{"id":542033,"date":"2026-07-24T14:02:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T14:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/542033\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T14:02:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T14:02:12","slug":"should-you-try-fasted-workouts-for-fat-loss-dietitians-explain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/542033\/","title":{"rendered":"Should You Try Fasted Workouts for Fat Loss? Dietitians Explain"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you know how to prep your body for a workout, including what you should eat before, if anything?<\/p>\n

On social media, many people praise fasted workouts for their alleged health benefits, such as extra fat burning and weight loss.<\/p>\n

But dietitians caution that exercising on an empty stomach can be risky and the evidence to suggest it has any benefits is limited.<\/p>\n

Expert Tip of the Day: Fasted Workouts Are Not Better for Fat or Weight Loss<\/p>\n

\u201cFasted exercise does seem to increase fat burning during the workout itself,\u201d Joy Bauer, dietitian and TODAY contributor, tells TODAY.com. \u201cWhen you haven\u2019t eaten, insulin levels are lower and your body is more likely to tap into stored fat for fuel. But here\u2019s the important distinction: Burning more fat during one workout does not necessarily mean you\u2019ll lose more body fat over time.\u201d<\/p>\n

TODAY nutrition editor and dietitian Natalie Rizzo agrees: \u201cThere\u2019s little evidence that exercising on an empty stomach leads to greater weight loss than exercising after eating, as long as total calorie intake and exercise are similar.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, eating before exercise may give you the energy to burn even more calories and build more muscle, Rizzo adds.<\/p>\n

Why It Matters<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important not to try every trend you see on social media just because influencers say it works, as some come with health risks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cResearch suggests there may be some metabolic benefits with fasted exercise, including adaptations related to insulin sensitivity, but for most people, the biggest drivers of weight management are still the overall quality of their diet, how much they\u2019re eating, and most importantly, whether they exercise consistently,\u201d Bauer explains.<\/p>\n

How to Get Started<\/p>\n

Rizzo and Bauer offer a few guidelines for determining if you should eat before exercising.<\/p>\n

\u201cI usually tell people to eat before almost every workout. But if you want to exercise in a faster state, then consider three things: the workout, the timing and how you feel,\u201d Rizzo says. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re doing an easy walk or gentle yoga first thing in the morning and you naturally feel fine without eating, it\u2019s probably OK to exercise fasted. But if you\u2019re lifting weights, doing HIIT, running, cycling or any other endurance sport, having some carbohydrates beforehand is beneficial and recommended.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bauer compares fueling for a workout to a road trip. \u201cIf you\u2019re taking a quick spin around the block, you probably don\u2019t need a full tank of gas, but if you\u2019re headed out on a long haul, you don\u2019t want to start on empty,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The dietitians say fasted workouts can actually be dangerous for certain groups:<\/p>\n

Anyone taking insulin or a medication that can lower blood sugar, such as people with diabetesPregnant peopleAnyone with a history of fainting or low blood sugarAnyone with a history of disordered eatingAnyone training multiple hours a day with high caloric needs<\/p>\n

If you decide to try a fasted workout, pay attention to how your body is feeling. \u201cFeeling a little challenged during exercise is normal; feeling faint, disoriented or unable to control your body is not,\u201d Bauer says.<\/p>\n

Signs you need to take a break and refuel include \u201cdizziness, lightheadedness, shakiness, unusual weakness or even lack of physical enthusiasm to work out, nausea, cold sweats, blurred vision, confusion, trouble concentrating or a sudden drop in coordination or performance,\u201d Bauer explains.<\/p>\n

In this case, sit or lie down and have 15-20 grams of a fast-acting carb, such as juice, a sports drink or piece of fruit. \u201cGive yourself about 15 minutes to recover, and don\u2019t resume exercising until the symptoms are completely gone,\u201d Bauer adds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Do you know how to prep your body for a workout, including what you should eat before, if…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":542034,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[565,134,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-542033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542033","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=542033"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542033\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/542034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=542033"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=542033"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=542033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}