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  1. #1
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    Best time to do cardio-or does it matter?

    Hey all,

    I've been lacking on posting over here, but I'm a daily reader. I'm making some good gains/progress with my workouts, thanks to the excellent info I've received over here.

    My question today is about the 'best time' (if there is one) to do my cardio. Lately I've been finding it harder and harder to get my running done in the morning, before breakfast, since our son is teething and waking up at all hours of the night. So, that being the case, I've decided to do my running in the evenings (the only time I have available) before I go to bed. Is this still OK, or will I be missing out on some great fat loss benefits of AM cardio?

    In Body for Life, they say not to eat anything for at least an hour after doing cardio. They also say to always do the cardio in the AM on an empty stomach. However, this isn't alwyas practical, so I run when I get the chance.

    What times does everyone do their cardio? Are there any special benefits to doing it on an empty stomach? What about running at night and then going to bed, i.e. fasting until the following morning?

    Thanks for the tips and info that I'm sure you folks can give me.

    Cheers,
    Scott
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  2. #2
    GOOOO COCKS!!!!! Hibiscus09's Avatar
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    You'll get a variety of answers to this question. LOL

    If you're unable to do cardio pre-breakfast (which a lot of people that lift weights will tell you not to do anyway -- however, I think up to 30 minutes is fine), then do it post lifting. (and there are a lot of people that will tell you not to do it then or to at least have some protein before you do -- I again, think it's fine to do it post lifting -- LOL).

    I'm not a big believer in waiting an hour to eat post cardio, regardless of what Bill Phillips says. I try to eat within 20 minutes of when I train.

    However, Tom Venuto -- who's site I love, says the best time to do cardio is anytime -- however, he does point out which times are more optimal:

    Oops -- I had a url here, but realized it was from another site that sells supplements.

    I'll find that article elsewhere & post a link.
    Last edited by Hibiscus09; 11-19-2003 at 06:40 AM.
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  3. #3
    GOOOO COCKS!!!!! Hibiscus09's Avatar
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    Well, I'll just copy the article. LOL Wouldn't want to get banned by the mean old banners here.

    By Tom Venuto:

    When is the best time of day to do your aerobic exercise? The answer is any time! The most important thing is that you just do it. Continuous cardiovascular exercise, such as walking, jogging, stairclimbing, or cycling, sustained for at least 30 minutes, will burn body fat no matter when you do it. However, if you want to get the maximum benefits possible from every minute you invest in your workouts, then you should consider getting up early and doing cardio before you eat your first meal - even if you're not a "morning person." Early morning aerobic exercise on an empty stomach has three major advantages over exercising later in the day.

    First of all, morning cardio burns more fat! Early in the morning before you eat, your levels of muscle and liver glycogen (stored carbohydrate) are low. If you eat dinner at 7 p.m and you eat breakfast at 7 a.m., that's 12 hours without food. During this 12-hour overnight fast, your levels of glycogen slowly decline to provide glucose for various bodily functions that go on even while you sleep. As a result, you wake up in the morning with depleted glycogen and lower blood sugar - the optimum environment for burning fat instead of carbohydrate. How much more fat you'll burn is uncertain, but some studies have suggested that up to 300% more fat is burned when cardio is done in a fasted, glycogen-depleted state.

    So how exactly does this work? It's quite simple, really. Carbohydrate (glycogen) is your body's primary and preferred energy source. When your primary fuel source is in short supply, this forces your body to tap into its secondary or reserve energy source; body fat. If you do cardio immediately after eating a meal, you'll still burn fat, but you'll burn less of it because you'll be burning off the carbohydrates you ate first. You always burn a combination of fat and carbohydrate for fuel, but depending on when you exercise, you can burn a greater proportion of fat relative to carbohydrate. If doing cardio first thing in the morning is not an option for you, then the second best time to do it would be immediately after weight training. Lifting weights is anaerobic (carbohydrate-burning) by nature, and therefore depletes muscle glycogen. That's why a post lifting cardio session has a similar effect as morning cardio on an empty stomach.

    The second benefit you'll get from early morning cardio sessions is what I call the "afterburn" effect. When you do a cardio session in the morning, you not only burn fat during the session, but you also continue to burn fat at an accelerated rate after the workout. Why? Because an intense session of cardiovascular exercise can keep your metabolism elevated for hours after the session is over. If you do cardio at night, you will still burn fat during the session, so you definitely benefit from it. However, nighttime cardio fails to take advantage of the "afterburn" effect because your metabolism drops like a ton of bricks as soon as you go to sleep. While you sleep, your metabolic rate is slower than any other time of the day.

    Burning more fat isn't the only reason you should do your cardio early. The third benefit of morning workouts is the "rush" and feeling of accomplishment that stays with you all day long after an invigorating workout. Exercise can become a pleasant and enjoyable experience, but the more difficult or challenging it is for you, the more important it is to get it out of the way early. When you put off any task you consider unpleasant, it hangs over you all day long, leaving you with a feeling of guilt, stress and incompleteness (not to mention that you are more likely to "blow off" an evening workout if you are tired from a long day at work or if your pals try to persuade you to join them at the pub for happy hour.)

    You might find it hard to wake up early in the morning and get motivated to workout. But think back for a moment to a time in your life when you tackled a difficult task and you finished it. Didn't you feel great afterwards? Completing any task, especially a physically challenging one, gives you a "buzz." When the task is exercise, the buzz is physiological and psychological. Physiologically, exercise releases endorphins in your body. Endorphins are opiate-like hormones hundreds of times more powerful than the strongest morphine. Endorphins create a natural "high" that makes you feel positively euphoric! Endorphins reduce stress, improve your mood, increase circulation and relieve pain. The "high" is partly psychological too. Getting up early and successfully achieving a small goal kick starts your day and gives you feelings of completion, satisfaction and accomplishment. For the rest of the day you feel happy and you feel less stress knowing that a difficult part of the day is behind you.

    So, you say you're not a morning person? Take heart; neither am I. I can sleep in like you wouldn't believe! But I get up anyway because I know the effort is worth the results. When I have a bodybuilding goal that I am clearly focused on, such as reaching 4% or 5% body fat for a competition, I'm on my Stairmaster for 45 minutes every morning at the crack of dawn without fail. Sure it's a challenge at first, but you know what? After a few short weeks, It's no longer a chore and I'm "in the groove" - and you will be too. Just try it. Make a commitment to yourself to do it for just 21 days. Once those 21 days have gone by, you'll already be leaner and you'll be on your way to making morning workouts a habit that's as natural as brushing your teeth or taking a shower. Once you start getting used to feeling that buzz, you'll become "positively addicted" to it. The more you do it, the more you'll want to do it. Before you know it, early morning cardio will be your new habit, you'll be leaner, your metabolism will be faster and you'll feel fantastic all day long!
    "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

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    GOOOO COCKS!!!!! Hibiscus09's Avatar
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    He's pretty darn hot, too! LOL I'd like to feel those abs!
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  5. #5
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    Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it. I'll try to get the AM sessions as time allows, but I'll most likely end up doing them in the PM, before bed. I figure as long as I get the cardio sessions in, I'll be OK. I really liked his site. I'll have a look later when I can look around more. Thanks for the heads up.

    Does anyone else have any other thoughts?

    Have a good week,
    Scott
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  6. #6
    Registered User MarkY's Avatar
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    I've read most of the information on this site regarding cardio in the morning on an empty stomach. Most of the posts say it's a bad idea. I've read in several books and journals that morning cardio on an empty stomach is the best way to burn the most fat.

    This is what I'm choosing to do. Morning cardio right after I get up. If you have to do your cardio before bed, you might have some trouble sleeping. If you can't do it in the morning, I shoot for a couple of hours before bed at least.
    Mark
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    Registered User MarkY's Avatar
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    I've read most of the information on this site regarding cardio in the morning on an empty stomach. Most of the posts say it's a bad idea. I've read in several books and journals that morning cardio on an empty stomach is the best way to burn the most fat.

    This is what I'm choosing to do. Morning cardio right after I get up. If you have to do your cardio before bed, you might have some trouble sleeping. If you can't do it in the morning, I shoot for a couple of hours before bed at least.
    Mark
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  8. #8
    Like a Fine Wine TrishB's Avatar
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    I've always gotten my best results doing cardio in the morning --prebreakfast. Plus it is done..and I don't have to think about having to get it done after working all day.
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  9. #9
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    Cardio on an empty stomach is indeed the optimum, however it is the most catabolic.

    I've started to drink 1/2 a protein shake prior to morning exercise, and drink the other 1/2 afterwards, with plenty of oats/bran.

    In the evening, because of the time of spin class' I eat 30 mins prior.
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