Cardio question.

[ChemicalSoires]

Is it better to do my morning cardio before I eat breakfast, or afterwards? If I do it before breakfast, I burn fat, but if I do it after breakfast, I'll burn calories I ate at that meal. So confused, help me?

Edit: Another question, do I need to eat protien in the day before I do circuit training, or can I do my circuit training and cardio before breakfast to burn a good amount of fat?

 

[Sim882]

Is it better to do my morning cardio before I eat breakfast, or afterwards? If I do it before breakfast, I burn fat, but if I do it after breakfast, I'll burn calories I ate at that meal. So confused, help me?

Edit: Another question, do I need to eat protien in the day before I do circuit training, or can I do my circuit training and cardio before breakfast to burn a good amount of fat?

You could try the exercise on an empty stomach, but then monitor your weight and use calipers to determine whether your losing any LBM.

Alternativelly, just have whey in water before you do the cardio. The benefit of morning cardio is not truly that your in a glycogen deprived state - this is a myth as you don't burn that many carbs in your sleep - but rather than insulin levels are low, facilitating fatty acid oxidation. Therefore, just make sure your meal does not spike insulin (e.g., whey with no carbs or milk)

 

[ChemicalSoires]

You could try the exercise on an empty stomach, but then monitor your weight and use calipers to determine whether your losing any LBM.

Alternativelly, just have whey in water before you do the cardio. The benefit of morning cardio is not truly that your in a glycogen deprived state - this is a myth as you don't burn that many carbs in your sleep - but rather than insulin levels are low, facilitating fatty acid oxidation. Therefore, just make sure your meal does not spike insulin (e.g., whey with no carbs or milk)

Thanks so much! I didn't know that, but it's interesting. Muchos Gracias!

 

[StuWard]

Is it better to do my morning cardio before I eat breakfast, or afterwards? If I do it before breakfast, I burn fat, but if I do it after breakfast, I'll burn calories I ate at that meal. So confused, help me?

There is no difference whether you do you cardio before or after breakfast except that you will have no energy to put much effort into it if you don't eat. You body will burn carbs first and if there are no carbs it will burn protein, not fat. Fat is burned after.

This could be debated endlessly as there is very little research in the subject of cardio before breakfast. Almost everyone agrees that you need lots of protein.

Edit: Another question, do I need to eat protien in the day before I do circuit training, or can I do my circuit training and cardio before breakfast to burn a good amount of fat?

You need to eat protein at every meal including before and after exercising.

Alwyn Cosgrove wrote an article recently that addresses fasted cardio:
http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=05-209-training

I thought I told you in a previous post to read everything you could find by Alwyn Cosgrove.
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/diet-bodybuilding/current-dieting-plan-any-tips-562058.html

 

[Sim882]

Do you mean predominantly carbs/protein burned first, and then as duration of exercise increases, a higher percentage of fat is burnt? Unquestionably true, but your insulin levels do still effect the % of calories burnt as fat, so morning cardio could be advantageous

It is not true that the body burns carbs, then protein first (i.e., no fat to start with) as otherwise you would never lose fat by cardio, as your protein source (your muscles) is endless

There is no difference whether you do you cardio before or after breakfast except that you will have no energy to put much effort into it if you don't eat. You body will burn carbs first and if there are no carbs it will burn protein, not fat. Fat is burned after.

This could be debated endlessly as there is very little research in the subject of cardio before breakfast. Almost everyone agrees that you need lots of protein.



You need to eat protein at every meal including before and after exercising.

Alwyn Cosgrove wrote an article recently that addresses fasted cardio:
http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=05-209-training

I thought I told you in a previous post to read everything you could find by Alwyn Cosgrove.
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/diet-bodybuilding/current-dieting-plan-any-tips-562058.html

 

[StuWard]

I never said that cardio burns fat. I expect that fat is burns constantly. Whether you eat before or after cardio is irrelevant as you will consume more calories than you expend anyway. I'm sure there are all sorts of opinions out there as to exactly how much fat, carbs or protein are burnt and when. The fact is, if you don't have carbs in your system prior to exercising you will not have the reserves to do use much intensity so it's the chicken or the egg question. Having carbs in your system prevents burning protein. Raising your metabolism with high intensity training will burn more fat.