# Is cardio on a empty stomach really that much better???



## London1976 (Oct 16, 2009)

Is cardio first thing in the morning on a empty stomach REALLY that much better ?? Will i notice a difference quicker ?


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## crazycal1 (Sep 21, 2005)

ahh but better than what?

cos if you do cardio after training fat burning is enhanced 300% blah blah...

i say simply being consistent is the more important factor.


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## BMG (Dec 9, 2010)

I think it's "better" just to get the bugger out of the way in the morning. As for fat loss I think as long as you are consistant


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

it is better than not doing it....is it better than late at night or PWO? mmmm not really sure


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## yannyboy (Jun 20, 2009)

I prefer fasted cardio first thing in the morning, although I don't think it makes a huge difference


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## Ghost1466867995 (Jul 27, 2010)

TheCrazyCal said:


> ahh but better than what?
> 
> *cos if you do cardio after training fat burning is enhanced 300% blah blah..*.
> 
> i say simply being consistent is the more important factor.


proven/ studies? ?


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## London1976 (Oct 16, 2009)

Is it better on a empty stomach tho, I always hear it is.


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## crazycal1 (Sep 21, 2005)

Ghost, i got that little nugget from the WABBA instructor when i did my fitness instructors exam


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## Ghost1466867995 (Jul 27, 2010)

TheCrazyCal said:


> Ghost, i got that little nugget from the WABBA instructor when i did my fitness instructors exam


cool cool, ive herd not to go heavy cardio before weight sessions and to try keep them separate?


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## London1976 (Oct 16, 2009)

Yes but is it more better to burn fat on a empty stomach ??????


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## crazycal1 (Sep 21, 2005)

i didnt say heavy cardio ghost..

always low impact low intensity for me..walking essentially...

of course dont forget tabats...10 mins of hell post training.

very intense and proven to work.

but not my cup of chai..


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## Big_Idiot1466867997 (Aug 27, 2010)

By empty stomach, do you mean first thing on a morning?

Suppose its goal dependant.

But personally, waking up...body being all catabolic, then doing cardio.... nah, not for me. Would i be burning muscle rather than fat? Who knows!?!


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## London1976 (Oct 16, 2009)

All I hear is that cardio first thing in the morning on a empty stomach goes straight into fat burning?? Is this true or bull sh I t


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## yannyboy (Jun 20, 2009)

London1976 said:


> All I hear is that cardio first thing in the morning on a empty stomach goes straight into fat burning?? Is this true or bull sh I t


 I don't think its been proven 100% to be more beneficial but top pros like Jay Cutler, Dexter Jackson and Dorian Yates all do or did fasted cardio.


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## London1976 (Oct 16, 2009)

Well that's good enough for me mate, starting from Wednesday im gonna go before work.


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## LeeB (Oct 5, 2011)

its better to do it on an empty stomach... i.e. just before a meal... because..

1 - while doing cardio the body breaks down food in the stomach and uses it as energy... the less in the stomach the more fat it needs to break down to provide an alternative source of energy

2 - as with lifting weights, cardio will also use some energy from within the muscle (i.e. not fat). it will do this regardless of when you do your cardio. eating directly after cardio helps replace this lost energy quicker resulting in less possibility of muscle breakdown!

consistancy is key tho and id rather do it on a full stomach than not do it at all!


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

yannyboy said:


> I don't think its been proven 100% to be more beneficial but top pros like Jay Cutler, Dexter Jackson and Dorian Yates all do or did fasted cardio.


i am not sure if it has been proven in a lab but the proof really is the hundreds of BB who dail into a show using the slow and steady cardio method.

i have seen studies to show HIIT cardio raises the metabolism more after the fact than slow and steady although it does not use more fat calories in the cardio period in fact it uses much less than the slow and steady way, my issue with HIIT cardio when on any calorie restriction is muscle loss.....


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## LeeB (Oct 5, 2011)

PScarb said:


> i have seen studies to show HIIT cardio raises the metabolism more after the fact than slow and steady although it does not use more fat calories in the cardio period in fact it uses much less than the slow and steady way, my issue with HIIT cardio when on any calorie restriction is muscle loss.....


i agree with this paul, i think HIT cardio is probably where the timing should differ... i.e. you need to do this with food inside you ready to burn!


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## London1976 (Oct 16, 2009)

Thanks for the info, I did my first and many more early cardio sess today on a very empty stomach, it was that empty my belly was making noises lol. Wasn't that bad tbh.


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## London1976 (Oct 16, 2009)

When you have done 10mins on a empty stomach you go straight into fat burning, where doing cardio with food in belly takes 30 mins before you start to burn fat. Is this true ???


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## LeeB (Oct 5, 2011)

id question whether its directly into fat burning, i dont think the body is that advanced... 10-20 mins i think it is...

in terms of when you have food in your stomach... it depends on what the food is and how quickly it digests and how long ago you ate it


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## johnnymomo (Jan 15, 2012)

It's worse, as you are burning muscle as well as fat, for fat loss look at calories under your amount needed each day, stick to approx 500 deficit... have a light meal and then run


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## Phenix (May 12, 2012)

I hope you never buy a football strip and put ur name on it bud lol


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## Christo23 (May 12, 2012)

Lol that's just his firt name mate


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## Phenix (May 12, 2012)

johnnymomoJohnmolden said:


> It's worse, as you are burning muscle as well as fat, for fat loss look at calories under your amount needed each day, stick to approx 500 deficit... have a light meal and then run


you know they say by running on a empty stomach, it can make you fatter by slow down your metabolism,


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## freddee (Mar 2, 2009)

I am open to when I do cardio, but I like to do some after training, the afterburn will burn calories for 24 hours after your cardio, after training I always have a pwo shake and keep my nutrition stable, I walk everywhere anyway, but go for longer walks a couple of times a week..


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## Phenix (May 12, 2012)

Do you think afterburn is real They say it can last as long as 48 hrs I am open minded on it The facts are not clear on afterburn


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## freddee (Mar 2, 2009)

All I know is I have dieted down with limited cardio and a tight diet, and dieted down with a loose diet and plenty of cardio, and the tight diet wins over the cardio?!


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## Gaz2405 (Jun 18, 2008)

I think people tend to over think cardio, what time, how long for, what intensity. Just so long as your doing it, if at all it does make any differences, they will be minimal I'm sure.


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## Phenix (May 12, 2012)

It like freddee said If walk ever day I heared Cal tell use this for 6 month and i bet use still jump in ur cars to go to the shops 200 yards away Then use wonder why use need cardio all the time mates


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## Gaz2405 (Jun 18, 2008)

Me personally I don't use cardio to lose fat, I use it to gain endurance, I'm not training for size or for looks, I train because I want to perform better at my chosen sports. It juts so happens that size/aesthetics/conditioning are a nice side effect.

I know a lot of people on here will do low impact cardio, but my cardio session tend to be high intensity, where I'm ready to through my lungs up at the end.

But is one or the other better for fat burning? who know's...


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## EXTREME (Aug 5, 2005)

People keep saying about cardio on an empty stomach being best for burning fat, I understand the reasoning but disagree. I believe in "energy in vs. energy out".

That is if you eat 3000kcals daily and burn 400 from cardio it leaves 2600 for the body, no matter what time of day you do the cardio.

I know some will say but on an empty stomach you've no carbs in you so you must burn fat, first you must burn muscle stored glycogen then you start to burn fat. Exact same as it is at any other time of the day.


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## doggy (Mar 26, 2011)

the first 20 minutes of any exercise, regardless of intensity is using glycogen.

so if you want to burn fat you need to do a lot more than 20 minutes worth.


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## AChappell (Jun 1, 2011)

Extreme is spot on with what he says and I would go so far as saying that cardio on an empty stomach would actually cause you to lose muscle mass compared to a postprandial state.

This has been looked at by researchers and they've show no increase in fat utilisation when you compare fast states to post meal states by respiratory exchange ratio (this is the gold standard method for measuring substrate use). So when you take this into consideration then why would you bother with fasted cardio apart from to simply get it out of the way first thing. Like I mentioned above though I wouldn't bother. Cortisol and other glucocorticoids are elevated during a fasted state so why would you want to confound matters by stressing the body with morning cardio and increasing protein breakdown on top of that?!?! If this is an option your considering at the very least neck some aminos or BCAA's before you hop on the bike.


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## Loz1466868022 (Oct 12, 2011)

found this article

A new article on fasted cardio appearing in the Strength and Conditioning Journal by Brad Schoenfeld, MSc, CSCS

I put the full text below for those who are interested. For those that are lazy to read the whole thing here are the cliffs:

-research has shown no difference in total fat loss between subjects doing fasted cardio and those doing cardio after eating.

-fat burning consists of 1) liberating fatty acids from adipose tissue through lipolysis and then transport of those fatty acids to other tissues like muscle, liver, heart where they are then 2) oxidized for energy. When you eat before cardio you reduce lipolysis but it ends up not making a difference because lipolysis is NOT the rate limiting step of fat loss when it comes to cardio, it is oxidation that is rate limiting so you end up oxidizing the same amount

-you may burn MORE fat over a 24 hour period when you eat beforehand because there is a GREATER thermogenic response to cardio as opposed to eating fasted

-Lemon et al. demonstrated nitrogen losses were DOUBLED when you train fasted. Fantastic for maintaining muscle in a caloric deficit... NOT

-not eating before cardio will reduce training intensity and means you will burn less calories during cardio because you won't have as much energy.

here is the full article

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Does Cardio After an Overnight Fast Maximise Fat Loss?

A common fat burning strategy employed by bodybuilders, athletes, and fitness enthusiasts is to perform cardiovascular exercise early in the morning on an empty stomach. This strategy was popularized by Bill Phillips in his book, ''Body for Life'' (23). According to Phillips, performing 20 minutes of intense aerobic exercise after an overnight fast has greater effects on fat loss than performing an entire hour of cardio in the postprandial state. The rationale for the theory is that low glycogen levels cause your body to shift energy utilization away from carbohydrates, thereby allowing greater mobilization of stored fat for fuel. However, although the prospect of reducing the body fat by training in a fasted state may sound enticing, science does not support its efficacy.

First and foremost, it is shortsighted to look solely at how much fat is burned during an exercise session. The human body is very dynamic and continually adjusts its use of fat for fuel. Substrate utilization is governed by a host of factors (i.e., hormonal secretions, enzyme activity, transcription factors, etc), and these factors can change by the moment (27). Thus, fat burning must be considered over the course of days-not on an hour-to-hour basis-to get a meaningful perspective on its impact on body composition (13). As a general rule, if you burn more carbohydrate during a workout, you inevitably burn more fat in the post- exercise period and vice versa.

It should be noted that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has proven to be a superior method for maximizing fat loss compared with a moderate- intensity steady-state training (10,26,29). Interestingly, studies show that blood flow to adipose tissue diminishes at higher levels of intensity (24). This is believed to entrap free fatty acids within fat cells, impeding their ability to be oxidized while training. Yet, despite lower fat oxidation rates during exercise, fat loss is nevertheless greater over time in those who engage in HIIT versus training in the ''fat burning zone'' (29), providing further evidence that 24-hour energy balance is the most important determinant in reducing body fat.

The concept of performing cardiovascular exercise on an empty stomach to enhance fat loss is flawed even when examining its impact on the amount of fat burned in the exercise session alone. True, multiple studies show that consumption of carbohydrate before low- intensity aerobic exercise (up to approximately 60% V_o2max) in untrained subjects reduces the entry of long-chain fatty acids in the mitochondria, thereby blunting fat oxidation (1,14,18,28). This is attributed to an insulin-mediated attenuation of adipose tissue lipolysis, an increased glycolytic flux, and a decreased expression of genes involved in fatty acid transport and oxidation (3,6,15). However, both training status and aerobic exercise intensity have been shown to mitigate the effects of a pre-exercise meal on fat oxidation (4,5,24). Recent research has shed light on the complexities of the subject.

Horowitz et al. (14) studied the fat burning response of 6 moderately trained individuals in a fed versus fasted state to different training intensities. Subjects cycled for 2 hours at varying intensities on 4 separate occasions. During 2 of the trials, they consumed a high-glycemic carbohydrate meal at 30, 60, and 90 minutes of training, once at a low intensity (25% peak oxygen consumption) and once at a moderate intensity (68% peak oxygen consumption). During the other 2 trials, subjects were kept fasted for 12-14 hours before exercise and for the duration of training. Results in the low-intensity trials showed that although lipolysis was suppressed by 22% in the fed state compared with the fasted state, fat oxidation remained similar between groups until 80-90 minutes of cycling. Only after this point was a greater fat oxidation rate observed in fasted subjects. Conversely, during moderate-intensity cycling, fat oxidation was not different between trials at any time-this is despite a 20-25% reduction in lipolysis and plasma Free fatty acid concentration.

More recently, Febbraio et al. (9) evaluated the effect of pre-exercise and during exercise carbohydrate consumption on fat oxidation. Using a crossover design, 7 endurance- trained subjects cycled for 120 minutes at approximately 63% of peak power output, followed by a ''performance cycle'' where subjects expended 7 kJ/(kg body weight) by pedaling as fast as possible. Trials were conducted on 4 separate occasions, with subjects given (a) a placebo before and during training, ( B) a placebo 30 minutes before training and then a carbohydrate beverage every 15 minutes throughout exercise, © a carbohydrate beverage 30 minutes before training and then a placebo during exercise, or (d) a carbohydrate beverage both before and every 15 minutes during exercise. The study was carried out in a double- blind fashion with trials performed in random order. Consistent with previous research, results showed no evidence of impaired fat oxidation associated with consumption of carbohydrate either before or during exercise.

Taken together, these studies show that during moderate-to-high intensity cardiovascular exercise in a fasted state-and for endurance-trained individuals regardless of training intensity- significantly more fat is broken down than that the body can use for fuel. Free fatty acids that are not oxidized ultimately become re-esterified in adipose tissue, nullifying any lipolytic benefits afforded by pre-exercise fasting.

It should also be noted that consumption of food before training increases the thermic effect of exercise. Lee et al. (19) compared the lipolytic effects of an exercise bout in either a fasted state or after consumption of a glucose/milk (GM) beverage. In a crossover design, 4 experimental conditions were studied: low-intensity long duration exercise with GM, low-intensity long duration exercise without GM, high- intensity short duration exercise with GM, and high-intensity short duration exercise without GM. Subjects were 10 male college students who performed all 4 exercise bouts in random order on the same day. Results showed that ingestion of the GM beverage resulted in a significantly greater excess postexercise oxygen consumption compared with exercise performed in a fasted state in both high- and low- intensity bouts. Other studies have produced similar findings, indicating a clear thermogenic advantage associated with pre-exercise food intake (7,11).

The location of adipose tissue mobilized during training must also be taken into account here. During low-to- moderate intensity training performed at a steady state, the contribution of fat as a fuel source equates to approxi- mately 40-60% of total energy expen- diture (30). However, in untrained subjects, only about 50-70% of this fat is derived from plasma Free fatty acids; the balance comes from intra- muscular triglycerides (IMTG) (30).

IMTG are stored as lipid droplets in the sarcoplasm near the mitochondria (2), with the potential to provide approximately two-thirds the available energy of muscle glycogen (32). Similar to muscle glycogen, IMTG can only be oxidized locally within the muscle. It is estimated that IMTG stores are approximately 3 times greater in type I versus type II muscle fibers (8,21,31), and lipolysis of these stores are max- imally stimulated when exercising at 65%V_o2max(24).

The body increases IMTG stores with consistent endurance training, which results in a greater IMTG utilization for more experienced trainees (12,16,22,31). It is estimated that nonplasma fatty acid utilization during endurance exercise is approximately twice that for trained versus untrained individuals (24,32). Hurley et al. (17) reported that the contribution of IMTG stores in trained individuals equated to approximately 80% of the total body fat utilization during 120 minutes of moderate- intensity endurance training.

The important point here is that IMTG stores have no bearing on health and/or appearance; it is the subcutaneous fat stored in adipose tissue that influences body composition. Consequently, the actual fat burning effects of any fitness strategy intended to increase fat oxida- tion must be taken in the context of the specific adipose deposits providing energy during exercise.

Another factor that must be considered when training in a fasted state is its impact on proteolysis. Lemon and Mullin (20) found that nitrogen losses were more than doubled when training while glycogen depleted compared with glycogen loaded. This resulted in a protein loss estimated at 10.4% of the total caloric cost of exercise after 1hourofcyclingat61%V_o2max.This would suggest that performing cardio- vascular exercise while fasting might not be advisable for those seeking to maximize muscle mass.

Finally, the effect of fasting on energy levels during exercise ultimately has an effect on fat burning. Training early in the morning on an empty stomach makes it very difficult for an individual to train at even a moderate level of intensity. Attempting to engage in a HIIT style routine in a hypoglycemic state almost certainly will impair performance (33). Studies show that a pre-exercise meal allows an individual to train more intensely compared with exercise while fasting (25). The net result is that a greater number of calories are burned both during and after physicalactivity,heightening fat loss.

In conclusion, the literature does not support the efficacy of training early in the morning on an empty stomach as a tactic to reduce body fat. At best, the net effect on fat loss associated with such an approach will be no better than training after meal consumption, and quite possibly, it would produce inferior results. Moreover, given that training with depleted glycogen levels has been shown to increase proteolysis, the strategy has potential detrimental effects for those concerned with muscle strength and hypertrophy.

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## Phenix (May 12, 2012)

Some thing I said about empty stomach

Well I am now over a year into my bodybuilding experience so for inspiration I had a look at other sports. I started at kickboxing and ended up with sumo wrestling. So how does this help? Well, a champion kickboxer skipped breakfast to gain muscle, so I had a look. By skipping breakfast it can drop in metabolism. Although exercising does increase metabolism, exercise on an empty stomach will actually lower your metabolic rate in the long term. So this is why it is so important to take the time and effort to eat a breakfast if you wish to become slimmer. So how does this help me? The kickboxer struggled to put on muscle, and by skipping breakfast his body slowed down and gave him a chance to build muscle, which is also the same for a sumo wrestler. I see a lot of people on here doing cardio on an empty stomach. Are they actually making it harder to lose weight? Then we get to the routine, what is the best? A 2 day? A 3 day? Or a 4 day split? I've asked around to a lot of people on their opinions of this, and the truth is no two people will give you the same answer. The best answer that I received, in my opinion, was from an old powerlifter friend I have. He said: "It's your body, and you have to work out what's best for yourself. By all means listen to people, but just remember the guy you are talking to could be full of steroids, or a completely different body type from yourself. So listen to your own body, this is the best guide. It could be you need more rest, more food, more training. Or again, less of each. The trick is to find the balance which is right for yourself". I stand here now, a 54 year old guy in Glasgow, and I think I look damn good for it. Most of my body fat is gone, and I'm now at a crossroads of my training and I know time is against me. Some people say not to think too much, but it's like being a baby and you want to learn everything you can about bodybuilding. So now looking forward to the next 6 months of hard training. I hope everyone understands how dedicated I am to achieve my goals. Sometimes I come across as a person who does not take this serious. I'm no better than anyone on here, and no one on here is any better than me. I look forward to all the help I can get from everyone on this site and I'll do everything I can to help anyone I can. The point I'm making is that we are all different, with different aims, some of us want to get bigger, some of us want to compete in bodybuilding shows, some of us just want to look good on the beach, and I just want to prove everybody wrong who said I was too old to build muscle at my age. Please feel free to comment on any of the above. Thank you.


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## Loz1466868022 (Oct 12, 2011)

the body does adapt meeks without a shadow of a doubt, i always feed or top up before any cardio because i dont want to go catabolic if i can put measures in place, this article just enforces what i already beleive i like the points that a meal beforehand can make the body more thermogenic, the intra musclular triglycerides IMTG has a valid point too the body increases its capacity to store these with regular training, theres some good point to be had there for discussion , but overall mate bang on your never too old for anytihng


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## Phenix (May 12, 2012)

I dont eat before 9 now protain shake soon as i get out of bed at 5.30 then as i say nothing till 9


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## AChappell (Jun 1, 2011)

Good post Lozza, it looks well researched, I've only read the points you picked out I'll need to go through it in more detail later it seems to back up what I've been saying, albeit that article is *far* more comprehensive, your man clearly knows a lot about the subject.


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## Tom84 (Dec 12, 2005)

Ok so my 2 cents to play devils advocate as it were 

I don't think there is any debate on proteolysis/protein catabolism when training in a fasted state. Low blood sugar stimulates the HPA axis, causes elevated cortisol -> Cortisol & glucocorticoids causes muscle protein breakdown in order to use amino acids from extrahepatic tissues as substrates for gluconeogenesis.

'This has been looked at by researchers and they've show no increase in fat utilisation when you compare fast states to post meal states by respiratory exchange ratio (this is the gold standard method for measuring substrate use).' - This is really interesting Andy but I can't fathom theoretically why that's the case. I'll definitely look into the material you suggested. Depends on the definition of post meal perhaps, but your preprandial blood glucose levels will be lower than your postprandial - for at least two hours post. Won't our muscle stored glycogen be higher at this point, meaning its likely more glycogen will be used as fuel as opposed to tryglycerides (IMGT or sub q)? <---- I think this is the crux of what I'm not understanding well, would really appreciate if you elaborate on that a bit.

Other considerations

- Aren't Type 1 fibers better at utilising tryglycerides as fuel than Type II A and certainly Type II B fibers?

- As exercise intensity increases I understood the contribution from plasma FFA decreases, + contribution from IMGT increases. Exactly as Lozza's article points out, IMTG utilisation is not what we are aiming for as its fat stored in apidose tissue we want to use as fuel, as this is what alters our body comp. I actually posted an article in my journal tangentially related to this yesterday.

I suppose in summation

I agree that morning cardio is not optimal for retaining lbm, but I'm not clear on how cardio in a glycogen depleted state isn't more efficient in using fat stored sub-q as fuel.

Following on from that logic SSCV is less stressful, ergo less catabolic - so wouldn't SSCV in a glycogen depleted state be more optimal for retaining muscle mass.

Brilliant thread though - and thanks for the replies Andy. I'm of course jesting in saying I disagree, more trying to understand in all honesty.


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## ElleMac (Sep 20, 2011)

OOOFF

I always did my cardio during prep on an empty stomach (well the first part, anyway). Can I be joyous in the knowledge that during my next prep I don't need to slug out cardio while hungry?


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## Tom84 (Dec 12, 2005)

AChappell said:


> Good post Lozza, it looks well researched, I've only read the points you picked out I'll need to go through it in more detail later it seems to back up what I've been saying, albeit that article is *far* more comprehensive, your man clearly knows a lot about the subject.


Yes that article cleared up quite a few things for me. Again great thread.


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## Phenix (May 12, 2012)

Young Gun said:


> Ok so my 2 cents to play devils advocate as it were
> 
> I don't think there is any debate on proteolysis/protein catabolism when training in a fasted state. Low blood sugar stimulates the HPA axis, causes elevated cortisol -> Cortisol & glucocorticoids causes muscle protein breakdown in order to use amino acids from extrahepatic tissues as substrates for gluconeogenesis.
> 
> ...


Well that is as clear as a bell now for me pmsl


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## Tom84 (Dec 12, 2005)

lozza said:


> found this article
> 
> A new article on fasted cardio appearing in the Strength and Conditioning Journal by Brad Schoenfeld, MSc, CSCS
> 
> ...


Great summary mate. I think that's probably a good protocol when posting any article. I'll try to implement that idea myself. If nothing else it at least lets people know the topic so whether they'd be interested


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## Loz1466868022 (Oct 12, 2011)

It helped me understand some the jargon you lot are using, always trying to learn mate I really am interested in this topic though as I run a fair bit

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## AChappell (Jun 1, 2011)

The research I suggested is probably the same as the ones mentioned by the article regarding fasted vs post postprandial cardio and fat utilisation. I think you have to look at the methods for the explanation Young Gun. The research I've read suggested an increase in glucose utilisation if you ingest glucose prior to exercise, however these studies show the opposite. I doubt a pure glucose meal was consumed prior to exercise in most of these studies. You also have to consider the length of exercise and the intensity of the exercise. The trials have been conducted in the "fat burning zone" for a long duration up to 120 minutes, you'd expect B-oxidation to be the main metabolic pathway at this point. Studies I've read on substrate utilisation and pre exercise supplementation have not been performed for as long as this, so it might just be a difference in methods.

Type one are better at using TAG than type 2.

The second point is also true, so how do we focus solely on adipocites rather that IMTG is the obvious question, and what I don't know the answer to. I'd expect though that this is not a mutually exclusive relationship and that TAG from adipocites will still be turning over.

I would always argue that exercise should be specific to the sport or your goal. SSCV cardio priorities smaller type 1 cross fibres at the expense of the larger type 2a or 2b fibres. This is in contrast to HIIT exercise which focuses on the larger muscle fibres. I'd actually class that as catabolic, almost 2 steps forward weight training and one step back doing cardio. You'll likely burn more calories over the course of the day as a result of HIT compared to SSCV. If you've never tried it you should think about incorporating it into a routine sometime.


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## gingernut (Dec 11, 2006)

I find cardio first thing, fasted helps me deal with hunger - exercise for me gets rid of hunger as well as fill up time to the next meal. I don't mind fasted cardio at all and often it's the best time for me to fit it into my day anyway.


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## AChappell (Jun 1, 2011)

Exercise suppresses your appetite, lanchasire. Try increasing your fibre content to curb any hunger pangs.


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## AChappell (Jun 1, 2011)

I looked into the factors dictating the use of intramuscular TAG as a energy substrate and apparently it's poorly understood, largely down to issues to do with sampling. So like I said above your guess is as good as mine. Like I suspected also their is still a large of energy from adipose tissue during SSCV so I wouldn't be overly concerned about this. A factor I forgot about the other day when discussing this and have since been reminded of on further reading is that muscles lack glucose-6-phospohate which is possibly one of the rate limiting step for glucose utilisation in muscle tissue. I.e the working muscle can not transport glucose to other tissues to be used as a fuel. Lactate could be converted via gluconeogenesis in the liver but since SSCV is aerobic it's unlikely to be the case and possibly one of the reasons why you see a switch to B-oxidation at the expense of glycolylsis combined with the reduction in plasma insulin concentrations. The sympathetic nervous system also plays a role in this switch, this is likely to preserve glucose for the brain.

No further on though Young gun on why Glucose would not be the preferred source of fuel, so again I'd have to conclude a difference in methods is likely to be the case.


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## pixiesillycat (Jul 5, 2012)

i was just about to post asking about this whether it is better to fuel first then work it or refuel afterwards!! i find it more difficult to do cardio with a big calorific deficit so it pleases me to know its ok to eat first and then go?!


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## Tom84 (Dec 12, 2005)

The summary of this thread was pretty much that yes


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