Hello Runner,
How are you? It's lovely checking in with you today!
Today I'm writing to you straight from my holiday. I travelled to Galicia this week and here I am enjoying the north-west of Spain!
So far, the days are beautiful (all sunshine) and there's a chilly wind - perfect for running and cycling! I'm trying to enjoy and relax... so I'm getting out of the routine a bit. But I reckon I'll be out running here in the next few days.
Even on holiday and off the beaten track, I try my best to eat well and, of course, fill up with running fuel. If you follow me on Instagram (if you don't, follow me there), you'll know that I'm on the team of ALWAYS eating something before training and never training fasted. But I know and know of MANY people who train fasted. So I think it's time to talk about it.
To train fasted or not? IT DEPENDS!
Although I don't agree with those who insist on fasted training, it is possible. I'll explain how.
Firstly, understand that it's not because you train fast that you'll lose weight! You'll only lose weight when you're in a calorific deficit - in other words, you burn more calories than you consume.
You can train fasted and then eat a lot of calories. Over time, you'll gain body fat.
You can train fasted if your diet is adjusted and you consume a good amount of carbohydrates the days before (you can even carb load). That way, you'll have a good glycogen reserve to last at least a short workout (less than 10k, for example). If you're training for more than an hour, you'll need to think about intra-workout supplementation (gels, bars, drinks, etc).
Reason why you can train fasted
If you wake up WAY TOO EARLY to train or cycle, you can think about short training sessions in a fasted state.
→ Remember that it's best to eat something 2-1h before training, so if you train at 6 am and don't want to wake up at 4.30 am to eat, fasted training could be a strategy for you.
If you want to change your training schedule to very early in the morning, and you want to run or cycle fast -> Start with a short, easy workout rather than a long run or speed workout.
→ For example, if you normally eat a banana or piece of toast when you wake up and then run for 45 minutes, 30 minutes later, try skipping the snack and reducing your run to 20-30 minutes.
See how your body feels and responds to running on an empty stomach before trying a more intense workout.
Gif by pudgypenguins on Giphy
Benefits of fasted training
If you have a very sensitive stomach and suffer from gas, side stitches, runner’s trots, and bloating, fasted training can be beneficial.
Gif by iheartguts on Giphy
Drawbacks of fasted training
There are also potential drawbacks of training on an empty stomach, including the following:
Does not increase fat loss
Can cause muscle loss
Can increase cortisol levels
May cause hormonal imbalances
Can reduce your performance
Gif by outsidetv on Giphy
Like many questions in nutrition, the answer is it depends!
Personally, as a dietitian, I do not advise anyone to train/run on an empty stomach. Even if you train very early in the morning, you can drink a glass of orange juice or take a gel 30 minutes before going for a run (if it is a long run).
As for stomach problems, these should be investigated and strategies adopted to resolve them.
The reality is that I see many runners who train on an empty stomach and end up hitting the wall due to lack of energy or not performing as well as they should because their glycogen stores are quickly depleted.
In my opinion, it is not worth running on an empty stomach.
Any questions or something you would like to share, drop me an email.
Wishing you a great weekend!
Here’s to health and good runs ⚡️
Ana Paula Alonso