Why do cardio on an empty stomach

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Will doing cardio on an empty stomach maximize fat burning? Neal Spruce on behalf of dotFIT. Michael Roizen, MD. Internal Medicine. It will maximize fat burning in your muscles, but not all over your body.

However, if the early morning is the time you have allotted to exercise, and love to exercise, get up a little earlier, make sure you drink two glasses of water, and have a light meal that contains both carbs and protein.

Liquids, like a fresh fruit smoothie with non-fat yogurt, will be less likely to cause cramps during your work out. But any exercise is better than none and I like exercising before breakfast. National Academy of Sports Medicine.

This theory runs counter to human physiology. The premise that this works on is that in the morning with an empty stomach you will have low muscle glycogen energy stores.

As a result, when you do your cardio, the body will have little choice but to use fat for fuel. Eating the right foods before a workout can maximize performance and speed up recovery. The optimal time to have a protein shake is hotly debated. This article explains whether it's best to have a protein shake before or after your…. When it comes to eating foods to fuel your exercise performance, it's not as simple as choosing vegetables over doughnuts.

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See the 10…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Written by Emily Cronkleton on November 5, Does working out on an empty stomach help you lose more weight? Is it safe to work out on an empty stomach? Foods to improve performance. When should you eat? The bottom line. To continue reading this article, you must log in. Already a member? Login ». As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.

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