Working Out Hungry
So, you are all ready to get off the holiday pounds by cleaning out your closets, but what about real exercise?
A recent study published by the Journal of Physiology found something intriguing…
Researcher in Belgium recruited 28 healthy men and split them into 3 groups. For 6 weeks, each group was fed the same incredibly unhealthy food: 50% from fat and 30% more calories, overall, than the men had been eating. Each group, however, varied their exercise.
Group one didn’t exercise at all.
Group two exercised in the morning, after a big breakfast, and drank a sports drink during the workout.
Group three exercised in the morning, on an empty stomach, and only drank wanter during the workouts. They still ended up consuming the same fat/calorie ratio but just ate the meals after their workout.
The two exercising groups did the exact length, intensity, and number of workouts a week.
What do you guess happened?
I’m sure it is no surprise that the non exercising group gained the most weight and showed signs of insulin resistance. Group two, who ate their breakfast before exercising, gained half as many pounds as the first group, but also showed signs of insulin resistance.
Group three, however, gained no weight, showed no signs of insulin resistance, and burned the fat they were consuming more efficiently.
AND ALL THE GROUP CONSUMED THE SAME AMOUNT OF CALORIES!!!!
So, I guess my last post where I wrote it’s all about “calories in and calories out” isn’t entirely accurate!
I usually have a light breakfast before working out, but I think this week I’m going to exercise on a fasting stomach. I may pass out, but at least I’ll be burning fat…
You know what? I was debating whether to get up early tomorrow to work out. You just tipped the scales for me. My fat ass thanks you!
Ha! Did you do it???
I did!
Nice work. I tried not eating before I worked out for about 4 days straight. I didn’t feel bad at all!
I’ve been working out on an empty stomach early in the morning. This has been my habit for over a year. It absolutely makes a difference! Also, I wait 30-45 mins after the workout is complete before I eat or drink anything with calories. Water is fine. Studies show that your biggest fat burn comes in the hour after your workout, during cool down. Your body actually uses stored FAT to help cool down! This works like a charm!
Well, damn it, I shoved food in my face 15 minutes after I finished! There goes the cool down fat burn….
I usually grab something light prior to my morning workouts. Gonna try this instead…
I did it this morning, and no passing out!!! I actually didn’t even notice a difference.
interesting, though Evolutionarily it might seem disadvantageous… I’ll have to think about it harder… =)
Well, when you think about it, our ancestors had much longer periods of fasting, which is advantageous for us!
I actually found an article today that cited a study that highlights the benefits of eating protein before your workout:
“University of Syracuse researchers found that when you down protein before and after weight training, you blunt the effects of cortisol, the stress hormone that tells your body to store fat. As a result, you burn more fat, not only during your workout, but for an additional 24 hours afterward. (Study participants ate a combo of 22 grams of protein and 35 grams of carbs—about what you’d get from a glass of milk and a turkey sandwich.)”
http://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/mens-health-diet
It just goes to show that there are enough studies and information out there to prove any side of an argument! In the end, you just have to do what work for your body so that you can stick to it!!!
I’ve been doing the P90 and now the P90X workouts and found that I need a recovery drink afterward or I feel spent for hours. After some research, I found that a great economical recovery drink is chocolate milk. It’s a great source of protein with a little sugar. I recover a lot faster after drinking chocolate milk after a hard workout. My only problem is that I can’t find a chocolate syrup without high-fructose corn syrup in it.