According to a study from Northumbria University, exercising after an overnight fast results in up to 20 percent of fat burn, reports Medical Xpress.
The study led by Dr. Emma Stevenson and PhD student Javier Gonzalez, included 12 healthy male participants being advised on treadmill exercise either after having their breakfast or on a fasted state since the evening before.
The participants were given chocolate milkshake drink after the exercise and were given pasta for lunch in the later day. Participants exercised at 10 a.m. After the workout, participants eat lunch and later, their fat was reviewed.
The morning exercise had made no changes in the consumption of the amount of calories, in fact the researchers found that participants who exercised in a fasted state lost almost 20 percent of fat when compared to those who exercised after having their breakfast.
"In order to lose body fat we need to use more fat than we consume," said Gonzalez, according to Medical Xpress. "Exercise increases the total amount of energy we expend and a greater proportion of this energy comes from existing fat if the exercise is performed after an overnight fast. Our results show that exercise does not increase your appetite, hunger or food consumption later in the day and to get the most out of your session it may be optimal to perform this after an overnight fast."
"This research is very important in helping to provide practical guidelines relating to food intake to individuals who are exercising to maximise fat mass loss," said Dr. Stevenson, Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Nutrition and Associate Director of Northumbria University's Brain, Performance and Nutrition Research Center. "It must be highlighted that this is a short-term study and we can only speculate on the longer term outcomes of such nutritional practices."
The findings of the study are published in an online journal British Journal of Nutrition.
