How does fasting affect exercise performance?
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Fasting's impact on exercise performance can vary, but there are several key insights from the podcast:
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Fat Oxidation: Exercising in a fasted state can increase the percentage of fat burned compared to exercising after eating. This effect is particularly noticeable during high-intensity workouts where glycogen stores are depleted, allowing the body to shift more quickly to burning fat 1.
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Hormonal Effects: For short exercise sessions, training fasted doesn't significantly decrease fat oxidation. However, insulin, released upon eating, can inhibit fat burning, so fasting may facilitate more fat oxidation 2.
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Gender Differences: Women often require more calories and carbohydrates to maintain hormonal balance during exercise, which may affect their ability to exercise effectively in a fasted state compared to men 3.
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Intensive Exercise: After 90 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (like zone two cardio), individuals who are fasted tend to burn more fat than those who ate prior to the workout 4. However, exercising intensely and fasted should be approached cautiously, as performance can be compromised if energy levels are too low.
These points illustrate that while fasting can enhance fat oxidation during exercise, it is critical to consider individual needs and exercise intensity. For performance-focused training, especially in sports, eating prior to exercise might be more beneficial.
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