Exercising Before Breakfast Burns More Fat

Yes, but see items 3 and 4. Also, a recent study suggests that if you want to lose weight this may not be the best strategy because exercising on an empty stomach may encourage overeating after exercising. An hour of weights may burn 400 calories and a large bagel may cost you 350. That’s not all bad because you do have to replace some of that energy lost. Yet a Big Mac with large fries and Coke will put you over the top. You have to watch the post-exercise meal if you want to lose weight.

Exercising on an empty stomach will reduce blood and muscle glucose substantially. Two things will happen: 1) you will burn more fat; and 2) your brain will start sending signals that you need to eat. The brain is the ultimate survival controller. When blood glucose gets down around 70 mg/dL (4 mmol/L), it gives you the ‘hurry up’ because at less than 55 mg/dL (3 mmol/L) you can pass out.

One more thing will happen. If the brain can’t get glucose from food, the hormone cortisol will start to break down muscle for glucose. If you want to lose fat and gain muscle, this is certainly not the way to do it – which is what happens on very low-calorie and starvation diets.

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