Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below MOONCAT1971
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It seems that a lot of people say that cardio in the morning is the only way to loose body fat. Am I wasting my time cardio training in the evenings??
Cardio Am / Pm ???
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diamonddiceclay
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the time of day means nothing
Stryc-9
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No way - it's not a waste of time to do your cardio in the evening...
Morning cardio is theoretically the best time to burn OPTIMUM levels of adipose tissue....but that doesn't mean that you can't get shredded doing cardio at night....
The idea is that your glycogen levels are depleted in the morning (after fasting all night) - but if you hit the weights in the evening and then follow that up with a cardio session - your glycogen levels should be just as depleted (from pumping the iron) - therefore giving you the same benefits you would get from morning cardio....
The important thing is that your actually doing the cardio....period...
Morning cardio is theoretically the best time to burn OPTIMUM levels of adipose tissue....but that doesn't mean that you can't get shredded doing cardio at night....
The idea is that your glycogen levels are depleted in the morning (after fasting all night) - but if you hit the weights in the evening and then follow that up with a cardio session - your glycogen levels should be just as depleted (from pumping the iron) - therefore giving you the same benefits you would get from morning cardio....
The important thing is that your actually doing the cardio....period...
FitnessFrk
New member
for maximum fat loss the time of day means everything !
some studies have suggested that up to 300% more fat is burned when cardio is done in a fasted, glycogen-depleted state.
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 called 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.
some studies have suggested that up to 300% more fat is burned when cardio is done in a fasted, glycogen-depleted state.
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 called 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.
If you do post-weight lifting cardio, then lower the intensity. Low to moderate intensity exercise (aerobic) will use stored body fat for energy if circulating blood sugar levels and stored muscle glycogen are low. The higher the intensity then the exercise goes from aerobic to anaerobic. Anaerobic exercise uses circulating blood sugar and stored muscle glycogen for immediate energy.
By doing your anaerobic exercise first you deplete a lot of stored muscle and blood glycogen, then if you do moderate intensity CV your body will switch to fat burning mode, but if you keep the intensity high for your CV you'll start to break down muscle tissue (protein) for quicker availibility of fuel.
That's why you can go on a good walk in the morning before breaky, and feel ok when you get back but if you try to do your sprint training in the morning on an empty stomach it really knocks you around.
This system depends a lot on how aerobically fit you are to begin with. If you have never done any sort of cardio, then even a brisk walk will be anaerobic for you. Very fit trainers can stay longer in the aerobic zone at a higher intensity.
By doing your anaerobic exercise first you deplete a lot of stored muscle and blood glycogen, then if you do moderate intensity CV your body will switch to fat burning mode, but if you keep the intensity high for your CV you'll start to break down muscle tissue (protein) for quicker availibility of fuel.
That's why you can go on a good walk in the morning before breaky, and feel ok when you get back but if you try to do your sprint training in the morning on an empty stomach it really knocks you around.
This system depends a lot on how aerobically fit you are to begin with. If you have never done any sort of cardio, then even a brisk walk will be anaerobic for you. Very fit trainers can stay longer in the aerobic zone at a higher intensity.
Hoffmeister
New member
Time of day means essentially nothing, because the actual "fuel" used during exercise means essentially nothing in regard to overall fat loss, except that doing cardio in a carb-depleted state probably eats away even more muscle.
What does count is overall calorie balance. If you burn fat during exercise, you burn less fat the rest of the day. If you burn glycogen during exercise, you burn more fat the rest of the day. The end result is basically the same.
What does count is overall calorie balance. If you burn fat during exercise, you burn less fat the rest of the day. If you burn glycogen during exercise, you burn more fat the rest of the day. The end result is basically the same.
FitnessFrk
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typical newbie response...
Hoffmeister
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FitnessFrk said:
Aww, don't be so hard on yourself.
Super Dave
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It's like driving a car, if you can afford a Mercedes then you drive a Mercedes. If you can only afford a Honda, then you drive a Honda. It doesn't mean you walk cause you can't afford a Mercedes. In other words do what you can. it's better than nothing. I hope this makes sence.
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