For those who are wondering whether they should exercise before or after they eat breakfast, health and fitness experts have already spoken. Those who work out before breakfast can lose up to 20% more of their body fat as opposed to those who eat first then exercise.
A research conducted by a team from the University of Northumbria had 12 male participants join their study where they were given a series of exercises to do for the day. Some exercised without eating anything while the rest worked out after eating. Afterwards, all participants were given a chocolate milkshake to boost their recovery period. During lunch, the participants were asked to eat pasta until they are comfortably full. The team studied each one of them and discovered that those who worked out before breakfast didn’t gain additional fat because they weren’t as hungry as those who worked out after eating.
What’s more, the team discovered that those who exercised before breakfast actually burned 20% more of their fat which means that for those who want to achieve weight loss, exercising prior to breakfast is the best course to take.
This is surprising given that many claim that they perform better when they have something to eat before exercising.
According to the researchers, for those who want to shed body fat, they need to use more of the fats that they have compared to what they consume. Exercising after an overnight fast means that you will be using up extra fats to provide fuel for your workout which is important as it helps your body burn those stubborn fats you want to get rid of.
The results of the research showed that exercising on an empty stomach doesn’t really increase your hunger, appetite, or even the amount of food that you eat within the day because you feel that your body needs to refuel. If you want to get the most out of your workout session, it is always better that you do your fitness program after an overnight fasting.
The research conducted by the team from University of Northumbria is actually important in developing practical guidelines pertaining to food consumption by individuals who are working out to get the best fat loss results.
The team, however, said that their research study was simply short-term and that they only have speculations as of yet to the long-term effects of working out on an empty stomach.
So what should be good for your post-workout breakfast? Although there is no set rule as to what you should eat after you exercise it is always better to have protein in it to give you the energy you need for the day. If you can, add food that is high in fiber too to keep your hunger at bay.
Doing an overnight fast for your workout the following day can provide some amazing results. Of course, this means that you will have to wake up earlier than usual so you can squeeze in 30 minute to an hour long exercise before you eat your first meal of the day.
