Lots of people exercise hungry. They figure that if their stomach is empty while they work out, their body will start to burn fat and they’ll lose weight.
So they wait until after they exercise to eat.
A recent study shows this strategy is a mistake.
Several colleges in the U.K. conducted research into the effects of eating in the morning before exercising. The universities of Bath, Birmingham, Newcastle, and Stirling participated.i
Dr. Javier Gonzalez was co-lead researcher. “This is the first study to examine the ways in which breakfast before exercise influences our responses to meals after exercise,” he said.
Why You Should Always Eat Breakfast on Workout Days
The lab study followed 12 healthy men. Researchers had them do a cycling workout on an empty stomach. Then then had the subjects do the same workout after eating a breakfast of oatmeal and milk.
Before and after both workouts, scientists took blood samples. They did a detailed analysis of what was going in the subjects’ bodies after each workout.
It turns out that when the subjects ate before exercising, they burned more carbohydrates. And their metabolism and digestion sped up in the hours after they finished exercising. For the rest of the day, they had better blood sugar control.
Dr. Rob Edinburgh co-led the study. He points out that the increased carbohydrates burned during exercise didn’t come solely from the food that had just been eaten. When the subjects ate before working out, they burned stored carbohydrates at a higher rate than when they fasted.
The Right Pre-Workout Foods Boost Your Metabolism
The bottom line?
Don’t skip breakfast before exercising. Eating first will improve your blood sugar response and help you burn more calories throughout the day.
But be sure to eat the right breakfast foods…
Don’t eat: Sugary or starchy foods. Avoid potatoes, pancakes, waffles, hash browns, French toast, biscuits, etc.
Do eat: Proteins, healthy oils and fibers. Eggs, steak, avocado, yogurt (unsweetened), fruits, nuts, quinoa, vegetables. Smoothies using full-fat, Greek yogurt and fruits are other excellent pre-workout breakfast foods.
It turns out breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, so don’t skip it before a workout.
Editor’s Note: Have you gained weight during the pandemic? You’re not alone. Americans have packed on an average of two pounds a month during the coronavirus crisis, according to a recently study. Most will attempt to slim down by going on a diet. That’s the wrong strategy. It not only doesn’t work for most people, it makes you miserable.
Read our monthly journal Independent Healing to discover a better way to lose weight. You don’t have go hungry, give up your favorite foods…and it works better than dieting. Go HERE to find out more.
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