You have to workout when it works best for your schedule and your life! Yes I wake up at 5am to workout before my kids wake up because that is going to be the best and only time throughout the day for me to actually get it done! BUT no matter what time you workout, it is important to workout on an empty stomach.
Why exercise on an empty stomach? If there is food in your tummy, you will burn that first. When you exercise in the morning, after fasting all night, your body will go straight for the stored fat as it begins to move into that heart rate zone of 60-70% of your max.
Though many athletes eat before training, some scientists say that if you really want to get rid of more fat, you should skip the pre-workout snack.
Several studies suggest exercising while your body is low on food may be a good way to trim excess fat. In a recent paper, European researchers found that cyclists who trained without eating burned significantly more fat than their counterparts who ate.
Muscles usually get their energy from carbohydrates, which is why athletes like Lance Armstrong and Michael Phelps scarf down enormous amounts of food before a race. But if you haven’t eaten before exercising, your body doesn’t have many carbohydrates in reserve. That forces it to burn fat instead, scientists say.
“When you exercise (after fasting), your adrenaline is high and your insulin is low,” said Peter Hespel, a professor of exercise physiology at the University of Leuven in Belgium. “That ratio is favorable for your muscles to oxidize (break down) more fatty acids.” Hespel said that people who exercise without having eaten burn more fat than they would if they had grabbed a bite beforehand.
So no matter what time you workout it is always important to do it on an empty stomach! So if you workout in the evening try to wait atleast 2-3 hours after eating!
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