Fasted cardio

[ucf465]

Hey guys, long time reader but just got an account here so i am some what new to the board.

My question is:

Does it need to be TRULY fasted cardio or will a morning whey protein shake be ok prior to 1 hour of cardio? (I also take l-glutamine along with the protein)

thanks
ucf

[gbrice75]

This is just my opinion, but I see absolutely nothing wrong with a whey shake before fasted cardio. I'd even do it closer to the cardio session. You are not providing your body energy, so in a sense it's still fasted. Your body will most certainly not break down the protein shake to use as energy after being fasted all night, so you don't have to worry about that.

[Standby]

i dont know the true answer here GB has some good points but my brain personally wont allow me to believe best results are happening

[dec11]

This is just my opinion, but I see absolutely nothing wrong with a whey shake before fasted cardio. I'd even do it closer to the cardio session. You are not providing your body energy, so in a sense it's still fasted. Your body will most certainly not break down the protein shake to use as energy after being fasted all night, so you don't have to worry about that.

how do you know this?

[gbrice75]

how do you know this?

Your body has been without protein for ... let's say 8 hours, an average night's sleep. Studies show our bodies crave protein every 3 hours, give or take. Although the body can use protein as an energy source if it absolutely has to, it most definitely isn't the preferred source.

So we have a body that craves protein (for building/repairing and all of protein's other primary functions) every 3 hours but has gone almost 3 times as long without it, and then we introduce a protein source - which the body doesn't like to use for energy. It is much more likely that your body will continue to rely on fat stores until a readily available energy source is provided (carbs for instance). Can I say this will be the case 100% of the time with every person? No... so maybe my statement above shouldn't have been so 'matter of fact'. However, I believe chances of that happening are very slim.

[dec11]

Your body has been without protein for ... let's say 8 hours, an average night's sleep. Studies show our bodies crave protein every 3 hours, give or take. Although the body can use protein as an energy source if it absolutely has to, it most definitely isn't the preferred source.

So we have a body that craves protein (for building/repairing and all of protein's other primary functions) every 3 hours but has gone almost 3 times as long without it, and then we introduce a protein source - which the body doesn't like to use for energy. It is much more likely that your body will continue to rely on fat stores until a readily available energy source is provided (carbs for instance). Can I say this will be the case 100% of the time with every person? No... so maybe my statement above shouldn't have been so 'matter of fact'. However, I believe chances of that happening are very slim.

i pref to err on the side of caution and do a fasted cardio fasted completely, its not clear cut if the body will inefficiently use the protein consumed or not

[ucf465]

Your body has been without protein for ... let's say 8 hours, an average night's sleep. Studies show our bodies crave protein every 3 hours, give or take. Although the body can use protein as an energy source if it absolutely has to, it most definitely isn't the preferred source.

So we have a body that craves protein (for building/repairing and all of protein's other primary functions) every 3 hours but has gone almost 3 times as long without it, and then we introduce a protein source - which the body doesn't like to use for energy. It is much more likely that your body will continue to rely on fat stores until a readily available energy source is provided (carbs for instance). Can I say this will be the case 100% of the time with every person? No... so maybe my statement above shouldn't have been so 'matter of fact'. However, I believe chances of that happening are very slim.

In bold is what i learned in my Nutrition class. as long as there is another source of energy (ex. fat or carbs) the body will only use protein at about 5-10% for energy. Just wanted to clarify because much of what you learn from books, docs, articles and other sources dont always seem to pan out in practice. I had a GP doc tell me i needed 50 grams of protein and 2500 cals a day to grow!! (im 6'2" and 190) I took me 6 months of hard training to realize he was a jackass.

[Sgt. Hartman]

In bold is what i learned in my Nutrition class. as long as there is another source of energy (ex. fat or carbs) the body will only use protein at about 5-10% for energy. Just wanted to clarify because much of what you learn from books, docs, articles and other sources dont always seem to pan out in practice. I had a GP doc tell me i needed 50 grams of protein and 2500 cals a day to grow!! (im 6'2" and 190) I took me 6 months of hard training to realize he was a jackass.

If your goal is to grow, I wouldn't recommend doing AM fasted cardio at all, even with a shake unless you're only doing low-intensity cardio.

[gbrice75]

i pref to err on the side of caution and do a fasted cardio fasted completely, its not clear cut if the body will inefficiently use the protein consumed or not

I hear ya, and this is the case with alot of people. Personally, I do my am cardio completely fasted and just make sure I load up on BCAA's before and after.

[liveinyourbody]

Very true what was said above, just to add my 2 cents in. I' ve done a lot of research on the fasted cardio Idea, from what I have read a lot from Lyle mcdonald is that your body will attack muscle whenever it has a chance to, it see's this great mass of amino acids sitting being stored for no reason so Its the ultimate jackpot for energy in survival mode, fat is not always the one being attacked for the "extra" energy. Lyle says in his stubborn fat protocol that any bcaa's or amino's, protein shakes etc pre- fasted cardio will cause an insulin spike in which your body will use what ever was ingested prior for energy. The first step of burning the "stored fat " is releasing the fatty acids from there cells immobilizing them into the blood stream where the exercise you perform "usually high oxygen consuming cardio" will oxidize(get rid of,burn up) the stored fat. The biggest problem was iMMOBILIZING the fat cells. What research shows is that adrenaline will play a huge part in releasing these fatty acids, so we have to "trick" our body into producing adrenaline to immobilize the fats. One way Lyle suggest is taking L-Tyrosine 45 mins before along with e/c stack. The tyrosine is supposed to help the adrenaline release, The protocol then suggest 10 mins fast as possible "shocking the system into releasing the fatty acids" rest 5 mins and continue on to steady state low intensity high oxygen consuming cardio to now " burn off the fatty acids in the blood stream". This protocol is not 100% muscle saving but it you are "priming" for a cycle or just want to get to extreme low levels of bf this protocol is THE BEST, Ive used it I can speak from exp Yes I lost muscle " not a real lot" but noticeable, but I was in mid single digit range when protocol was finished. This is the extreme version of fasted cardio. hope that gave you a different way to look at it. Good luck

[Back In Black]

What has worked for me......

Wake and ingest 5-10g BCAA, 200mg caffeine, 1g Vitamin C.

30 mins later I am doing my 65%MHR cardio for 40 minutes

No carbs for my last 2 of 6 meals, the night before.

Normal breakfast.

Works wonders, PROVIDED, your diet is in check.