If you have wondered whether it's best to exercise in a fasted state, before eating breakfast, or to eat breakfast and then have your workout session, I will weigh in here.
For years we have been told breakfast is the most important meal of the day and you must eat a good, nutritious breakfast in order to have the best exercise session. But is that really true? Here are a few benefits of exercising in a fasted state which just means, before you eat your breakfast or whatever your first meal of the day ends up being if you intermittently fast, as I do.
Fasted exercise improves levels of glucose and insulin, lowering risk of insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes;
As I explain in Today is Still the Day, exercising in a fasted state is particularly effective for fat loss as it lowers both total body weight and body fat percentage. Exercising after eating only reduces body weight;
It curbs food intake for the remainder of the day, resulting in an overall energy deficit of about 400 calories;
It may boost growth hormone and production of testosterone, which prevents depression and optimizes tissue regeneration;
People who skipped breakfast and worked out on an empty stomach had better working memory in the mid-afternoon and reported less mental fatigue and tension later in the day than those who ate cereal before exercising.
It helps prevent depression.
Exercise and fasting together cause oxidative stress, which helps counteract muscle aging.
SHARE THIS
Share
Pin
