Is there a benefit to fasted cardio? We discuss the science.

A lot of people try different things to help them lose weight. Some people change their diet, some change the frequency of their meals and others experiment with their workouts. Something I have done in the past is fasted cardio, but does it help weight loss? In one study 6 active men switched between fasted and fed cardio. The end result was that lipolysis increased in fasted individuals. When this happens the body break down more fat than can be used but ultimately the unused fat is then restored back in the body again as fat. Another study was done with 20 healthy females half performing fasted cardio and the other half eating before hand. After 4 weeks the study concluded that both groups lost a good amount of weight however the difference between the 2 were not noticeable. Some evidence shows that fasted cardio can be bad for building muscle. After 6 subjects pedalled for an hour they had a 10.4% protein breakdown. We can also perform better with a meal before a workout. It was found in a study that comparing a meal three hours before a workout to a fasted workout that individuals could resist fatigue more than the fasted subjects.

In conclusion here are some key points we found to fasted cardio/ workouts.

Fasting causes you to breakdown more fat than the body can use during exercise. Unfortunately the unused fat is restored back in the body.
The weight loss difference between fasted cardio and pre-fed cardio are not noticeable.

Fasted cardio isn’t optimal for anyone looking to put on muscle mass.
Eating before a workout can provide a better training session and decrease fatigue when compared to fasted cardio.