Regular physical activity, like jogging, is part of living a healthy lifestyle. However, your dietary habits also matter. Exercise with an empty stomach may risk your muscle mass and may also cause undue fatigue. To maximize your exercise program, eat according to your exercise routine and always replenish afterward.
Muscle Loss
If you jog on an empty stomach, you risk losing precious muscle mass. Without any food in your stomach, your body has less nutrients to run on. Therefore, it is more likely that your body will turn to the proteins in your muscles as fuel. This contradicts exactly what you are trying to do with your exercise program. Part of the benefit of exercise is to build muscle and gain adaptations to lean body mass, but without the proper nutrition, you may be negating these benefits.
Fatigue
When you eat, especially within the optimal time before exercise, the nutrients you consume move through your intestine and into your blood stream, which increases your blood glucose. Blood glucose can help provide the fuel needed during your jog. Low blood glucose can make you feel tired and shorten the length of your jog.
Recommendations
There are specific guidelines to follow if you eat before exercising. If you eat a large meal, exercise two to three hours afterward. Exercise should come one to to hours after a small meal. Ideally, though, you will eat a mix of carbohydrates and proteins as a snack. After snacking, exercise within an hour. A good snack will keep feelings of hunger and fatigue at bay. Try eating an energy bar, yogurt, fruit or granola.
Post Exercise Nutrition
What you put in your body after your jog also matters. Adequate nutrition allows your muscles to properly adapt to the stimulus of exercise. Refueling after exercise increases your muscle glycogen stores and can even help build up your muscles, which allows them to increase in strength and size. Your post-exercise nutrition should include both carbohydrates and proteins. Try eating yogurt, a peanut butter sandwich, cheese and crackers, trail mix or a salad topped with meat.
References
- Go Ask Alice.com; Does Exercising On An Empty Stomach Maximize Fat Burning?; Columbia University; 2007
- The San Diego Union Tribune; Should You Exercise On An Empty Stomach?; Anahad O'Connor; 2006
- MayoClinic.com; Eating and Exercise: 5 Tips to Maximize Your Workouts; December 2010
- ThinkMuscle.com; Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition To Maximize the Training Effect; Bryan Haycock, MsC, CSCS
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