Generally, cardio is beneficial for fat loss and keeping your heart healthy. Research has proven that people can cut weight rapidly by doing cardio regularly; it also has many proven cases.
One of the famous statements about cardio is: “Fasted cardio helps you burn more fat than fed-state cardio.” Different people have different opinions regarding this, which makes the question more confusing.
This article will address the question and determine what science has to say regarding it.
Contents
What is fasted state cardio?
In simple terms, fasted cardio is doing cardiovascular or aerobic exercises on an empty stomach.
When we hear the term fasted cardio, we assume it is the morning cardio we do without food. Yes, that is fasted cardio, but if you do not eat for a couple of hours during the day and then perform it, it will also be considered fasted cardio.
On the other hand, fed-state cardio involves doing cardio after a meal. The meal can be a whole or as little as consuming a banana before cardio.
Why is fasted cardio so popular?
It is said that when you do cardio on an empty stomach or in a fasted state, you tend to generate energy from your fat cells, which burns more fat.
Yes, the statement is true, but you must understand the process thoroughly to see the bigger picture.
Our body’s primary energy source is glucose. When you eat carbs or carbohydrates, they get broken down into glycogen. When your body requires energy, glycogen gets broken down into small parts, known as glucose.
When you do fasted cardio, your body does not have the necessary glucose to fuel or generate energy for the workout. At that point, your body taps into the excess glycogen storage for energy, and when it needs more power, it taps into the fat cells and breaks them down to generate energy.
As you burn some food that was previously consumed before eating, that food does not get the chance to turn into fat, and also, as it uses fat as an energy source, at some point, the statement that fasted cardio burns more fat became very popular.
Is Fasted Cardio better than Fed-State Cardio?
Much research has been done to find out the actual answer. Direct research shows that the differences between fasted-state cardio and fed-state cardio are minimal when it comes to fat loss.
You might be amazed to hear about it at first, but it is true. If fed-state cardio uses fat to generate energy, then how come it produces the same result as fed-state cardio?
You will understand why it makes sense when you see the big picture. Let’s break the ice.
Our weight loss or fat loss totally depends on the process of energy consumed and energy expense, or to make it simple, calories in and calories out. If you have a net deficit, then you will eventually lose fat doing fasted cardio or fed-state cardio.
When you do fasted cardio, you are active during a specific period, and the fat burn occurs during that particular window. In that phase, you burn more fat, but it gets balanced over the day as you consume the same amount of calories and remain inactive at other times in the day. Let’s understand this with an example so you can clearly understand how it works.
Suppose you consume 2000 calories per day and burn roughly 2500 calories throughout the day. There will be a deficit of 500 calories over the day, which in a week will equate to 3500 calories. This will help you lose 1 pound of fat weekly as it almost takes a 3400-calorie caloric deficit weekly to burn 1 pound of fat.
When you do fasted cardio, you use your fat storage. After that, when you consume 2000 calories throughout the day, that fat storage will be replenished, so the net difference between the fasted state and the fed state will be similar.
It is not that fasted cardio is bad; it is definitely beneficial, but we cannot consider it superior to fed-state cardio as both ultimately produce similar kinds of results.
Should you do fasted Cardio?
In most cases, the answer is yes. However, if you have any medical condition that prevents you from working out on an empty stomach, you should not.
You can do fasted cardio in all other cases, as it is entirely safe. When you are doing fasted cardio, it is advised that you do steady-state cardio exercises like jogging, walking on the treadmill, cycling, etc. It is better to avoid high-intensity workouts in a fasted state, as you will feel exhausted afterward.
Fasted cardio shortens the meal gap, which helps you feel less hungry throughout the day. After completing a cardio session, you usually do not feel hungry. So, it will reduce the meal gap, which will not make you crave food.
Suppose you eat four meals in 16 hours, each meal gap being roughly 4 hours. You wake up and get ready to do fasted cardio, which takes almost 30 minutes. Then, you do cardio for 1 hour, and after that, almost for 30 minutes, you will not feel that hungry, which will reduce the overall meal window to 14 hours.
It will lower the meal window difference to 3.5 hours (14 hours / 4 meals daily), which will help you reduce food cravings.
When not to do fasted cardio?
Some people feel really dizzy when they do fast-state cardio because they do not have any food in their system. If you have a similar condition, do not force yourself to do fast-state cardio. Sometimes, if someone pushes themselves through that dizziness, they faint.
If you have some medical condition, then always listen to your doctor and do not work on an empty stomach if your doctor forbids you to.
Have a small meal or as little as a banana if you feel weak or dizzy before doing cardio.
You can do fasted cardio in all other cases, as it is entirely safe.
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