Have you heard of fasted cardio? If you follow fitness influencers you may have seen them bragging about fasted cardio workouts. So, what is it exactly and are there any benefits to it? Is it something you should be doing? Here’s what you need to know about fasted cardio before making your decision.
What Is It?
In general, fasted cardio usually happens in the morning, but you can also do it later in the day if you’re intermittent fasting. The key to fasted cardio is increasing your heart rate without eating a snack or meal pre-workout. So, you’re working out on an empty stomach. People who swear by it claim it maximizes fat-burning potential. Because your body has stopped processing or breaking down food, your insulin levels are low and there’s no fuel, so your body turns to other sources like fat to get through your workout.
Benefits
If you’re trying to lower your body fat percentage and you’re doing low-to-moderate-intensity workouts, fasted cardio can help you do so. It’s important that you know your limits and your body before giving it a try.
Cons
Even though your body may turn to fat for fuel, it doesn’t discriminate where it gets energy from. It can also break down muscle tissue or protein for fuel. It really depends on the type of exercise you’re doing. In general, your body is more likely to turn to fat for easier workouts. For harder workouts, you need carbohydrates for quick energy or you’ll feel tired, weak, and sore, so fasted cardio isn’t a great option.
