Dear Reader,

Working out before eating breakfast offers no additional or superior rewards. In general, any time you exercise, you'll raise your metabolism during the session and for some time afterwards. Studies have shown that the more intensely you exercise, the longer your metabolic rate stays raised. The magnitude and duration of this increase varies from person to person, and from workout to workout.

The belief that training on an empty stomach leads to increased fat burning is also not true. During exercise, muscles burn a combination of carbohydrate and fat. As one becomes more fit, his or her muscles utilize a greater percentage of fat for energy.

Another consideration to think about is that many people are in low energy mode when they first wake up because blood sugar levels are usually at their lowest then. If one eats sometime before getting physically active, s/he may have more oomph, get in a more strenuous session, and work off more calories and fat than if s/he hadn't eaten. These facts aren't presented to dissuade early birds from their routine, but to dispel some myths from circulating.

While an elevation in metabolism may be desirable for many of us, it's not enough to result in any significant weight loss. In addition, some folks compensate for all of this by eating more, which then makes this an entirely moot point.

Alice

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