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Exercising on an Empty Stomach

FITNESS
11th September, 2023

Should You Exercise On an Empty Stomach?

Who doesn't desire to appear slim and attractive? Everyone does. And to achieve their desires, while many opt for a healthy meal plan, it can't be completed without exercising. It is crucial to have a good idea about what workout you are opting for and how to perform them.

Generally, people tend to workout on an empty stomach. But how much beneficial is that? Is it even the correct way to begin your training? The pros and cons of exercising on an empty stomach are as follows:

Pros of Empty Stomach Workout

To begin with, working out on an empty stomach is generally said to be the fastest cardio. The logic behind this is that the body doesn't carry calories or fuel from any pre-workout snack or meal.

This is because there is no glycogen and fat that the body can force to increase energy. The body, in this case, uses the already stored energy. That eventually leads to increased fat loss.

Cons of Empty Stomach Workout

Even if one burns more on an empty stomach, it is ideal to consume something before working out. There are two significant disadvantages of exercising without breaking your fast.

One huge drawback of working out on an empty tummy is that you can lose muscle. Generally, the basic idea of weight loss or staying fit is growing muscle mass. This muscle mass helps to tone and tighten your body along with burning excess fat. But working out on an empty stomach makes your skin loose and saggy. It even slows down the fat loss journey leaving you wondering why you are not losing weight despite exercising.

As per doctors, the human body has reserves. If one questions, “Why am I not losing weight?” that means the stocks are not functioning accordingly. To make it work properly, one must put some fuel in it.

Furthermore, as it begins investing the stored energy, your body begins to feel fatigued. That might even impact your entire day as you get tired easily. Some people even find it hard to exercise with full stamina and strength. There are times when people often face gastric issues and lower blood sugar levels. It further leads to dizziness and a nauseous feeling.

What to Add to Your Pre-workout Meal?

It is always better to start your day with a full glass of water because you don't want your body to get dehydrated. But that shouldn't be your only consumption before a workout. It is better to swap to a low-calorie, low-carb, and lightweight meal before you hop into exercising. Here are some of the pre-workout options that you can go with:

Oats

If you are on the journey of getting fit, oats can be your best friend. Just like whole grains, oats give you tons of energy that releases gradually.

You can go with whole or steel-cut oats as your pre-workout meal. You can even add mashed banana and raisins with drops of honey to make it into a healthy snack.

Protein Shakes

Protein is a multi-beneficiary nutrient that works like magic in your body. While people lack protein mostly in their diet, there are other ways to consume them. You can use protein powders to prepare protein shakes by mixing them in water or milk.

It is one of the best go-to pre-workout meals you can have. Consumption of protein also increases your performance along with muscle protein synthesis.

Smoothies

One healthy trend going around is nutritious smoothies. The best thing about smoothies is, you can blend your carbs, protein, and fats and consume it. You can prepare a fresh smoothie with green leafy vegetables, unsweetened yogurt or coconut oil, fat-free milk, etc.

Remember to avoid excess refined sugar. Instead, you can drizzle some honey or natural maple syrup if you want. Proper nutrition helps develop your bone health, which is good for you if you practice weight-lifting.

Bananas

If you lack time in the morning, don't worry, as you can simply go with some raw fruits. And the best one is bananas. Bananas contain double the amount of carbs compared to fruits like apples and oranges.

This substantial snack fuels up your body for a prolonged workout. You can even mix that up with little fat-free milk. You can even add peanut butter with half of the banana to stabilize your blood sugar levels.

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Fresh Fruit and Yogurt

You can opt for this if you have a hectic schedule and very little time before your workout. Pick up any fruit and unsweetened yogurts to kick-start your exercise.

This combination is an amazing source of nutrients, carbohydrates, and some fluids. It energizes your body and helps you to perform with better stamina and strength.

Whole Grains

Whole grains are generally complex carbs loaded with energy. The carbohydrates release slowly into your bloodstream. This even helps to maintain your blood sugar levels and is recommended for diabetic patients.

It is the best go-to meal plan if your workout schedule is longer than 40 minutes. It can include quinoa, millet bread, whole-bread toast, etc. Make sure you don't confuse complex carbs and simple carbs when it comes to carbs intake. It is always better to go with complex carbs for better results.

Boiled Eggs

Protein is an essential element that one needs to maintain strength. Eggs are one such protein-rich item that you can regularly have before and after a workout.

Many even hesitate to consume the yolk as it is said they contain a lot of carbohydrates. But experts say yolk holds a massive amount of nutrition. Hence, having boiled eggs as your pre-workout meal is highly recommended since it can be a part of a wholesome meal plan . You can sum it up with a whole-wheat bread slice to increase your energy levels.

Caffeine

Apart from meals, morning drinks can also be your buddy before any activity. One such meal plan beverage is coffee. Strong coffee that contains a decent amount of caffeine gives a fantastic boost before your workout.

For those engaged in regular sessions can opt for a strong black coffee for better stamina. However, make sure to add some toast, nuts, or fruits to eliminate the jitteriness of caffeine, and don't get addicted to it.

Conclusion

The concluding observation stands as you need to have something in your stomach before your workout. Performing any form of physical activity on an empty stomach can impact your performance. You can even end up feeling nauseous, dizzy, and tired throughout the day.

For a better start to your day or workout, you can go with any of the healthy meals mentioned above. It will not only keep you energized the entire day but improve the quality of your exercise.

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