Running in the morning on an empty stomach, yes or no? For some runners it’s normal, for others it’s out of the question. In today’s post, the Runtastic experts explain the pros and cons by debunking the 3 most common myths.
1. Running on an empty stomach causes muscle loss
The common opinion is this but there’s nothing to worry about: the muscles won’t disappear at any moment. In fact, it is thought that by not eating, the body lacks the carbohydrates and glucose (sugars) necessary for physical activity and that the body is forced to draw energy from muscle proteinthus determining a decrease in muscle mass. This is not entirely true: the body, in fact, accumulates glucose in the form of glycogen in the liver and muscles. During the night, the insulin level (which helps cells absorb sugar and prevents muscle wasting) and liver glycogen level decrease, but the body still has muscle glycogen stores. So when you make a morning runyour body initially draws its energies from here.
> Read also: How to avoid overeating after training
During a morning run, the body draws energy from the glycogen store and not from the muscles
By prolonging your training, the stores of glycogen and carbohydrates present in your muscles will decrease and your body will be forced to look for another source of energy by resorting to fatty acids. By also increasing the intensity as well as the duration, your body, in order to replenish its stores of glycogen and fat, will attack the protein (amino acids) and only then do you risk losing muscle mass. But many runners will have already stopped training by this point. If then it is a severe glycogen deficiencyyou will experience symptoms such as dizziness, weakness and tiredness.
Only with prolonged training, your body will draw on protein (amino acids) and thus muscle mass.
2. Exercising on an empty stomach makes you lose weight
Training on an empty stomach is often mistakenly believed to be the best way to burn fat and lose weight. While it is true that the body is forced to draw energy from fatty acids at some point, running on an empty stomach is not the deciding factor in weight loss.
The percentage of energy produced by burning fat is quite high, but the total energy expenditure (TEE), and therefore the consumption of calories, are low if it is a low-intensity workout. In case of high intensity runs such as Interval Training, the percentage of energy produced by burning fat is much higher. At the end of the day, what counts for losing weight is energy balance: if you burn more calories than you take in, you’ll lose weight. This is why it is preferable to do high-intensity running sessions instead of running on an empty stomach if the goal is to lose weight.
> Read also: The right way to breathe while running
By training on an empty stomach, the percentage of energy produced by burning fat is quite high, but the calorie consumption is low, if it is a low intensity workout.
3. Exercising on an empty stomach increases endurance
Workouts on an empty stomach are not ideal for “amateur” athletes who want to improve their performance. Intensity and duration are limited by glycogen deficiency and the training load tolerated is quite low. A high quality workout that lasts longer and at a high level of intensity will be more suitable for improve performance.
Workouts on an empty stomach are not ideal for “amateur” athletes who want to improve their performance, as intensity and duration are limited by glycogen deficiency and the training load tolerated is quite low.
Scientific studies done on professional athletes have demonstrated the positive effects of training performed with low glycogen stores. In fact, the body learns to economize and optimize fat metabolism to resist longer with the glycogen stocks present. However, there is no evidence that this leads to better performance, and if you train regularly with low glycogen stores, your overall health will suffer in the long run.
> Read also: Is it better to do strength exercises or cardio first?
While there are more effective ways to lose weight or build stamina, running on an empty stomach can bring some variety to your workouts and is especially great for those looking to train before training. breakfast.
Some tips for training in the morning on an empty stomach
- Run between 40 and 60 minutes, depending on your level of preparation.
- Opt for a low-intensity run at a recovery or conversational pace.
- Drink a glass of water before you start running.
Furthermore: for breakfast after training, take advantage of the so-called anabolic window in the 30 minutes after training. During this time your body is absorbing nutrients faster than usual, fully replenishing its reserves.
Autore: Herwig Natmessnig – Runtastic
Photo by Florian Schmetz / Grace Weltch
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