Hunnes and Naidoo agreed and explained that unless you have a certain medical condition, like diabetes or reactive hypoglycemia, fasted exercise is most likely safe. “Someone with type 2 diabetes may not do well with fasted cardio first thing when they wake up, as this may heighten insulin resistance,” Naidoo said.
Yes, it's generally okay to go to the gym in the morning without having breakfast, especially if you feel comfortable working out on an empty stomach. Many people follow this practice, known as fasted exercise, which can have benefits such as increased fat oxidation.
Working out on an empty stomach in the morning can be beneficial for fat loss, as it taps into stored glycogen and promotes fat utilization. However, for muscle building, having a small meal with protein before may be more effective. Listen to your body, experiment, and find what works best for you.
Working out in the morning is generally safe and can offer benefits like improved mood, energy levels, and metabolism throughout the day. However, listen to your body's signals, warm up properly, and stay hydrated to reduce the risk of injury.
The first and most common benefit is that fasted workouts could potentially, burn more fat. In fact, several studies have shown that you can essentially burn up to 20% more fat working out in a fasted vs. non-fasted state.
Fasting combined with physical activity did not affect the effects of training on muscle performance.
Blood sugar levels are lower after a night of sleep, so you can feel tired and sluggish during your workout if you skip breakfast. For this reason, a small healthy snack before working out in the morning will help your blood sugar levels increase enough to give you the energy you need for top performance.
Exercising in the morning can lead to increased alertness and mental clarity, which may enhance productivity throughout your day. However, it's important to warm up properly, as the body's muscles are typically colder and tighter in the morning.
Overall, the experts agree: Exercising in the morning is the best time of day to work out for logistical, effective and health reasons. When it comes to weight loss, a 2023 study published in the journal Obesity found exercising between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. could help.
However, exercising on an empty stomach will also cause you to lose lean muscle mass at the same time, which can hinder long-term weight loss. Exercising without eating first can cause dramatic shifts in your blood sugar, and when it drops quickly you can feel nauseous, light-headed or dizzy.
That plan is called the 30-30-30 rule. It's a simple but catchy idea that encourages you to eat 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up and then get 30 minutes of low-intensity exercise. The 30-30-30 rule now has millions of followers on TikTok.
Morning Exercise
The morning often suits running, walking, and cardio exercise, rather than heavy weight lifting. Make sure you warm up before doing anything strenuous, especially in the morning. Take it easy on your back for a few hours after rising. Don't hop out of bed and try for a deadlift personal best.
Lifting weights, sprinting, doing CrossFit WODS, and other high-intensity activities all depend on carbohydrates for fuel, explains Poli. If you perform any of these activities during (or worse, at the end of) your fast, your performance will suffer.
“Some research indicates that fasted cardio can lead to fat loss,” Schlichter explains. Without food that morning, your body doesn't have available glucose, which is its go-to fuel source to give you that zip during cardio. Still, your body needs to pull fuel from somewhere, so it will tap into fat stores instead.
Ideally, include carbs such as a banana, low-fat yogurt, bowl of cereal, smoothie or a glass of milk. Avoid foods that are high in fat or fibre because they take longer to digest and may cause stomach discomfort during exercise.
You don't want to overdo it and be tired for the remainder of the day, or worse, work out so hard that your gym performance suffers. As a general rule, your morning workout should be under 15 minutes and not loaded with reps.
Fasted cardio sounds very fancy but some of you may already be doing this type of workout without realising it. Technically anytime you jump out of bed and head straight to your early morning workout without eating first, you are doing a fasted workout.
In most cases, they are as good as afternoon/evening workouts. And certainly better than no exercise at all! There are some situations in which a later workout might be better for you. But if you have time to warm up and exercising in the morning is your way to stay consistent – go for it.
Lifting and doing strength training without adequate nutrition, especially without enough protein, can actually lead to loss of muscle tissue. Furthermore, if you aren't eating right you won't have the energy to do the workouts that lead to muscle gain.