Dr Nikita Raghav
Did you know that an average Indian meal takes about seven hours to a full day to digest? Simple foods like banana takes 2 hours to digest? in our bodies. These factors vary from the acids and enzymes in our gut to how well you have chewed your food. The point of this is, when people think that they have gained energy from the food they just consumed, they have not. In fact, our body uses energy to digest? the food just been eaten.
Many of us think that we should eat an energy-packed meal before heading for a workout, or they might just faint empty stomach in the gym. Most of us when we go for a workout, our main aim is to lose fat and cut the calories. A pre-workout meal just adds up the calorie count and our body now has to digest the food along with supporting us with the workout.
Pre-workout meal is made popular by the food industry and little do we know that it is a thing for bodybuilders and professional athletes who spend hours everyday training and need food to fuel themselves post the first hour of training. For people who are into any sort of workout for 45-60 minutes/day are better of fasting and eating healthy post-workout, here’s why –
? ? ?The body has enough energy stored in the form of glycogen and fat.
? ? ?Better endurance: Multiple studies have shown that fasted cardio leads to an increase, over time, in VO2 max—a measure of body’s endurance. (VO2 max is your maximum oxygen usage during exercise).
? ? ?More growth hormone: Both fasting and exercise increase human growth hormone (HGH). Two days of fasting, in fact has been shown to increase growth hormone.
? ? ?Anabolic signaling- ? ?A study found that fasted strength training led to increased phosphorylation in muscle tissue (a muscle growth response) during the post-exercise recovery period. Which means you will not lose muscle on a fasted workout.
Moral - If you decide to try out fasted workout, follow a few rules to stay safe:
? ? ?Do not exceed 60 minutes of cardio without eating.
? ? ?Choose moderate to low-intensity workouts.
? ? ?Fasted cardio includes drinking water- so stay hydrated.
? ? ?Keep in mind overall lifestyle, especially nutrition, plays a bigger role in weight gain or loss than the timing of your workouts.
? ? ?If you are diabetic or on medication, be careful and consult your doctor before you do.
? ? ?A simple habit to start - I would say, mix intermittent fasting with workouts, it will dramatically speed up the process of fat loss due to ketosis.
? ? ?Remember - Listen to your body and do what feels best to you.