- Joined
- Nov 27, 2007
- Messages
- 807
Ive always wondered which in fact is the best method for fat loss...cardio on an empty stomach, or cardio after a light meal. Most would say that cardio on an empty stomach works best, and they would give you an explanation of why that is the case. But even still, i always continued to wonder if all these people/trainers/authors/bros/etc were correct in their thinking. Also most cardio machines have the heart rate chart (many gyms have them as posters on walls) that provide us with the optimum fat burning zone. And to be very honest, even if unconsciously, i would always make sure to stay within that zone. Well i found these two videos by Will Brink that speak on both of these topics, based on current research studies. Might surprise some of you. Just wanted to add; I know this site is filled with BBing veterans that have been in the trenches for many years, if not decades. My posting of certain information and/or videos is in hopes of helping those members that have not been in the game that long, and are thirsty for as much knowledge as they can get. So please to all the vets on here, take no offense, or see this as attack on your methods of training, but as just another point of view, or potential for greater results. CJ
Fat Burning Zone Exposed - YouTube
Fasted Cardio: The Facts! - YouTube
btw: here's a short article written by Brad Schoenfeld, which explains which would be a better option in regards to cardio for fat loss.
Cardio Workouts: Is There A Best Time to Exercise?
By Brad Schoenfeld, CSCS, CPT
A popular fitness tenet is that cardio should be performed first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. The theory behind this belief is as follows: A prolonged absence of food brings about a reduction in circulating blood sugar, causing glycogen (stored carbohydrate) levels to fall. With a diminished availability of glycogen, your body tends to rely more on fat - rather than glucose - to fuel your workout. Under ideal conditions, there is an increased oxidation of fat during exercise - a fact that is supported by research.
The truth is, however, it's not always best to perform cardio as soon as you roll out of bed. Although the prospect of increasing fat oxidation sounds good on the surface, there are several misconceptions that need to be taken into account. For one, the human body is a very dynamic organism and continually adjusts its use of fat for fuel. Substrate utilization is governed by a host of factors (including enzyme levels, substrate availability, internal feedback loops, etc.) and these factors can literally change by the moment. Thus, simply looking at the amount of fat burned during exercise is shortsighted. Fat burning must be considered over the course of an entire day - not on an hour to hour basis - to get a meaningful perspective on its impact on body composition.
What's more, only about half of the fat utilized during aerobic exercise is mobilized from adipose tissue; the balance comes from fat stored intramuscularly (within muscle) . The important point here is that intramuscular fat has no bearing on aesthetic appearance; it's the subcutaneous fat stored in adipose tissue that influences body composition. Consequently, the actual fat-burning effects of the strategy are far less than otherwise thought.
In addition, studies have shown that eating before exercise actually increases caloric expenditure . This apparently is related to the thermic effect of food (TEF) . You see, every time you eat a mixed meal there is a corresponding increase in metabolic rate. When exercise is performed after the consumption of food, metabolism is heightened by about 20 percent over fasting levels. Better yet, these effects are maintained for up to three hours post-workout . And since burning more calories means burning more fat, eating before cardio can have thermogenic effects on exercise activity.
Perhaps more significantly, a pre-exercise meal allows you to exercise more intensely . In order to perform at a high level, your body needs a ready source of glycogen; deplete glycogen stores and your performance is bound to suffer. Compounding matters, not everyone functions well first thing in the morning. If you're more of a night bird, chances are that you'll sleepwalk through a morning workout. The net result is that fewer calories are burned during activity. Again, total caloric expenditure has a direct effect on fat oxidation, so these factors ultimately lead to a lower-quality, less-efficient exercise session.
In final analysis, simply increasing the percentage of calories burned from fat doesn't necessarily translate into an improved body composition. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with performing exercise after an overnight fast, but it isn't going to make a significant difference on your body's appearance, either. The best advice is to exercise when you are at your best; let your biorhythms determine when you should work out. If you are a morning person, go ahead and train early. But if you don't really get going until you've been awake for several hours, by all means train later in the day. All things considered, it really won't make much of a difference in your results.
Fat Burning Zone Exposed - YouTube
Fasted Cardio: The Facts! - YouTube
btw: here's a short article written by Brad Schoenfeld, which explains which would be a better option in regards to cardio for fat loss.
Cardio Workouts: Is There A Best Time to Exercise?
By Brad Schoenfeld, CSCS, CPT
A popular fitness tenet is that cardio should be performed first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. The theory behind this belief is as follows: A prolonged absence of food brings about a reduction in circulating blood sugar, causing glycogen (stored carbohydrate) levels to fall. With a diminished availability of glycogen, your body tends to rely more on fat - rather than glucose - to fuel your workout. Under ideal conditions, there is an increased oxidation of fat during exercise - a fact that is supported by research.
The truth is, however, it's not always best to perform cardio as soon as you roll out of bed. Although the prospect of increasing fat oxidation sounds good on the surface, there are several misconceptions that need to be taken into account. For one, the human body is a very dynamic organism and continually adjusts its use of fat for fuel. Substrate utilization is governed by a host of factors (including enzyme levels, substrate availability, internal feedback loops, etc.) and these factors can literally change by the moment. Thus, simply looking at the amount of fat burned during exercise is shortsighted. Fat burning must be considered over the course of an entire day - not on an hour to hour basis - to get a meaningful perspective on its impact on body composition.
What's more, only about half of the fat utilized during aerobic exercise is mobilized from adipose tissue; the balance comes from fat stored intramuscularly (within muscle) . The important point here is that intramuscular fat has no bearing on aesthetic appearance; it's the subcutaneous fat stored in adipose tissue that influences body composition. Consequently, the actual fat-burning effects of the strategy are far less than otherwise thought.
In addition, studies have shown that eating before exercise actually increases caloric expenditure . This apparently is related to the thermic effect of food (TEF) . You see, every time you eat a mixed meal there is a corresponding increase in metabolic rate. When exercise is performed after the consumption of food, metabolism is heightened by about 20 percent over fasting levels. Better yet, these effects are maintained for up to three hours post-workout . And since burning more calories means burning more fat, eating before cardio can have thermogenic effects on exercise activity.
Perhaps more significantly, a pre-exercise meal allows you to exercise more intensely . In order to perform at a high level, your body needs a ready source of glycogen; deplete glycogen stores and your performance is bound to suffer. Compounding matters, not everyone functions well first thing in the morning. If you're more of a night bird, chances are that you'll sleepwalk through a morning workout. The net result is that fewer calories are burned during activity. Again, total caloric expenditure has a direct effect on fat oxidation, so these factors ultimately lead to a lower-quality, less-efficient exercise session.
In final analysis, simply increasing the percentage of calories burned from fat doesn't necessarily translate into an improved body composition. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with performing exercise after an overnight fast, but it isn't going to make a significant difference on your body's appearance, either. The best advice is to exercise when you are at your best; let your biorhythms determine when you should work out. If you are a morning person, go ahead and train early. But if you don't really get going until you've been awake for several hours, by all means train later in the day. All things considered, it really won't make much of a difference in your results.