worked out they waited about a half hour before they got showers- but they ate right after a workout.....he said it defeats the purpose if you shower right away and that makes you tired- anyone ever hear this???
 
I workout on an empty-stomach as well, but drink a big glass of water beforehand. Then I wait an hour before eating breakfast. It seems to work.
 
I wish I could work out in the mornings on an empty stomach or otherwise. I am uncoordinated, have much less strength in the AM relative to PM and feel ill for the rest of the day if I do an intense AM workout. Cathy
 
I know there is plenty of good info for both sides of this, but just from personal experience, I've tried to workout on an empty stomach, and it's just not happening for me!! :)

Carol
 
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