Hunger during exercise
The controversy surrounding training on an empty stomach has been raging in the sports community for years. Enough of both adherents and opponents. In the morning, glycogen stores in the body are depleted, so during training, the body has to spend its own, from the fat layer. This is what supporters of “hungry” sessions appeal to fat burns faster.
Fasting training: good or bad?
First, you need to decide what kind of training we are talking about. If about power, then there are much more minuses. Not having received a supply of energy, the body will be forced to receive it from the muscles,, which prevents their growth. The cycle of strength training on an empty stomach is only suitable for girls who, due to inexperience, have pumped, for example, quadriceps. Guys usually don’t care. Everyone else should eat complex carbohydrates an hour and a half before class.
Cardio sessions on an empty stomach are another story. There is no convincing scientific evidence that they help burn more calories. If we compare training on an empty stomach and an hour after eating, then the daily calorie consumption will be approximately the same. In the first case, more fatty acids are broken down, but they do not have time to be oxidized in full, and a part is again converted into adipose tissue. At the same time, carbohydrate intake before cardio increases post-workout calorie expenditure.
It is impossible to ignore the observations of the famous specialist in sports physiology, Jim Stoppani. He believes that for athletes with a low percentage of fat, “hungry” training helps burn those layers of subcutaneous fat that go last: on the abdomen and lower back in men, on the hips and buttocks in women. This does not apply to fitness beginners.
Features of “hungry” workouts
Sessions should be periodic, no longer than three months. At the same time, we must not forget that this type of training is suitable only for experienced athletes (with at least two years of experience) and with an absolutely healthy heart. It is advisable to do a cardiogram every couple of weeks.
If your goal is to drive fat from problem areas without affecting the muscles, then take a BCAA protein complex before training. After that, do not forget to close the anabolic window – a snack at half the calories expended at the rate of 60% protein and 40% carbohydrates.
So, although there is no unequivocal information about the fat-burning effect of fasting exercises, everyone chooses whether to include them in the training plan. Moreover, such sessions undoubtedly help to speed up the metabolism and increase the endurance of the body.
If hunger is stopping you from exercising, stock up on an energy bar or shake. But first, drink some water, thirst is easily mistaken for hunger.