Working out on an empty stomach

[vibragreen]

Does anyone else feel they have better work outs on an empty stomach? I do. I have 8 o clock classes every morning and I have to leave my home at 7:30 which means I have to be up by 7. Because of this I don't eat breakfast in the morning. After class I hit the gym at 9 and am out by 10 and then I eat a lot of food because I haven't eaten all day AND I am hungry from the gym.

When I do eat breakfast I feel like I can't lift as much. Not sure why. Maybe because a lot of blood is my stomach digesting the food? Not sure.

[ricepower]

I do not get this at all, I have to eat very frequently!

How long have you been lifting? If you eat properly & regularly you will make better gains and your body will learn to depend on the food. Digesting will become fast.

I can eat the heaviest, greasiest meal and train immediately.

If it is really a problem for you, just have something both quick and easily digestable like some yoghurt & fruit.

[vibragreen]

Yeah I think I will start eating a light breakfast, something I can eat in the car, on the way to school. Maybe a yogurt, a banana, a peach, and two cups of milk. I just feel like my focus is heightened when I don't have food in my stomach.

[jakemcmillan]

Here's an article I like. I personally don't eat breakfast, or lunch because I'm on the Warrior Diet. I love it and I feel stronger on it.

http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode3/313/

Exerpt from article:

*Note: Athletes who exercise in the morning should turn breakfast into a post-exercise recovery meal. Such meals should consist of small amounts of fresh protein plus carbs such as yogurt and banana, eggs plus a bowl of oatmeal, or cottage cheese with berries.

[vibragreen]

Here's an article I like. I personally don't eat breakfast, or lunch because I'm on the Warrior Diet. I love it and I feel stronger on it.

http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode3/313/

Exerpt from article:

*Note: Athletes who exercise in the morning should turn breakfast into a post-exercise recovery meal. Such meals should consist of small amounts of fresh protein plus carbs such as yogurt and banana, eggs plus a bowl of oatmeal, or cottage cheese with berries.

That basically flies in the face of everything I have ever read about breakfast. However, it would explain my situation very nicely.

[Portillo]

You should eat before a workout. You needs the carbs/glycogen.

[jakemcmillan]

You should eat before a workout. You needs the carbs/glycogen.

Not really. I've worked out many times completely fasted(only water) or with very little carbs. I'm always stronger during those sessions.

And I've always believed that breakfast was so important, I've been told my whole life. And I used to get after people too when they didn't eat breakfast. But think about, our ancestors didn't use to eat big breakfasts, or any breakfasts at all for that matter. They did so for 100,000 years and turned out just fine...they were strong and healthy.

[killerdude494949]

I've debunked that myth by once training for 2 weeks straight with zero carbohydrate. I ate plenty of fat and protein. Not ideal, but you dont need glycogen to have a good workout. Only problem is that it takes a long time to adapt to training without glycogen period (AD still has you use glycogen) and eating zero carbs on a long term basis is borderline impossible.

[Portillo]

You should eat before a workout. You needs the carbs/glycogen.

Not really. I've worked out many times completely fasted(only water) or with very little carbs. I'm always stronger during those sessions.

And I've always believed that breakfast was so important, I've been told my whole life. And I used to get after people too when they didn't eat breakfast. But think about, our ancestors didn't use to eat big breakfasts, or any breakfasts at all for that matter. They did so for 100,000 years and turned out just fine...they were strong and healthy.

Where did you find out that our ancestors didnt eat breakfast?

[jakemcmillan]

Where did you find out that our ancestors didnt eat breakfast?

I've just learned it from a few different sources..."The Warrior Diet" included. Our ancestors did not eat a large hearty breakfast to start the day...they would have to spend several hours hunting it first! So physiologically, neither we nor any other carnivorous mammal is designed to eat a large meal in the morning. We are designed to get by on stored reserves and then gorge and go to sleep. We can see this by the way lions and other hunters eat in the wild. Even the ancient Greeks and Romans would battle all day before eating.

@Killerdude: I think I remember you talking about that. Did you make a post about it?

[BerserkerRage]

Cardio may be ok on an empty stomach but lifting weights is a big no no.It is well known that weightlifting requires glycogen as fuel.Protein is ok instead though or else your muscles get robbed of protein instead.You can down a whey shake before the workout with honey for carbs,this will keep you feeling light and give you LOTS of energy.

[Portillo]

Where did you find out that our ancestors didnt eat breakfast?

I've just learned it from a few different sources..."The Warrior Diet" included. Our ancestors did not eat a large hearty breakfast to start the day...they would have to spend several hours hunting it first! So physiologically, neither we nor any other carnivorous mammal is designed to eat a large meal in the morning. We are designed to get by on stored reserves and then gorge and go to sleep. We can see this by the way lions and other hunters eat in the wild. Even the ancient Greeks and Romans would battle all day before eating.

Its conceivable that the hunters would gather food for more than one day. Rather than hunting on a daily basis.

[Sam277]

Yeah like portillo said,there's porbably more evidence that they did in fact eat breakfast, and modern tribes who live a (possibly) similar lifestyle do tend to eat breakfast. Still, this is all speculation.

I'd say to eat breakfast. Not just because that's just how the pros and modern science tells you to, but because i can't function without it, let alone grow.

[itsbruce]

Where did you find out that our ancestors didnt eat breakfast?

I've just learned it from a few different sources..."The Warrior Diet" included. Our ancestors did not eat a large hearty breakfast to start the day...they would have to spend several hours hunting it first!

I'm very sceptical of that proposition; I think you would have to go back to our pre-human ancestors to find people who did not preserve at least some of what they had gathered for more than a day. Hunter/gathers aren't just simple predators or grazers - they usually manage their environments in quite sophisticated ways (e.g. creating meadows to attract wildlife to the grasses, where they are easier to hunt) and will often store food. They don't work at it full time like farmers, but that doesn't stop them having the makings of a good breakfast.

[jakemcmillan]

Where did you find out that our ancestors didnt eat breakfast?

I've just learned it from a few different sources..."The Warrior Diet" included. Our ancestors did not eat a large hearty breakfast to start the day...they would have to spend several hours hunting it first! So physiologically, neither we nor any other carnivorous mammal is designed to eat a large meal in the morning. We are designed to get by on stored reserves and then gorge and go to sleep. We can see this by the way lions and other hunters eat in the wild. Even the ancient Greeks and Romans would battle all day before eating.

Its conceivable that the hunters would gather food for more than one day. Rather than hunting on a daily basis.

You're right, but I still can't picture them eating a big breakfast.