If you’re looking to lose weight and burn fat faster, you may want to try fasted cardio.
What is fasted cardio? Well, fasted cardio means performing cardiovascular exercise in a fasted state, typically first thing in the morning before eating anything. This could be running, rowing — anything that gets your heart elevated.
Here’s how it works: When you wake up in the morning, your body has been fasting for 8–12 hours since your last meal the previous night. Your glucose and glycogen stores are depleted, so your body has to turn to another energy source — stored fat. By doing cardio exercise in this fasted state, you force your body to start burning fat for fuel right from the start.
The research backs it up. A 2016 review of 27 studies published in the British Journal of Nutrition concluded that exercise performed in a fasted state induces higher fat oxidation (burning) compared to exercise performed after eating. Not having any recently consumed calories or fuel from a pre-workout snack essentially forces your body to rely on its fat stores for energy.
You can maximize the fat-burning effects by continuing to stay fasted for a period after your fasted cardio session as well. If you immediately consume calories, especially from carb and sugar sources, it will blunt the fat utilization sparked by the fasted exercise.
Some of the benefits of fasted cardio can include:
- Increased fat burning during and after the workout
- Using up stored liver glycogen, preventing fatty liver buildup
- For some, better exercise performance without a full stomach
- Avoiding GI distress that some experience when exercising after eating
- Fasted cardio may not be ideal for those trying to build muscle mass and maximize strength gains, as that likely requires a protein intake around workouts. But for those focused on fat loss, doing cardio like walking, running, cycling or rowing first thing in the morning can be an effective strategy.
To get started with fasted cardio, stop eating at around 6–8pm the previous night. Then first thing upon waking, ideally after using the bathroom, hit the road for a 30–60 minute brisk walk, run, bike ride or try one of my simple 10-Minute Workouts. Stick to zero-calorie beverages like water with greens powder, black coffee, or unsweetened tea during the fasted period if you need a pick-me-up.
Once your fasted cardio workout is complete, consider staying fasted for another 1–2 hours before your first meal to continue taking advantage of the fat-burning state you induced. Then consume a balanced meal with protein, healthy fats, vegetables and moderate carbs based on your goals.
Give fasted cardio a try and see if tapping into that fat-burning furnace helps accelerate your weight loss results!
