Re:  Eating before you work out to ‘boost’ your metabolism

Hi Lani,

I recently began an exercise program — I joined a local women’s fitness center and started out with 15 mins. on the treadmill followed by 2 times around the circuit of resistance machines. I’ve been going as soon as I get up in the morning, then showering, dressing, and having breakfast when I come home. My trainer at the gym thinks that’s horrible and says I need to eat “a little something — like a banana or a granola bar before I exercise, to get my metabolism started in the morning.” I don’t know what I would feel like eating at 6 am, I’ve never liked to eat as soon as I get up in the morning. Am I really not getting maximum benefit from my workout because I didn’t eat something first?

Thanks for your help!
Becky

Lani Muelrath’s Reply:

Hi  Becky,

I’m not sure what ‘get your metabolism started in the morning” really means and what it would have to do with your workouts. It’s one of those phrases that fitness industry folks like to throw around because it sounds like something we all want, of course! I’m sure your trainer has all the best of intentions.

A recent study shows that eating before a workout is correlated with burning more calories overall during the workout as opposed to not eating before the workout because people feel more energetic with more recent caloric intake instead of working out after a long night’s fast. You could experiment with this and see if it helps, though you didn’t make any complaints. This may be related to ‘maximum benefit’ as you state, though you didn’t qualify what that means to you.

You could try some fruit, or wholegrain cereal, or both. If it just doesn’t appeal, don’t force a big breakfast on yourself. Granola bars are just cookies in a rectangular prism package and best left for survival food in a big pinch.

I almost forgot – congratulations on getting GOING with your workouts! This is wonderful news and will make a big difference in your energy, stamina, shape, and physical confidence.

To your success!

Lani

Re:  ‘Burning muscle’ instead of fat

Hi Lani,

Was told this morning by the certified trainer at my gym that because Im not eating anything prior to working out I was NOT burning fat but rather burning muscle? He told me if I ate something then my body would recognize there was food in the stomach and “not worry” and burn fat and leave the muscle alone.

I am not a morning eater. If I eat before like 9am I have and do puke it up so I don’t bother. And since I’m trying to only eat when I’m actually hungry, I don’t feel the need to eat when Im not and rarely am I hungry before 10 am.

My understanding, even limited, is that first we burn stored glycogen then fat and as a last resort we burn muscle for full.

So am I burning muscle when I don’t eat prior to a workout?

Here’s my typical workout: 30 mins on the elliptical or 2 miles then use the weight machines, either whole body or what I have time for, so like upper body or lower body, but always abs! And at least 4 times a week I toss in a 20 walk/run after all that. And at least twice a week I’m on the treadmill for an hour and get in about 4 miles (sometimes this is in addition to the elliptical)

In 2 weeks I have not lost any weight on the scale and while the tape measure isn’t really getting smaller my clothes are fitting better and a tad looser.

But…..I don’t want to burn my muscle when I have plenty of fat to burn instead.

Thanks,

Debbie

Lani Muelrath’s Reply:

Hi Debbie,

First, our bodies are always ‘burning’ a mix of fuels. The less intense the workload, the greater the percentage that comes from fat because it takes longer to get it through the process of delivering energy. Does that mean we should work out at the least intensity? No, because what you are looking for is overall calorie burn which will find a way of tapping your stored fuel resources.

I say this in prelude to addressing your breakfast question because it is relevant.

When you start exercising, your muscles burn a blend of fuels. For shorter bursts of activity, your muscle cells burn ATP which your muscles are constantly synthesize using carbohydrates, fatty acids and protein.

Exercising for longer periods, your muscles start to dip more into fat stores. But as long as glycogen is available – that stored in your muscles, liver, and carbohydrate recently eaten, your muscles prefer it for fuel because it uses oxygen more efficiently. When the other fuels fuels are less available, your muscles also can tap protein from lean muscle for fuel.

If you start exercising before you have eaten anything for hours, your body may indeed go through the stored glycogen more rapidly and invite your body to dip into fat stores.

But this is where trainers can take the wrong turn and take partial information which doesn’t really serve you in the long run.

Let’s go back to what you are looking for if trying to lose fat weight – an overall calorie deficit. If you work out hard on a fast thinking you are ‘burning more fat’  this is irrelevant if you end up eating enough after your workout to compensate for the calories.

As depleted glycogen invites gluconeogenesis, which is conversation of amino acids to glucose, I want to underscore the advice to eat before exercise so that you don’t have to worry about breaking down your muscle for fuel.

If   looking to achieve a calorie deficit, it is far better for your overall calorie deficit to be able to work out with gusto. Exercising on a fast can leave many people running out of steam and mental stamina for the workload sooner rather than later, affecting the overall quality of the workout. For this reason, having something to eat prior to exercise can actually help the overall calorie burn picture – even something light such as fruit. It is not taxing to the digestion and you may find gives you oomph for a harder workout. It also will help to protect your muscle tissue. However, to extrapolate from that that ‘any exercise on an empty stomach is going to break down your muscles for energy’ is an inappropriate reach.

If you feel sick eating breakfast and you have plenty of steam both mentally and physically to get through your workouts, then you don’t need to force down a big pre-workout meal. And unless you are already quite lean and underweight and working out intensely for extended periods of time, such as over an hour, don’t worry about hacking away at muscle tissue. This is all way much more than you need to worry about. At the same time, for reasons already stated, I do recommend something light before you work out in the morning.

Also, working out after an overnight fast does not mean you are going to just burn off stored fat and make a big difference in your body composition. The quality of your workouts and diet overall are what does that.

Lani

Thanks so much for coming by. Please ‘like’ and share this post and if you’re on facebook, please join me now on my facebook page here: facebook.

Want to be notified right away when the next tips and news are posted? You can, by subscribing to be sent Email Updates or RSS notifications.

Resources:
Holloszy, J.O., & Coyle, E.F. 1984. Adaptations of skeletal muscle to endurance exercise and their metabolic consequences, Journal of Applied Physiology, 56, 831-838.

Ivy, J.L., Withers, R.T., Van Handel, P.J., Elger, D.H., & Costill, D.L. 1980. Muscle respiratory capacity and fiber type as determinants of the lactate threshold. Journal of Applied Physiology, 48, 523-527.

McArdle, W.D., Katch, F.I., & Katch, V.L. 1996. Exercise physiology: Energy, nutrition, and human performance. Baltimore, Maryland: Williams & Wilkins.

Fits, R. H. (1994). Cellular mechanisms of muscular fatigue. Physiological Reviews, 74 (1), 49-94. Gardiner, P. F. (2000). Neuromuscular aspects of physical activity. Human Kinetics.

Robergs, R.A., & Roberts, S. 1997. Exercise Physiology: Exercise, performance, and clinical applications. St Louis, Missouri: Mosby.