Historically, you have been told to eat before playing sports, to gain strength and not to fall in the apples because of a hypoglycemic attack. However, training on an empty stomach is attracting a growing number of athletes. So what are the benefits of exercising on an empty stomach? "Exercising on an empty stomach can be useful for people looking to lose weight or body fat", explains William Chanconie, sports coach. This method also helps to gain endurance, according to Victoria Tchaikovski, sports doctor in Paris. "The body thus mobilizes more quickly the reserves of lipids to trigger a discharge of energy", she indicates. But before going headlong, a few precautions must be observed.
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Adapt your training
On an empty stomach, we do not practice a physical activity as if we had had a meal or a snack beforehand.
Indeed, when the sugar level is high in the blood, that is to say when we have just eaten, the body will draw on these sugar reserves.
Conversely, when you exercise on an empty stomach, the body will directly use it where the fat is.
To support this effect, certain sports should be favored, in particular those that stimulate cardio, such as cycling, running or swimming.
"However, fasting is not recommended for short and violent exercises, such as interval training or squats," sports doctor Victoria Tchaikovski notes.
You are more likely to have cramps or have low blood sugar. ”
We're going gradually, we're not going to run a marathon on an empty stomach directly Victoria Tchaikovski, sports doctor
To avoid these inconveniences, sports coach William Chanconie recommends always carrying something a little sweet during exercise, a cereal bar or a bar rich in protein.
“We go gradually, if we start, we start first with 15 to 20 minutes, then half an hour and we increase the duration as we go.
We are not going to run a marathon on an empty stomach, ”emphasizes the sports doctor.
Don't forget to hydrate
But be careful, staying on an empty stomach does not also mean forgetting about hydration.
"In the morning, before playing sports, the ideal is to drink a cup of tea and a glass of water", advises the sports coach.
We of course avoid sugary drinks, such as fruit juice, and we take our tea (or coffee), without adding sugar.
And we do not forget to hydrate well during and after the effort.
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Prepare your body
The day before a session, sports doctor Victoria Tchaikovski recommends preparing your body for this particular sports training.
"We favor a meal rich in slow sugars, we have a good dinner with starchy foods, bread and a dessert," she explains.
“It is advisable to have a diet allowing light digestion, with cooked vegetables also, adds William Chanconie.
For the same reasons, animal proteins and dairy products should be avoided during this meal. "
The sports coach also recommends a good night's sleep.
"The better we slept, the better we will recover," he sums up.
And obviously, we practice sport on an empty stomach only if our mental state allows it: "We do it in good conditions and especially not in a context of professional or general overwork", notes the sports doctor.
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An effort away from meals
Morning would be a great time to train on an empty stomach, according to sports coach William Charconie.
“Even at a very low intensity, the fat will be directly mobilized,” he says.
And if you don't have time to train in the morning, the sports coach advises to wait at least five hours after the last meal.
“For people who have eaten at noon, I offer sessions from 5 pm to be really fasting,” he reports.
Regain strength
After your session, it is important to eat again.
"If you want to optimize weight loss, you can wait 30 to 45 minutes before eating again, the time to take a shower and get dressed", suggests the coach.
But we will not go so far as to wait much longer before feeding.
“You have to quickly bring something to the body and attack a meal rich in protein and fiber,” he explains.
“You can eat anything, but avoid a meal that is too fatty,” concludes sports doctor Victoria Tchaikovski.
* Originally published in December 2020, this article has been updated.
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