After waking up in the morning, have you ever had such a struggle: whether to exercise on an empty stomach, or eat a little before proceeding?
From 2010 to the present, at least three studies support the former view.
Multiple studies have found that exercising before breakfast helps increase fat burning, better control blood sugar levels, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
However, fasting exercise has more restrictions and needs to be done according to your ability. Life Times (search for "LT0385" within WeChat to follow) interviews authoritative experts to tell you who is suitable for fasting exercise and recommend a set of fitness methods that do not hurt the body.
Experts interviewed
Professor Gou Bo, School of Sports and Health Sciences, Xi'an University of Physical Education
Qiu Xuqiang, Associate Professor of Sports Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University
Chief Physician of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Long Yun Attending Physician Yuan Hua
Multiple Studies Support "Fasting Exercise"
The debate about "exercising on an empty stomach or exercising after breakfast" has been going on for several years.
Supporting the former view, food before exercise raises blood sugar and provides enough fuel to the body to improve physical endurance and prevent exercise fatigue and dizziness.
Supporting the latter view, exercise on an empty stomach helps burn more fat.
For healthy people and overweight people, three studies recommend "fasting exercise":
Fasting exercise: Helps burn fat + control sugar
Researchers from the University of Bath in the UNITED Kingdom, the University of Birmingham, the University of New South Wales in Australia and other institutions found that:
For overweight people, by changing the timing of eating and exercising, blood sugar levels can be better controlled and more fat burned.
The researchers selected 30 obese or overweight male subjects for the 6-week trial. Subjects were divided into two intervention groups (eating breakfast before exercise/eating breakfast after exercise) and control group (without lifestyle changes).
The two intervention groups performed moderate-intensity cycling exercises before and after breakfast. The two groups had equal food intake and exercise intensity.
Muscle biopsy analysis showed that the pre-breakfast exercise group increased the net utilization of muscle fiber lipids and burned twice as much fat as the post-breakfast exercise group.
The researchers believe that the increase in fat consumption is mainly due to the participants' failure to eat overnight, and their insulin levels in the body are reduced, at which point the exercise can activate the carbohydrates and fats stored in the body as fuel.
Although there was no significant difference in weight loss within 6 weeks among the three groups of participants, the overall fitness level of the participants in the fasting exercise group changed more positively.
The researchers say that because people who exercise before breakfast respond better to insulin, blood sugar levels are better controlled, potentially reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Exercise on an empty stomach: Helps burn fat + promote metabolism
A 2017 study published in the American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism also found that:
Exercise after eating, adipose tissue is busy responding to food and does not produce beneficial changes;
Exercising on an empty stomach can produce beneficial changes in adipose tissue, which is better for health improvement in the long run.
Fasting exercise: the decrease in blood lipid levels is large
In 2012, a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that fasting morning exercises had better weight loss and a greater decline in blood lipid levels.
If you exercise on an empty stomach and brisk walk before breakfast every day, you can lose 1 pound (about 0.45 kg) by sticking to it for about 10 days.
There are 5 types of people who should not exercise on an empty stomach
Dr. Jason Gill of the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom believes that fasting exercise can be tailored to the specific situation, generally safer, and the energy stored by the human body is enough to ensure 90 minutes to two hours of exercise.
But if not eating exercise will make you feel uncomfortable, you can eat something appropriately and exercise again.
Who is not suitable for fasting exercise?
Generally within half an hour of normal exercise, the vast majority of calories consumed by the human body are sugars. However, when the body lacks energy, the intensity of exercise will be reduced than usual.
People with poor gastrointestinal function, prone to hypoglycemia, people over 60 years old, people with diabetes and heart disease should not exercise on an empty stomach.
If you want to eat first, what is better to eat?
If you are in the above group, you can consume some easily digestible foods before exercising, and here are three recommended:
Carbohydrates: bread, biscuits, rice porridge, etc.;
Protein: such as eating an egg, drinking a cup of yogurt;
Fruit or liquids: such as milk, sports drinks, or a glass of honey water and a banana are also good.
However, don't eat too much before morning exercise, as long as you don't feel hungry; it is not recommended to eat too much fat and dietary fiber.
How to do morning exercise without hurting the body?
Exercise is a good way to strengthen the body, especially after morning exercise, people will be full of energy throughout the day. However, if you practice in the morning in the following wrong way every day, it is likely to "lose the watermelon and pick up the sesame seeds":
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Morning exercise at dawn
Many people are accustomed to going out to exercise at dawn, thinking that the early morning air is good and less polluted. In fact, at this time, the outdoor light is dim, and it is easy to trip and scratch. When the temperature is low, it is also easy to cause colds and flus, gastrointestinal pain, and induce asthma and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
Recommendation: In autumn and winter, after 9 a.m., the temperature will increase slightly and then go to morning exercise.
Poor blood circulation in the elderly, poor adaptability to changes in the temperature of the surrounding environment, not suitable for early morning exercise, it is recommended to choose around 3 pm.
Poor weather also went out for morning exercises
Observe the weather before morning exercise, and it is best to exercise indoors in the following situations: the temperature is below minus 10 ° C; windy days; smog days.
It started without a sufficient warm-up
Exercising directly after waking up in the morning may cause sports injuries or a burden on the heart and lungs due to a sudden increase in activity.
Recommendation: Warm up thoroughly and practice in the morning. The speed of the warm-up action should be from slow to fast, the strength should be from small to large, and it should be done for 15 minutes until it is slightly sweaty, the exhalation is slightly tight, and the joints are flexibly lubricated.
Exercise in the woods and on the side of the road
In cities, due to the influence of motor vehicle exhaust, the concentration of inhalable particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and other particulate matter in the air on the side of the road is high. In addition, the noise on the side of the road can also cause damage to hearing.
Recommendation: Morning exercise is held in an open, flat stadium, park, etc.
Some people think that the air in the woods is fresh and suitable for exercise, but it is not. The sun has just risen in the morning, the trees have not yet had time to photosynthesis, and there is a lot of carbon dioxide in the forest, and exercising in it may be dizzy.
Wear the same pair of shoes every day
Shoes worn for a long time will not only deform, but also their functions such as support, shock absorption, and anti-slip will also decrease, resulting in an increase in the chance of sports injuries such as falls, sprains and even fractures.
Recommendation: Prepare at least two pairs of multifunctional or jogging shoes to wear. The American Association of Podiatric Sports Medicine reminds that when the following conditions occur in sports shoes, it is time to "retire":
The sole is badly worn, and the pattern used for anti-slip has disappeared or blurred;
The degree of wear on both sides of the sole exceeds 4 mm difference;
When folding the shoe in half, the rebound sensation is significantly weakened or disappeared;
There is wear between the sole and the upper and there are creases or cracks;
The left and right heels vary in height.
Single sport
Repeatedly doing a single exercise will make some parts in a long-term state of tension, easy to strain, but other parts can not be fully exercised.
Recommendation: Do more than two exercises per morning exercise, interspersed with exercises such as strength, coordination, and flexibility.
The elderly should reasonably choose soft sports according to their own health conditions, such as jogging, tai chi, square dancing, etc., and try to avoid intense exercise.
Sweating is the only way to work
Some people practice for an hour or two in the morning, and even sweat profusely before stopping. If the exercise intensity is too large, it may cause increased blood pressure, accelerated heart rate, myocardial ischemia and hypoxia, and physical weakness.
Tip: Exercise is about persistence, not speed and intensity.
For the general population, the maximum heart rate for men is "220-age", the maximum heart rate for women is "210-age", the sports safety warning line is 75% of the maximum heart rate, and the elderly should be lower. ▲
Editor of this issue: Zheng Ronghua
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