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Should I eat before I run in the morning to lose weight?

This question is about Running

Sarah Achleithner

Studies have shown that a fasted morning run may increase the utilization of fat as a fuel source, improve skeletal muscle function, enhance metabolism, and reduce appetite [

1

]. Exercising in the fasted state may also reduce intake of food throughout the day, which can translate to weight loss [

2

]. However, running in a fasted state may impair performance if you're doing maximal or near-maximal efforts since glycogen stores decrease overnight. In this case, eating something small before a morning run can be beneficial.

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References:

  1. Wallis, G. A., & Gonzalez, J. T. (2019). Is exercise best served on an empty stomach?. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 78(1), 110–117.

    https://doi.org/10.1017/S0029665118002574

  2. Bachman, J. L., Deitrick, R. W., & Hillman, A. R. (2016). Exercising in the Fasted State Reduced 24-Hour Energy Intake in Active Male Adults. Journal of nutrition and metabolism, 2016, 1984198. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/1984198

  3. McCall, P. (2015). Does Fasted Cardio Provide Significant Benefits? ACE Fitness. Retrieved from

    https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-articles/5696/does-fasted-cardio-provide-significant-benefits/

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