January 6, 2022
Madhura Mohan
Faster Weight Loss With Fasted State Workout – Is It Possible?
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nstant noodles, instant money, instant loan, instant message, instant fairness, and instant everything…In recent years, our society has become; adapted to fueling demand for instant needs at an all-time high rate. The instant urge for things goes beyond just food, money to encompass instant weight loss results…it seems like people no longer have the patience to wait for anything. In an attempt to get where they want to, people fall victims to all sorts of approaches that claim to offer fast results.
Now, fasted state workout is one such weight loss approach that claims to offer; quick weight loss results. This heavily debated topic in the fitness world is surrounded by favouring and conflicting views. Come on, let’s check the reality in this blog, whether fasted state workouts offer faster weight loss results?
Let’s go with understanding of what it means by fasted training…
What Is Fasted State Workout?
Fasting means abstinence from consuming food or beverages (implies energy restriction) for certain period. Fasted state workout is doing workouts when your muscle glycogen stores are depleted and no exogenous carbohydrates are supplied. Usually, we fast overnight (6-8 hours) until the next morning, if we perform training sessions after an overnight fast, before even having our first meal of the day (breakfast), it’s termed a fasted state workout. The idea behind doing fasted state workout is changing the fuel substrate selection, generally your body uses carbohydrates as fuel source for workouts, but in fasted state, your body’s glycogen stores are so low that your body has to use stored fat as energy.
It Is Counterproductive To Workout On Empty Stomach?
We already have learnt that energy production during fasted state workouts is supported by the oxidation of endogenous fat since glycogen stores are relatively low. Training in fasted state increases muscular oxidative capacity to a great extent. Before you practice any approach, it is must to know how your body responds to it.
1. Exercising in fasted state can cause dramatic shifts in your blood sugar, dysregulation of glucose metabolism, there are chances that you may faint in the middle of exercising.
2. Performing aerobic training in the morning before eating (when blood sugars are low) results in stimulation of adrenal gland. This stimulation will in turn increase the production of cortisol (the stress hormone) which is a catabolic hormone.
3. Carbohydrate deficit may induce mental and physical fatigue, and can promote gluconeogenesis in the liver.
4. After long period of overnight fasting, your body would also have been dehydrated. Working out in this state can make you have less stamina and will cause mental fatigue, muscle cramps and difficulty in focusing on training and cause overexertion.
5. The primary fuel for muscles is glycogen, after it gets depleted, it would direct the body to use stored-up protein as fuel rather than using it to build and repair muscles after exercise. Exercising on an empty stomach when your blood sugars are low will lead to hunger and cause people to eat more after the workout than they would otherwise.
6. Your strenuous training requires a lot of energy, without eating before a workout, your muscles can’t work efficiently.
7. Working out in fasted state will kick your body into survival mode, where it will eventually burn fewer calories and may cause your body to adjust itself to using fat reserves for energy and might continue to store more fat than usual to make up for it.
8. If you end a workout feeling depleted, you increase your risk of overeating later in the day.
How Should We Conclude this topic? Fasted State Workout Works or Not?
While; utilizing fats as energy during exercise burns fat calories, the total number of calories burned is comparable to the same workout done after eating a light snack. There are chances of burning fewer calories in the long run if you practice fasted state workouts since you may have less stamina and endurance to finish workout sessions.
When you consume carbs, they get metabolized quickly; so carbs are the preferred fuel source for muscles. Fats and proteins do not have as much potential energy to be used and must be changed from their original form to enter cell metabolism. Burning stored fat into available energy takes longer because it requires more oxygen than carbs. The energy released through fat metabolism is slow to sustain a high-intensity workout.
Working out in a fasted state is like expecting immediate results that will hold you back from reaching your goals.
When you do workouts or eat is of next to no importance. After all, what matters is doing things consistently in line; with your goals…
Training done consistently gives you better results than whether you eat before a workout or not. Ultimately, a negative energy balance (burning more calories than consumed) is the key to weight loss…
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