Here’s a question – Ever wonder whether you should eat before you exercise or not?
If you are trying to lose weight, research from the University of Bath in the U.K. suggests the answer might be not. When weight loss is the main fitness goal, decreasing the amount of adipose (fat) tissue with regular exercise and a good diet has been shown to be the best way to a healthy body composition.
Researchers of this study found that a group of overweight men who did not eat before exercising had an increased expression of two genes in adipose tissue, whereas the men who did eat before exercise had a decreased expression of the same two genes. These genes were increased in the men who fasted because the adipose tissue was better utilized during exercise in a fasted state, meaning they were burning fat instead of carbs.
So should you eat or not before exercise?
The research shows that when you have not eaten, your body is more likely to use stored fat tissue as its energy source for exercise, as opposed to normally utilizing stored carbohydrates as its fuel. For those people who are overweight or trying to lose a few more pounds this is great news! You can try incorporating exercise into your morning routine before having that well-rounded breakfast.
While fasted exercise may be a great technique for people trying to lose those last few inches around their waist, I do not recommend this if you feel shaky or lightheaded while exercising. In this case, your blood sugar could be low, so having a small amount of carbohydrates before exercise should be fine to give you that extra boost.
Try exercising before you eat to get the most out of your weight loss plan and to stay Happily Ever Healthy!
If you would like to read the whole article on Science Daily, please follow the link below:
American Physiological Society (APS). “To eat or not to eat (before exercising): That is the question.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 April 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170406152651.htm>.