Should I Work Out Fasted? Why, Guidelines, Risks

“Should I work out fasted?” is a question that is becoming increasingly popular. We will tell you all about it if you don’t know what it is. For starters, you should know that this is not about working out for a long time. It’s also not about short-term goals like losing weight.

So, what is it about? Let’s take a look.

 

What Is a Fasted Workout?

This is a style of exercise where the routine includes 10 to 12 hours of fasting before the workout session.

It is usually done in the morning for obvious reasons. It’s easier to have been fasting for about half a day when most of it goes into sleep. This workout concept aims to avoid as many calories as possible before you start your training session.

It’s also a good idea to have a tall glass of water and multivitamins before you start your session so that you’re not dehydrated or low on energy.

And don’t forget to warm up before you start.

But we’ll get to guidelines for fasted workouts in a moment.

When the body isn’t using its energy to digest food, a  lot of people feel like they have the energy for a fasted workout. Oftentimes, they can do a one-hour session with ease, which is why it is preferred.

Now, it’s also important to know what kind of workouts are a good idea when you haven’t eaten for about 12 hours. And we’ll get to that too in just a minute. But it is critical to find a balance between the calories you are burning and overdoing it to a point where you don’t have the energy to carry out the workout you planned.

Because if you execute this plan poorly, you won’t get the benefits you are looking for. But you will also be doing long-term damage to your body and overall health. Now, let’s look at guidelines and recommended workouts to help your endeavor.

 

Guidelines for Beginners

Those who generally have decent health can try fasted cardio workouts as a personal choice. Start small and increase the intensity in steps. And before you try anything, make sure you are hydrated.

You want to start with exercises that are considered low to moderate in terms of intensity. That means you should try walking, biking, or running for about 10 minutes.

If you’re feeling okay, you can increase it to 30 minutes over time.

After this workout session, you should make yourself a meal with all the essential vitamins and minerals. In other words, it should be a balanced diet. Or you could have a protein- and carb-fueled snack.

You don’t want to go for high-intensity exercises when you’re doing a fasted workout. That means anything that gets your heart racing is not a good idea. You should also avoid exercise sessions that last for over an hour.

You want to spread this low-intensity routine throughout the week and get a few rest days. The idea behind fasted workouts is that you want to improve your long-term performance.

It does not get you to achieve immediate goals. Nor does it give you quick results.

So, you won’t feel great about your workout sessions right away. That’s also because your body does not have a source of energy before it starts working out. These sessions have to be shorter, and that’s what makes them efficient.

If your insulin levels are dropping, your body will start using the stored fat as a fuel source. So, doing short-term cardio exercises that burn fat is a good choice. When you do them on an empty stomach, your hunger won’t be affected even later in the day.

Now, studies have suggested that you cannot try exercises that help you build muscle mass because those exercises tap into the glycogen in your body instead of fat for fuel. So, even shorter workouts will drain you.

These workouts are also not a good idea if you are experiencing stress because that will further the hormonal imbalance in your body. But it is always important to remember that there isn’t much scientific evidence backing these recommendations.

You must understand your body and workout intuitively based on your goals and how your body is coping with these new techniques.

 

Should I Work out Fasted?

Yes, you should try this if you can because this practice has some advantages.

The idea is that you do this workout in the morning when your body doesn’t have a lot of glycogen. So, it will tap into the stored fat and burn it, right? Now, here’s how you can make that work efficiently.

If you don’t have a lot of time, fasted cardio exercises will save you the time of making a meal, eating, and digesting it before your workout session.

If you’re doing intermittent fasting, this type of workout will give you a chance to work out before you’ve had your first meal of the day.

If you like working out on an empty stomach or have a sensitive digestive system, you will feel more energetic before you’ve eaten.

 

Are There Any Risks?

• You won’t have enough carbs in your body to give you energy. So, your body starts converting the protein to fuel to support your workout. That stops you from building muscles because you don’t have enough protein to build muscle.
• You also want to stick to low-intensity workouts rather than high ones because your body will then tap into fatty acids instead of burning carbs.
• If you are doing moderate-intensity workouts or HIITs, you should know that you won’t be able to do it all that well on an empty stomach. It might even cause dehydration and a drop in blood sugar levels.

Is This for Everyone?

If you’re looking at it from a health point of view, this might not be for everyone.

Those who are pregnant should definitely not take this kind of risk. Also, individuals with any underlying health conditions should check with their doctor before starving themselves for about 12 hours and working out.

Those who have problems like hypoglycemia or conditions that affect their metabolism should not mess around with their routine and diet requirements. This diet depends on manipulating the source of fuel for your body.

So, be sure to check with a physician before you take the chance.

This is an intense process for the body, and it takes time to adjust to it. So, you must not throw yourself into the deep end right away. If you don’t have health problems, the key to making this work for you is to take it step-by-step.

There will be some challenges in the beginning. You will especially feel like you have a lot of energy and not enough. Listen to what your body is saying. Challenge it but to a rational extent. And make sure that your end goal is to get healthier and stronger.

 

In Conclusion

“Should I work out fasted?” is a perfectly valid question. It is particularly so for those who don’t care much about building muscle mass and want to burn fat.

Talk to your doctor if you have to and take it easy in the beginning. Do it right, and you may just get what you’re looking for.