I ate a small lunch before I went to work, then didn’t eat again before I left work for home about 9 hours later.

On the way home, I stopped at my pool and swam lengths for 30 minutes.

What effect does an empty stomach have on the results of the exercise? Any?

Bear in mind, I am NOT asking what effect the empty stomach has on the exercise itself; that part is relatively obvious (i.e. in theory, I should have been tired).

It’s unsafe to swim on a full stomach. You did the right thing.

a fine balance I think, for me anyway.

too much food or too close to exercise, barf city; too little food or too early before exercise, I hit the wall half way in

(i.e. in theory, I should have been tired)

Which theory is this?

(When) I run I feel best literally straight out of bed, glass of water & away. Running in the evening is awful if I’ve had tea.

You do risk bonking though, if you go too hard on an empty tank.

I usually just get up on a Saturday morning and ride. Fasted riding! Usually have a gel after the first 5 minutes (tough climb out of town) and then continue smashing gels every 15 minutes after. Fasted riding! Great for fat burning and teaching your body how to burn fat as a fuel. Fasted riding! For greater effect, do your exercise in the fat burning zones.

No expert, but I once trialled going out first thing before lectures, like 7am straight out of bed and on the bike, and the lack of food didn’t make any noticeable difference – but I guess it depends on how much/quality of food you’ve eaten in the previous 24hours

@ davidtaylforth – I didn’t think it was wise to burn fat as a fuel? unless said rider is aiming to shed some weight. Bonking can be pretty dangerous to say the least..

@ davidtaylforth – I didn’t think it was wise to burn fat as a fuel? unless said rider is aiming to shed some weight.

Most riders on here are? 😆

😉 possibly, in that case they should stick a few mars bars in the pocket before attempting anything out on an empty stomach!

This rider is definitely aiming to shed weight!

😀

Ignore my advice then, smashing energy gels is not the way to go.

Fasted exercise, I’ve heard people talk about it.

To swim 30 minutes, I reckon you don’t need to eat anything.

I reckon paddy has it with this

but I guess it depends on how much/quality of food you’ve eaten in the previous 24hours

I tried it at the end of last year and thought I’d die without having breakfast. Felt better to be honest. With energy drink I was fine up to around 2 hours. Not sure how I’d feel longer than that but I’d guess I’d have enough stored to do whatever I normally do having breakfast/ breakfast and lunch.

As long as you’ve had plenty of rest since your last bout of heavy exercise, your body should have enough energy stored in it (in the form of glycogen / glucose) for a few hours’ sustained exercise without the need for energy gels, etc.

davidtaylforth – Member
I usually just get up on a Saturday morning and ride. Fasted riding! Usually have a gel after the first 5 minutes (tough climb out of town) and then continue smashing gels every 15 minutes after. Fasted riding! Great for fat burning and teaching your body how to burn fat as a fuel. Fasted riding! For greater effect, do your exercise in the fat burning zones.

OMFG – no food then stuffing your face with synthetic carbs and sugar overload every 15 minutes.

Do me a favor, eat some proper healthy food once in a while and leave the Gels for emergencies. They were invested for skinny pro’s who want conviencinece and accessability in a light package, not as a food source for normal human beings.

Got to agree with kryton, energy gels are only useful cos they are small and can be carried, not as a replacement for proper food. Each to their own though.

What effect does an empty stomach have on the results of the exercise? Any?

When you haven’t eaten, there is very little insulin in your blood. This means that you can burn fat much more easily – insulin inhibits the processing of fat for energy.

If you have something sugary then go for a long ride without eating anything, you’ll bonk far sooner than if you have nothing at all.

IME a great weight loss tactic is to make sure you haven’t eaten anything for 3-4 hours before your ride, and have nothing for the first 45 mins of your ride. Works very well – the lack of insulin means your body starts burning fat well, and this is great for endurance sports. You will find you need very few gels during your ride.

If you have one within the first 5 mins as davidtaylforth does then you’ll find you burn up all that sugar, then need more, so you’ll end up quaffing loads of gels, and burning that for fuel and less of the fat you want to get rid of.

If you are quaffing gels then it’s not fasted riding, cos the gels are actually food.

swam lengths for 30 minutes.

Probably no difference

It’s unsafe to swim on a full stomach

You do know this is an urban myth don’t you?

All of my morning commutes are done on an empty stomach (15 miles – fast!), and pretty much all of my Saturday morning rides (30 odd miles) and Sunday morning rides (up to 100 miles) are done on an empty stomach. On Sundays if I’m feeling particularly weak, I’ll pop a few sweets to get me round.

You don’t need food for a long time.

Energy gels as your main source of calories?

Phew, the bloke must have money to burn.

Usually have a gel after the first 5 minutes (tough climb out of town) and then continue smashing gels every 15 minutes after.

😯 😯 😯

An energy gel has around 50g of carbs packed in them. Easily enough for around 45 – 60 mins of intense exercise racing. Use gels a last resort for an energy blast.

Energy gels as your main source of calories?

Phew, the bloke must have money to burn.

And a really bad score on the Bristol scale!

What molgrips said. I ride for about 45 minutes, hard as I can, two mornings a week straight out of bed, with no breakfast and nothing to eat until lunch. I’ve lost over a stone and it’s staying off.

And how the hell is a gel every 15 minutes fasted riding?

And how the hell is a gel every 15 minutes fasted riding?

He’s a compulsive troll – you can’t actually believe anything he says, which is what you get for compulsive trolling. It’s probably a side-effect of living entirely on gels… 😉

davidtaylforth – Member
I usually just get up on a Saturday morning and ride. Fasted riding! Usually have a gel after the first 5 minutes (tough climb out of town) and then continue smashing gels every 15 minutes after. Fasted riding! Great for fat burning and teaching your body how to burn fat as a fuel. Fasted riding! For greater effect, do your exercise in the fat burning zones.

How is “smashing” carb gells every 15 minutes fasted riding? you are burning the energy gels!

It’s probably a side-effect of living entirely on gels…

😀