Cold water immersion (a.k.a., “ice baths”) has become a popular method amongst exercise enthusiasts and athletes to enhance recovery after an intense training bout. The strategy involves exposing either the trained limb or the whole body to very cold liquid temperatures. According to p...
Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D, C.S.C.S., is an internationally renowned fitness expert and widely regarded as one of the leading authorities on body composition training (muscle development and fat loss). He is a lifetime drug-free bodybuilder, and has won numerous natural bodybuilding titles.
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I think the main bone I have to pick with the fasted cardio is that people think they HAVE to do it and that by doing it they WILL burn more fat.
Wrong (and you have nailed this on the head): the most fat you’ll burn comes from the lifestyle that leads you to train the hardest and eat the least, while still moving and being happy, which is, I think, the point that you’re trying to make.
However, fasted cardio is not necessarily worse than non-fasted cardio, either. In my instance, I train best on an empty stomach. I take a caffeine pill half an hour before training and bust my ass. This makes me more alert throughout the day. If I have something to eat before my workout, I just get sluggish and nauseated.
Comment by Clement — February 24, 2011 @ 9:21 pm
I don’t disagree with anything you said, at least in terms of fat burning. Overall, fasted cardio is neither better nor worse than cardio after a meal from a fat burning perspective. However, there is potential issues with maintaining muscle–glycogen-depleted training has been shown to catabolize muscle protein, which can have a detrimental effect on your physique.
Comment by Brad — February 24, 2011 @ 9:46 pm