If you've been in weight loss game for quite a while now, you may have been told that working out on an empty stomach will help you burn more fat. Well, here's some advice: this is totally untrue!
The truth of the matter is, you should always try and eat something before working out. The reason isn't complex -- it's just so your body has enough fuel to burn through your exercise routine.
The rationale behind this widely accepted myth is that forgoing food before exercise will force your body to burn more fat during your workout. This is nothing but a myth. In fact, training fasted can actually do more harm than good.
When exercising, your body will definitely need a certain amount of sugar for fuel. Without blood sugar, your body will have no choice but use your own muscle tissue and convert it into energy.
A study published in the Strength and Conditioning Journal looked at cyclists who ate before they trained versus those who fasted before they trained. Though the amount of burned fat was equal for both groups, those who trained without eating first had 10 percent of their calorie burn come from protein, including their own muscle mass. So if you have been skipping meals before working out, you've been actually eating away your muscles instead of maintaining them.
And for your body to perform at a high intensity, it will need a lot of energy. And these days it's all about intensity training. Now how will you manage to do that without providing fuel to burn? That is like trying to use your smartphone with a drained battery, or driving a car without gas.
Without food, your body won't have the strength, stamina, and speed to burn those calories and accelerate results because you're running out of sugar, which can make you sluggish and feel dizzy.
This is not to say that you have to eat a whole lot; a healthy snack is enough. Munch on something for like 45 minutes before working out. Look for protein and carbo, too. You can go for whole-grain toast, some banana slices; perhaps some yogurt with berries, and walnuts to go with it. Or if you're in a hurry, a protein shake will do.
Ultimately though, for weight loss, the timing isn't worth stressing over - it comes down to personal preference, and, most importantly, making sure your calories are in check.
