Plz respond--does this work? - Weight Loss Message Board

Kris03 · 03-31-2007, 11:12 AM

I was recently reading a post reply that if you excersise before eating (preferably first thing in the morning) you burn fat more than the carbs cuz duting the night when you sleep your body uses the energy (carb glucose) for sleeping...is this true?

Lenin · 04-01-2007, 07:09 AM

Kris,

Maybe, but only to a very small extent. Remember the waking body still has several thousand calories of stored GLYCOGEN to call upon. GLYCOGEN is really nothing more than hydrated glucose piled into muscle and liver.

Think in terms of a big pot of energy from food being digested, blood glucose, glycogen, circulating fat and stored fat. Exercise and the body takes what it needs and resdistributes it in the way it deems best. Whether your stomach is empty or full doesn't change things a lot because of all that stored energy.

<We can usually exercise HARDER with an empty stomach, so that's a consideration.>

An aside: Here's a good rule of thumb; muscles and brain like sugar as fuel. The HEART likes fat.

rai-guy · 04-19-2007, 09:38 PM

This technique has been promoted in the past 2 years more often than before. Generally it was suggested that you do cardio for 30minutes before breakfast. You have less free glycogen in your system when you get up in the morning, and the body is more likely to utilize fat cells as its source of energy. I would also advise that if you are going to take this technique that you excerise between 60%-80% intensity. It also encourages the body to use fat cells as its source of energy. In other words, either jogging or running will work well. Most studies show that walking does not significantly burn fat like jogging or running does.