Cardio food. Without it, classes will not bring the desired result! Principles of proper nutrition during cardio training. Should you eat after cardio on an empty stomach?

Cardio training plays a significant role in burning fat. There is an opinion that fasted cardio not only helps you lose fat, but also speeds up this process. On the other hand, during training on an empty stomach, not only fat layer, but also muscle tissue. Therefore, it is worth weighing the pros and cons before engaging in this type of training.

The effectiveness of fasted cardio

Morning cardio on an empty stomach is considered very effective in terms of a person’s physical condition. Training triggers a number of processes:

The release of beneficial hormones into the blood due to the stress that the body begins to experience.
Impact on adipose tissue of growth hormone and testosterone, which help the body take energy from fat reserves.
Acceleration of metabolism with regular training.
Active work endocrine system, which will cheer you up and set you up for the working day.

There is an opinion that cardio on an empty stomach in the morning is more effective for weight loss than training on a full stomach. There is another point of view: cardio training does not have to be “hungry” to burn fat. So is it possible to do cardio on an empty stomach for weight loss or is this training aimed at strengthening the heart muscle?

Should you include this kind of cardio in your training program?

This directly depends on the purpose of the training. For example, if the goal is only to lose weight, then training will be quite appropriate. At physical activity The source of energy is carbohydrates accumulated in the body. In the morning, glycogen levels are minimal, so the body begins to burn fat during training. On the other hand, fat is the last thing the body breaks down. In the beginning, protein will be wasted as energy, i.e. muscle. Accordingly, fasted cardio promotes the loss of not only fat, but also muscle, which is not suitable for people who want to gain weight in addition to losing weight. elastic body.

“Hungry” cardio is not suitable for people who, except morning classes planning an evening workout. In this case, it is better to have breakfast in the morning - the effect of losing weight will be greater, and the load on the body will be more gentle.

Each person can decide for himself whether such training is suitable for him or not. Only an experimental path will help you make the right choice. Try not to eat before training or, conversely, eat only proteins or carbohydrates and compare the results. The option to which the body responds better and will be optimal, even if it is not suitable for another person.

How to do cardio on an empty stomach?

In order for fasted cardio to bring only benefits to the body, a number of requirements must be met.

Training time

If the main goal of the training is weight loss, then it should last at least an hour. This is exactly how long it takes for the energy supply to come from fats that are last in line for breakdown.

As for regularity, it is better if the training is carried out with short breaks. Otherwise, the body will get used to this regime, which can lead to greater muscle loss and fatigue. The best option is 2-3 times a week.

Training rules

The main rule of training is not to eat anything in the morning. Only plain water is shown, which you can drink both before and during training. Under no circumstances should you replace water with coffee, as many do to give the body vigor. This is fraught with stomach problems. The drink can be enjoyed 20 minutes after training.

The second rule is intensity. It should be low. The main thing is to extend the training time, and not make it fast and intense. brisk walking or slow running– an excellent solution for “fasted” cardio.

And the third rule is gradualism. You don’t need to immediately achieve an hour-long workout, do everything gradually. Let it be 10 minutes at first, then 15, and so on, until the body gets used to the loads and they do not become a burden for it.

It is better to do cardio on an empty stomach in the morning than to limit yourself to food for an evening workout;
it is advisable to monitor your pulse: its optimal value should be in the range of 100-160 beats per minute;
use or protein;
Have a good breakfast after your workout.

Should I have breakfast after cardio or not, so what?

No less relevant for fasted cardio is nutrition after training. Moreover, the questions “what to eat after training” and “when to have breakfast” are equally important.

It is better not to eat food right away and it is advisable that the proteins go into the stomach first. Then, after half an hour or an hour, you can take carbohydrates, since fat continues to burn until they are consumed. The opinion that you don’t need to eat breakfast at all is wrong. If the body does not receive food before lunch, it will decide that the person intends to starve. As a result, the process of fat accumulation will begin, causing each subsequent meal to turn into the deposition of a fat layer. Eating a carbohydrate breakfast after fasted cardio blocks this process and reduces muscle loss.

Cardio training for weight loss will not be effective without reducing your calorie intake. Therefore, it is important not only when to eat, but also what. The table provides a list of foods that are advisable to consume after morning cardio.

Pros and cons of fasted cardio

Fasted cardio causes a lot of controversy: some believe that the training is useful, others do not see anything good in it.

Arguments for":

In the morning, due to the reduced amount, the body mobilizes fats. Eating interferes with this process.
After cardio on an empty stomach is on high level. As a result, fats are burned for some time after training.
Morning cardio will teach your body to wake up easily in the morning, and will also energize you for the whole day.

“Hungry” cardio is also supported by research from scientists who have proven that the effectiveness of cardio for fat burning is higher if performed on an empty stomach than on a full one.

Arguments against":

The effects of fasted cardio may not be as expected. Many fatty acid contained in the body, after training again turn into fat cells. Moreover, in most cases they are deposited in the abdominal area.
Intense morning cardio on an empty stomach contributes to significant muscle loss.
During fasting cardio, stomach acid is released, leading to serious stomach diseases. There is also an increased load on the heart.

Opponents of “fasted” cardio believe that if the goal of the training is to burn fat, then it doesn’t matter at all under what conditions it is carried out. The main thing is to follow the law of energy balance. Everything else depends on the preferences and health status of the practitioner.

Fasted cardio is a bit of a double-edged sword. You need to clearly define your goals and capabilities in order to make the right decision.

Many people use fasted cardio as effective remedy for fat burning. The truth about what fasted cardio actually does and what you should eat after exercise to preserve your muscles.

The role of cardio training in the fat burning process has been discussed more than once. Let me remind you that during prolonged cardio exercise with a heart rate of 60-70% of the maximum (I wrote about how to calculate the maximum heart rate in this article), after reserves are depleted, fat begins to be used as an energy source. A natural question arises:

If you do cardio on an empty stomach, will it speed up the fat burning process?

Disputes on this matter continue to this day, and I assure you that even if you re-read all the information on this topic, you will never find a specific and only correct answer. There are many supporters and opponents of “fasted cardio” and both sides cite as arguments Scientific research and mechanisms of human physiology processes. The problem is that scientists also come to contradictory conclusions in their research. Let's take a closer look.

As is known, glycogen is used primarily for energy formation, i.e. carbohydrates that are stored in your body. Moreover, glycogen is used both when performing strength exercises, and cardio. And until it is depleted, other sources cannot be used to produce energy.

After sleep, glycogen reserves in our body are almost exhausted and if you do not replenish them, the process begins. Proponents of fasted cardio say that in this case fat will be used as an energy source, because there are simply no carbohydrates left. But you need to remember that fat is the body’s reserve reserve, and it really “does not want” to part with it and will try to use it last. Therefore, no matter how you want it, even if glycogen is at zero, before using fat, muscle protein will be used for some time as an energy source, that is, literally your muscles. I have already mentioned that losing weight and burning fat are different concepts. So, when using fasted cardio, you must understand that you will lose not only fat, but muscle. This is fundamentally important for those who train with weights and strive for elastic muscular body. Therefore, if you do not want to lose muscle, it is still better to have breakfast before morning cardio.

However, many competitive athletes do use fasted cardio in preparation for competition to speed up the fat burning process. But before such a workout, these people always drink BCAAs () so as not to use muscle protein as energy.

Fasted cardio can be included in your training program if:

However, I recommend using cardio on an empty stomach temporarily, and not on an ongoing basis, especially since after a certain period of time the body adapts to this “trick” of yours. You just need to be prepared for the fact that without certain losses in muscle mass You can't get by. In addition, many note that after cardio on an empty stomach, lethargy and fatigue appear. However, this is individual and is tolerated differently by everyone.

Should you eat after cardio on an empty stomach?

If you use this type of training, then you should not make the most common mistake - not having breakfast at all. Many people think that if after cardio on an empty stomach you don’t eat until lunch, the effect will be even better. In fact, it's the other way around. The body perceives this as the beginning of a hunger strike and launches a “fat accumulation” program. In this case, you again lose muscle tissue, and during the next meal the body will try to store as much of the energy received as fat as possible. Therefore, after cardio, breakfast is definitely necessary, and it should be carbohydrate. This is how you deceive the body. He receives energy, understands that they are not going to “starve” him, and does not trigger the “fat storage” mechanisms. In addition, eating after cardio minimizes muscle loss. Fortunately, there are many recipes for pp-breakfasts and choosing something won’t be difficult.

However, even if you decide to include fasted cardio in your training program, you need to understand that this is not a panacea. In any case, burning fat requires a calorie deficit, and cardio is a way to increase your caloric expenditure. Accordingly, if you exceed the daily caloric intake required for weight loss, then neither cardio nor any other type of exercise will bring visible result. You can read how to calculate the amount of calories you need

If you decide to lose weight, then first of all you need to focus your attention on nutrition, as it plays a key role. It is also important to select meals at the optimal time (you need to know what is best to eat in the morning, before bed, etc.). Today we'll talk about nutrition before and after cardio training for weight loss. What is possible and what is not?

Conventionally, cardio can be divided into two types: high-intensity and low-intensity. Each type has its own differences and burns in its own way. subcutaneous fat. Accordingly, nutrition will depend on your choice.

High Intensity Cardio- this is when you perform some kind of physical activity, and your heart rate is above 150 beats per minute. As a rule, such workouts are very energy-intensive and allow you to burn a lot of calories. They usually last 15 – 30 minutes. The duration may vary depending on what exactly you are doing. For example, if this fast run V pulse zone 165 beats per minute, then its duration can be 15 minutes. And if you take the same run, only in interval mode (acceleration - deceleration), then the duration can be increased to 30 minutes.

High-intensity cardio training uses glycogen as energy. Glycogen is used because you make the body work very hard and fast. After completing this workout, your glycogen stores are depleted and the body begins to restore them. It will be restored either from food or during the breakdown of subcutaneous fat.

Low intensity cardio– this is when you perform some kind of physical activity and your heart rate does not exceed 150 beats per minute (ideal heart rate range: 120 – 130 beats per minute). These workouts burn fewer calories than high-intensity cardio, but use fat as fuel. But, muscle fat is initially consumed (when you do cardio), and then in the process of recovery (when you are resting) subcutaneous fat renews lost reserves of muscle fat. Thus, weight loss occurs. For maximum effectiveness, the duration of such training should be from 45 to 60 minutes. (if you are a beginner, then your duration can be 15 minutes).

Proper nutrition before and after cardio training for weight loss will depend on what type of training you choose and when you do it. First, let's look at high-intensity cardio training. This training I do not recommend doing it in the morning on an empty stomach and in the evening before bed. Optimal time for training – during the day. Since during this workout you use powerful sources of energy, nutrition before cardio training for weight loss (1.5 – 2 hours before training) should include proteins + carbohydrates. Carbohydrates will give you energy for a full workout, and protein will serve as a source of quality amino acids.

For example, you can use the following combination of products:

durum pasta + beef + vegetables
oatmeal + banana + protein shake
buckwheat + chicken + vegetables
rice + fish + vegetables

As for nutrition after cardio training for weight loss, we no longer need carbohydrates. 30-60 minutes after training, I recommend eating proteins + vegetables. The selection of products can be the same as before training, only without carbohydrate foods (exclude: durum pasta, oatmeal, bananas, buckwheat, rice, etc.).

Proper nutrition before and after low-intensity cardio training for weight loss is a little different. If in high intensity cardio Carbohydrates will help in work, but here they will only interfere. Since against the background of a carbohydrate deficiency and low blood sugar levels, fat burning will occur more intensely. This cardio can be done at any time of the day, including in the morning on an empty stomach and in the evening before bed.

If you do low-intensity cardio in the morning, then accordingly you do not eat anything before it. Traditionally, this is considered the best time to lose weight, since it is after sleep that your body has a minimum amount of carbohydrates and low blood sugar levels. After your morning cardio, I recommend eating proteins and vegetables.

If you do low-intensity cardio during the day, then you need to look at your diet. You can eat carbohydrates 1.5 – 2 hours before training, but after training I recommend concentrating on proteins (meat, chicken eggs, fish, chicken, protein) and vegetables.

If you do low-intensity cardio in the evening before bed, then you need to eat 1.5 - 2 hours before training. protein products and vegetables (exclude carbohydrates). Accordingly, after training you do not eat anything and immediately go to bed. During cardio, you burned muscle fat, and now during sleep, subcutaneous fat will replenish muscle fat reserves. Theoretically, cardio before bed is in no way inferior in effectiveness to cardio on an empty stomach, since during sleep growth hormone is intensively released, which is the best fat-burning hormone, and accordingly it helps in this matter.

The following can be used as protein meals:

low-fat cottage cheese + vegetables
fish + vegetables
chicken + vegetables
seafood + vegetables
meat + vegetables
chicken eggs + vegetables
protein cocktail

Well, that’s basically all you need to know to properly create your weight loss menu, taking into account cardio training. But, if you do not adhere to the basic rule of losing weight “you need to take in fewer calories than you burn during the day,” then manipulating the correct protein/carbohydrate ratio before/after training will not help you.

Sincerely,

Many people choose cardio exercise to lose weight and improve their health. But this is not always enough to achieve results. In order for cardio training to bring the desired results, you need to know what and when to eat before and after exercise, as well as maintain the amount of calories throughout the day. If you don’t do this, the weight will come off very slowly or even stay still.

Cardio is a complex of various exercises performed without stopping for a long time, this includes:

Run;.
- Aerobics;.
- Race walking;
- Swimming;
- Jumping rope, etc.

Cardio training is recommended for people who want to improve their health, maintain their shape, and also those who want to lose weight. It is recommended to exercise 2 to 5 times a week; training time can take from 10 minutes to an hour. The duration and number of workouts depends on what goal you are pursuing when doing cardio (losing weight, improving your health) and also on your level of physical fitness.

It is better to start exercising with a minimum amount of time, gradually increasing the duration and pace of the workout. The fact is that the body quickly gets used to aerobic exercise and if you don’t change anything, then after a certain time the training will stop bringing results. Attention! Only if you have been exercising for a long time and for some reason decided to give up cardio, then you should not quit training immediately, but gradually.

At what time and what should you eat before cardio?

Only if you have set yourself a goal to burn as much fat as possible with cardio, best time for training it’s morning. When you haven't had breakfast yet, your blood glucose level is very low, therefore, the body will take energy from fat reserves.

Many experts recommend consuming amino acids before training. They can be in the form of tablets or quickly digestible protein products (egg whites or isolate. According to scientists - 10-20 grams whey protein or a couple of egg whites is what you need for effective fat burning. But such a program is suitable only for long-time athletes and those with a low percentage of subcutaneous fat.

If you do cardio training lasting 30 minutes during the day or evening, then the interval between meals and exercise should be at least 2 hours. It’s best if it’s proteins (lean meat, cottage cheese, yogurt, eggs) and slow carbohydrates with a low glycemic index (porridge (except semolina), bread and pasta made from whole grain flour, brown rice, vegetables, etc.

Many people train immediately after the end of the working day - this is very a good option, since a sufficient amount of time has passed since you ate lunch, but try to have another snack two to three hours before training, so you will have enough energy to carry out the training with full dedication.

To drink or not to drink during training?

Drink! Still clean water. And drink as much as you need!

Some sites write that you should not drink water during training, as it will bloat your muscles and you will soon look like a jock. I want to say that this is complete nonsense. During exercise, we sweat and lose a lot of fluid, so we need to replenish it. Sometimes they even write that you need to wrap yourself in film or insulate yourself in order to burn fat - such self-manipulation can lead to heart problems. Yes, of course, you will sweat more, but sweat is not fat, but the body’s reaction to an increase in temperature, so you will not get any increased fat burning.

Nutrition after cardio workout.

Our body actively loses calories, not only when we do cardio, but also for some time after it. At this time, it is better to hold off on eating so as not to waste all your efforts on “Smarka”. Many people advise eating no earlier than 2 hours after training. This option is also not entirely correct, since cardio plus long-term abstinence from food can threaten muscle destruction and a decrease in metabolism. Which is clearly not suitable for weight loss.

It is most advisable, 30 minutes after training, to take protein foods (cottage cheese, egg whites, yogurt), and after an hour and a half, have a full lunch, preferably slow carbohydrates. Thus, if the training took place in evening time, then it should be a light dinner.

Why and for whom are cardio exercises useful?

Cardio is a set of various exercises performed without stopping for a long time, this includes:

- run;
– aerobics;
– race walking;
– swimming;
– jumping rope, etc.

It is better to start exercising with a minimum amount of time, gradually increasing the duration and pace of the workout. The fact is that the body quickly gets used to aerobic exercise and if you don’t change anything, then after a certain time the training will stop bringing results. If you have been working out for a long time and for some reason decided to give up cardio, then you should not quit training immediately, but gradually.

What time and what should you eat before cardio?

If you have set yourself a goal to burn as much fat as possible with cardio, the best time to train is in the morning. When you haven't had breakfast yet, your blood glucose level is very low, therefore, the body will take energy from fat reserves.

Many experts recommend consuming amino acids before training. They can be in the form of tablets or quickly digestible protein products (egg whites or isolate). According to scientists, 10-20 grams of whey protein or a couple of egg whites is what you need for effective fat burning. But such a program is suitable only for long-time athletes and those with a low percentage of subcutaneous fat.

If you do cardio training lasting 30 minutes during the day or evening, then the interval between meals and exercise should be at least 2 hours. It is best if it is proteins (lean meat, cottage cheese, yogurt, eggs) and slow carbohydrates with a low glycemic index (porridge (except semolina), bread and pasta made from whole grain flour, brown rice, vegetables, etc.).

Many people train immediately after the end of the working day - this is a very good option, since a sufficient amount of time has passed after eating lunch, but try to have another snack two to three hours before training, so you will have enough energy to carry out the training with full dedication.

To drink or not to drink during training?

Drink! Still clean water. And drink as much as you need!

Nutrition after cardio workout

Our body actively loses calories, not only when we do cardio, but also for some time after it. At this time, it is better to hold off on eating so as not to waste all your efforts. Many people advise eating no earlier than 2 hours after training. This option is also not entirely correct, since cardio plus long-term abstinence from food can threaten muscle destruction and a decrease in metabolism. Which is clearly not suitable for weight loss.

It is most advisable, 30 minutes after training, to take protein foods (cottage cheese, egg whites, yogurt), and after an hour and a half, have a full lunch, preferably slow carbohydrates. If the training took place in the evening, then it should be a light dinner.

Let's summarize:

– in order to lose weight, do not have breakfast before morning cardio;
– to maintain and improve your shape, take amino acids or protein in the morning before aerobics;
– at other times of the day, start training 2-3 hours after eating (slow carbohydrates and protein);
– during training, drink water as much as needed;
– after cardio training, drink protein or protein food 30 minutes later, and after 1.5 hours protein + slow carbohydrates.

Train and be good sports uniform Always!