Have you ever rolled out of bed and went straight to the gym? Or left for a morning walk before your normal cup of coffee and breakfast? Then you have done fasted cardio!
In the world of bikini competitors and body builders, you may have heard someone say that they "need to wake up early and do their fasted cardio." But what purpose does fasted cardio serve and is there fat loss benefits?
The theory behind fasted cardio is that if you exercise or train on an empty stomach, your body should start to use stored fat for fuel, which essentially puts you in a fat burning state.
If you're training in a fasted state, it means that you are exercising when your glucose levels are depleted (our bodies main source of energy). Thus the body turns to fat for fuel instead.
Calories in vs. calories out. Right? Burning more calories than you consume with food/drink is the key to weight loss. So how does fasted cardio play a role in weight loss?
Although there are some mixed studies, fasted cardio has been shown to improve weight loss. That said, the number of calories burned during a cardio session increases the amount of body fat that's burned for energy.
So is it more beneficial to do fasted cardio when looking to burn fat? Fasted cardio may be beneficial to your daily routine/lifestyle. So all in all, it's all about calories in vs calories out.
Fasted cardio is any type of cardiorespiratory exercise just performed without food in your belly! (At least 3-4 hours after your last meal/snack)
Some examples shown in the image are:
