will running 1st thing in the morning on an empty stomach make you lose muscle?

Answer 1

there is no benefit from exercising in a fasted state for the average trainer. this is a very old practice used by bodybuilders to get in pre-contest shape. however they are on massive amounts of androgenic steroids that block cortisol from attaching to the AR receptor which prevents muscle loss.

but besides all of that there is simply no advantage to performing any form of exercise in a fasted stated.

Answer 2

Hello there,

Well, as soon as you wake up, your body needs sugar (blod sugar) to get to work.. so if you don't give him, he will have to make sacrifice by eating itself.. you will then lose fat, and muscle (there is a ratio of about 60%/40%) <-- correct me if i'm in the wrong ^^

So, yeah, it's a very good idea to do it, but not a marathon-like running.. Keep it short, like 20 minutes, then wait an hour (you will still lose fat) before your first meal (don't forget protein!)

I would not do it more than 3 times per week, to help maintain your hard-earned muscles, do resistance weight training like 3 times per week: that way, you will maybe get close to your objective, which is "losing the fat, gaining the muscle" (not here to make a pub, but that's a good book) ^^

Some people cannot do it on an empty stomach: as with everything, try to check as your next visit to your physician if he agrees for you to do it safely.

Best of luck!

Answer 3

I would not think so, but you do need to make sure you are hydrated. You know the old saying, "If you are thirsty, then you are already dehydrated!" Even in winter when you might not sweat as much, you are losing vital body fluid that you need to replace. Also, if you have had a physical and are clear healthwise, great. But if you have not had one in a while, make sure you are paying attention to signs like dizziness, etc. You could be low on blood sugar if you are running on a totally empty stomach. I would think some sort of juice or gatorade would be good to have a little of before you take out, and I assume you carry liquid with you as any good runner would. Good for you for taking care of your body and running