Do you want to run in the morning on an empty stomach? Find out all the pros and cons of this method of getting rid of subcutaneous fat. Today, the effectiveness of fasting cardio is very actively discussed. There are many opinions on this, and today we will find out what is more, benefit or harm, hungry cardio.
Is there any benefit to hungry cardio
It should be said right away that if you follow certain rules for conducting aerobic exercises on an empty stomach, then you can achieve fairly good results. If these rules are ignored, then there is no need to talk about any benefits of hungry cardio, and you will only harm yourself.
Fasting cardio is known not only to nutritionists, but also to athletes. Today, overweight problems are quite relevant and people are looking for various ways to get rid of body fat. Hungry cardio has a huge army of adherents and no less opponents.
Today we will consider this issue exclusively from a scientific point of view, not succumbing to unnecessary emotions. Only in this way will we find the answer to the question about the benefits or harms of hungry cardio. In this regard, it should be noted that pro-athletes constantly use cardio loads and, as a result, achieve a fat mass indicator of no more than six percent. In this case, it is very important to maintain muscle mass and get rid of only fat.
What is called hungry cardio?
First, it is worth giving a precise definition of the concept of "hungry cardio" in order to know what we are dealing with. As the name suggests, this is fasting aerobic training. In this case, the concept of "hunger" should be understood as a temporary feeling of emptiness in the digestive tract.
If you have been eating densely all day, and in the evening, feeling hungry, decided to do a cardio session, then this is not an entirely correct interpretation of this method of fighting fat. According to the scientific definition, fasting cardio means doing cardio workout while fasting the body longer than a single meal. Whether hungry cardio will benefit or harm is greatly influenced by two factors:
- Biochemical reactions in the body.
- Nutrients consumed and their amount.
All food that a person eats in the digestive tract is broken down into molecules, which then enter the bloodstream and are carried throughout the body. In this case, the hormone insulin is used as a transport. It is synthesized by the body in response to food intake, and its amount depends on the nutrients that have been consumed. Thus, we can say that fasting cardio is possible only with a minimum concentration and activity of insulin. Scientists have clearly established that insulin promotes the accumulation of fat by using excess nutrients, primarily carbohydrates and fats. Insulin also slows down the reduction of adipose tissue. Based on these facts, it is safe to say that with a powerful release of insulin, fat burning will be slowed down or even impossible.
Is fasting cardio effective for burning fat?
To begin with, in order to prepare fatty acids to obtain energy from them, the body uses special substances - catecholamines. In addition, there are two types of receptors in adipose tissues: alpha and beta. The first type of receptor is intended for the accumulation of fat, and the beta receptors are responsible for the reduction of adipose tissue. Simply put, lipolysis will proceed more actively in those areas of the body where beta receptors prevail in adipose tissues.
For example, the hips and buttocks of women mainly contain alpha receptors and it is they who slow down the reduction of fat in these areas. It is they who are the most problematic for girls. At the same time, fats are less readily deposited on the forearms, or, say, calves. This suggests that there are more beta receptors in these zones. If the body is starving, then the number of beta-type receptors begins to increase throughout the body and catecholamines can penetrate into fat cells that were previously inaccessible to them.
How to do fasting cardio correctly?
Let's figure out how to get only the benefits, not harm, from hungry cardio. To do this, you need to follow a few rules. First of all, the duration of your workout should not exceed one hour.
The intensity of your session is also very important. This parameter should be moderate. The more time you work at a slow pace, the more fat you can burn.
Your session should only be done on days when you are fasting or in the morning when glycogen stores are empty after overnight catabolism. This will force the body to look for alternative sources of energy, which are fats. Follow these guidelines and you will definitely benefit, not harm, from hungry cardio.
Denis Semenikhin tells more about cardio training:
