Working out on an empty stomach before an evening workout makes you less able to push hard during a short, intense effort.

42

Pro

0

Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

42

Community contributions welcome

42

Fasting Before Evening Exercise Reduces Net Energy Intake and Increases Fat Oxidation, but Impairs Performance in Healthy Males and Females

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2023 Jan 1

This study found that people who skipped eating for 7 hours before a tough 15-minute bike test performed 3.8% worse than those who ate before — exactly what the claim says.

Contradicting (0)

0

Community contributions welcome

No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Fasting Before Evening Exercise Reduces Net Energy Intake and Increases Fat Oxidation, but Impairs Performance in Healthy Males and Females

Score: 42

DOI: 10.1123/ijsnem.2022-0132

Similar Assertions

Working out on an empty stomach in the evening makes you feel less motivated, less energetic, and less satisfied afterward — and you can’t perform as well during intense parts of the workout.

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Working out on an empty stomach before an evening workout makes you feel less motivated to start and less satisfied afterward, which might make you less likely to keep doing it.

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When you work out in the evening without eating beforehand, your body burns more fat and less sugar for energy during the workout.

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