Saturday, November 2, 2013

To Workout or to Not Workout on an Empty Stomach?


Happy Saturday morning, peeps! I have a question that rolled into my inbox this morning asking whether I worked out on an empty stomach or after a meal-and which one was actually better for you. To start off, with, I must say that both have their pros and cons-I prefer working out on an EMPTY stomach. I will explain why here in a little bit.

When you exercise, the energy that you use to burn the calories primarily comes from carbs. This is why most bodybuilders, fitness models, and gym enthusiasts use a pre-workout supplement to get them going-to give them ENERGY.

If you do not eat anything prior to a workout, your body has to tap into your deep fat stores for energy instead, since there are no carbs available to use. It is thought to metabolize fat a lot faster and more effectively. 

One of the cons about working out on an empty tummy is feeling sluggish. You may or may not have as much energy to do strenuous workouts as you would if you were to eat a quick snack.

Since becoming pregnant, if I am not working out on an empty stomach, I do have a light snack before hand such as fruit. Then I will have some type of protein after to refuel my muscles. One of the biggest reasons why I choose to workout on an empty stomach is because I get up and workout at the crack of dawn when most people are still sleeping.

Some may argue, however, that working out on an empty stomach is harmful, but exercising with a full stomach is not so great either. After you eat a meal, your insulin levels spike! Thus, interfering with fat burn. The only pro that I can think of from working out on a full tummy would be yes you have more energy at first. However, when a majority of your blood goes to your stomach to digest that food, you get hit with that sluggish feeling again.

Its ultimately your choice!

Here is an article regarding working out on a full stomach on Jillian Michael's website: http://livewell.jillianmichaels.com/exercise-full-stomach-4313.html


No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
>