What "Fasted Cardio" Is ... And Isn't

Maybe you’ve heard the term tossed around in the gym, or among friends. Maybe you’ve tried to do it for a new year’s resolution. Or maybe you really do know what it is and how to do it… you just want some reassurance. So let’s dive in!

what is fasted cardio

“Any exercise done in a fasted state, in which your body is no longer processing or digesting food.” Long been hailed as the holy grail of weight-loss in the fitness world, fasted cardio is the creme-de-la-creme of cardio workouts. If you can tolerate it - you’re golden. Burn calories from fats and lose weight fast.

But not quite.

what isn’t fasted cardio

To be in a truly “fasted” state - your body needs to be devoid of new caloric intake for over five hours (typically six to eight) - either during the day or when you wake up in the morning. Note that in this fasted state - going all out on cardio could lead to low blood sugar and lightheartedness or fainting. You’re also more likely to get dehydrated, so keep a close eye on your heart rate and thirst levels during workouts.

the benefits

That’s not to say that fasted cardio is bad by any means - just that it’s good in moderation only. That could mean daily depending on your fitness level - as long as you don’t go all out every time.

Working out on a completely empty stomach does give you some benefits that other exercises can’t - including maximizing your fat-burning potential. In a fasted state, you’re increasing your lipolysis (breaking down of fatty cells to use as energy). Menaing that when your stomach is empty, you have no carbs to burn, so your body burns fats. So yes - controlled fasted cardio can be a great tool in your workout arsenal when done properly.

lemme sum up

If you’re in good health, and you’ve spoken to your doctor, try it out. You’ll never know what works or doesn’t work for you if you never give it a shot. Start out slow, with a plan of moderate effort cardio for 20-30 minutes in a controlled environment (like a treadmill or elliptical). If all signs lead to go after a few days - gradually start to increase effort and time to challenge yourself!

#trainunbreakable #liveunbreakable