Are you trying to lose weight but can’t seem to get your numbers down? If your fat loss efforts aren’t turning out the way you want to be then it’s about time to switch things up, especially if you’re not a morning person.
Findings by researchers from the Universities of Bath and Birmingham revealed that working out before breakfast burns more fat.
This new scientific study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism is the reason why you should work out on an empty stomach if you want to double your ability to lose more fat.
The participants of this 6-week study were a group of 30 overweight men. They were split into three groups.- 1 control group and the other remaining groups comprised of participants who either exercised with an empty stomach or worked out after eating breakfast.
The findings revealed that the group who exercised before eating breakfast burned twice the amount of fat than their peers from the other group who made no lifestyle changes or ate their morning meals after working out.
The researchers suggested that the “no breakfast” group burned more calories because their insulin levels were lower. Having less insulin in their blood made their bodies use their fat reserves to fuel them during exercise, and this is the reason why they burned more fat compared to the other groups.
Here’s one catch though because we don’t want to get your hopes up too high.
Although all their workout routines and the amount of food that they ate are, all the same, there was really no significant difference in weight loss. However, the researchers did found a positive effect on the overall health and wellbeing of pre-breakfast exercisers. They revealed that their blood sugar levels were kept in check, potentially preventing and reducing their risk of diabetes and heart disease.
The difference may not be that much but hey if you really want to stay healthier in general then it would be best to change the timing of your meal in the morning. You’ll reap greater benefits that way because your body is still in an overnight fasted state and will have a better response to insulin than if you work out after eating breakfast.