Should you eat before you exercise?

We know nutrition and fitness are the key to a happy, healthy body and mind… But we’re constantly hearing conflicting advice about whether we should eat before we workout, or whether working out in a fasted state can produce better results.

So which one is it?

Particularly relevant if you’re a morning exerciser, let’s dive into the evidence.

1. Does exercising fasted increase your ability to burn fat?

When you exercise without eating beforehand, your body is more likely to use stored fat as its fuel source to give you energy for your workout.

On the other hand, if you’ve eaten before training, your body will first burn off the sugars and carbohydrates in the food you’ve just consumed, before switching to body fat stores for fuel.

However, studies have shown that this doesn’t necessarily lead to a greater loss in body fat. Several experiments showed no difference in fat loss between women who exercised fasted, and women who exercised after eating.

So while this may be a key driving factor behind people choosing to do fasted cardio, turns out there’s actually no solid evidence saying working out fasted will improve your results or burn more fat!

2. Does exercising on an empty stomach impact your performance?

On the other half of the coin, many people think that exercising fasted means you’ll have less energy for your session, so your results and performance will suffer.

Turns out, again this isn’t true! Research showed no difference in performance between people who ate before exercising and those who didn’t - as long as their workouts were less than an hour in duration.

Even better, people who specifically did HIIT exercise performed just as well fasted and fed - so you’ll be ready to smash a Symetrie circuit whichever way you decide to go!

The reason for this? Your body stores enough energy at all times to fuel you for a solid hour of training, so you’ll be just fine sweating it out whether you choose to eat beforehand or not.

So what’s the verdict?

The results are in… and there’s no better option here! The choice is entirely up to you, and what makes you feel best when you workout. The truth is that training fasted or fed won’t impact your fat loss, performance or results.

However if you do choose to train fasted, it’s even more important to get a good-quality post-workout meal in - aim for a balanced meal of complex carbohydrates, protein, fibre and healthy fats to replenish all the nutrients and energy you lose when you workout. It will help you recover better, and see results faster!

So whether you choose to come fasted or fed, book into your next Symetrie session now!

Bring along a friend or accountability partner for a little extra push - they can try unlimited Symetrie classes for 2 weeks for just $59 on our Intro Offer!