Can You Boost Energy Levels When You Exercise On An Empty Stomach?
When done properly, exercising can actually leave you with more energy than when you started. Numerous study results prove this over and over again.
But what if you exercise on an empty stomach? This issue, also called fasted training, is a topic of discussion right now in exercising circles.
While there are strong opinions on both sides as far as the merits of doing it or not, let’s look at the science behind it.
Do You Get More Energy When You Exercise On An Empty Stomach?
To start with, not everyone is going to want or need to exercise on a empty stomach. It’s really dependent on your training goals. If you want to burn fat, increase muscle mass, improve body composition and improve performance, it could be beneficial to try it.
To learn why it works, we must go down to the hormonal level and how the body reacts when in a fasted state.
Intermittent Fasting
Hormones play a big part in how our bodies function. How you digest food, build muscle, burn off fat and perform in the gym are all tied to hormonal activity. What science has found is that intermittent fasting doesn’t seem to alter hormonal activity in a negative way. In fact, it can actually help optimize it.
With better hormonal activity, you can end up with a leaner, more toned body, less body fat and an overall healthier life. But how does it work?
The two hormones the most at play when it comes to fasting are insulin and the human growth hormone or HGH.
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Insulin
When we eat, insulin is released into the bloodstream. It helps to move nutrients to the cells where it can be used to create energy. However, over time our bodies can develop what is known as insulin resistance which means it takes more insulin to get the same effect. Constantly having excessive insulin in our system eventually can lead to Type 2 diabetes. That in itself can lead to a whole host of other health issues ranging from blindness to losing a limb and many other issues in between.
HGH
Studies have shown that short fasting periods boosts the output of growth hormone. With more growth hormone, this can lead to a gain in muscle mass, reduction in body fat, increase in bone density and improved general overall health. This can be beneficial health-wise as we tend to have less growth hormone as we age and can facilitate having many of the problems mentioned above as we get older.
The Testosterone Factor
While you exercise on an empty stomach, research shows that it doesn’t seem to increase the amount of testosterone released. It does seem to create a better environment to make what is there work better, including building muscle, burning body fat, having higher energy levels, lessening the chance of depression and reducing the risk for heart and heart-related health issues in both men and women.
Can You Boost Energy Levels When You Exercise On An Empty Stomach?
So, back to the question “Can you boost energy levels when you exercise on an empty stomach?” Because the body learns how to handle food more efficiently from exercising in a fasted state, it now gets the three macronutrients carbohydrates, fats and protein to the cells much quicker thereby increasing metabolism and consequently energy levels to include the increase in energy post-workout called the afterburn. Conclusively yes, if you exercise on an empty stomach, it does increase energy levels for the reasons stated above.
6 Daily Habits To Boost Your Energy Levels
Do you often feel too tired to exercise? Lifestyle choices, poor diet and a lack of physical activity all influence your energy levels. At one time or another, all of us can use a boost in our energy level. Because we are creatures of habit and function on bio-rhythms, getting into a daily routine of practicing certain habits will keep us going day-in and day-out. Download this Free Report that reveals 6 habits that should be part of your daily routine.
