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Let’s take a look at two common myths about working out in the morning on an empty stomach…

1. Glycogen is depleted = More fat burned

This is what most people use to support this position. Anyone with weight training experience has more muscle than is needed. The body has one purpose in life, and that is survival. Fat is a much more efficient source of energy for survival because it is not energy costly - it does not require calories to maintain. Muscle requires calories to maintain itself.

Just because glycogen stores are depleted upon waking doesn’t mean the body will just go straight to fat stores for energy. When glycogen is depleted, so is ATP. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is what makes your muscles contract

Weight training and working out depletes glycogen and ATP with each contraction. ATP also plays a large role in protein synthesis and muscle repair. After weight training ATP and glycogen are depleted and time is needed for glycogen stores to replenish. This can take up to 3 days. If you deplete more glycogen than is necessary you are putting your body through unnecessary stress, which will inhibit your bodies ability to build muscle!

So why does this matter ? Working out in the morning on an empty stomach means a workout with little glycogen, and, little ATP. The body also uses protein when carbs and/or fat energy are not available. I’m sure you heard that fat is the preferred energy source during cardio-based exercise. This is completely true for those who do not have any “excess” muscle sitting on their bones.

Weight training, however creates an environment in which the body is forced to synthesize new proteins in order to protect itself from stress. The body will not breakdown protein it doesn’t need. This matters because cardio exercise requires three things in going about meeting the energy requirements. It can…

a. Use stored glycogen.

b. Use stored fat.

c. Use stored muscle.

In the morning, after your 6-10 hours with no energy (food) liver glycogen will be just about depleted, blood glycogen will have been burned for energy, and muscle glycogen will have been severely depleted.

Having a light meal or protein shake before any activity will prevent this. The body will have immediate energy, and you wont use muscle as fuel. More effort going into your workout equals more benefits coming out of it.

2. Increased Metabolism = More Energy Throughout The Day

This is completely sensible. The amount of food and the amount or glycogen you posses have no effect on this. Workouts in the morning are NOT a bad thing; workouts in the morning on an empty stomach is the bad thing.

So the rule is have a little something before hand and give your muscle room to do it’s job burning fat :)

Top Ten Tips for Getting Fit for Summer

Now that summer is approaching fast a lot of us are keen to tone up our bodies so we feel good in summer clothes and on the beach. But, for so many of us, summer creeps up fast before we get a chance to get organized. Here are top ten tips for summer fitness you’ll be able to make a start that gets results!

1. START NOW – summer is almost upon us so – to see any benefits – you need to commit to getting ready now. Think about your diet and your exercise program – you need to be healthy and active. But, don’t so too much too soon even if you’re desperate to catch up.

2. SET TARGETS – don’t think that you can work miracles in days and do keep your expectations realistic. Think about what you want to achieve for your perfect summer look – i.e. lose a few pounds, tone up, lose your tummy bulge – and work out a way to achieve it steadily and healthily.

3. THINK SMART – exercise isn’t just about getting to the gym. Important as it is you can get extra exercise from all kinds of places. Take the stairs instead of an escalator, walk instead of catching a cab. Everything you do will burn a calorie or two!

4. EAT WELL – getting ready for summer isn’t just all about exercise. You need to eat a healthy balanced diet too. Make sure you eat at regular times and don’t skip breakfast. Think about packing a lunch to take to work so you aren’t tempted by calorie rich food and lunches in restaurants. If you’ve made the lunch you’ll eat it!

5. DON’T PANIC – don’t worry about what you can do in the time you’ve got left. It’ll just make you panic – and, when we do that, we’re more likely to try out fad diets. These diets won’t work and they could make you ill.

6. WALK FAST – walking is great exercise and you’ll burn more calories the faster you walk. So, walk to the other side of the office rather than sending an email and go for a speed walk at lunch time.

7. DRINK BEFORE YOU EAT – water is incredibly good for you and it has a great added bonus as it fills up your stomach. Drink a large glass of water before every meal and wait a few minutes before you start to eat. You’ll feel fuller and you’ll then eat less.

8. CHEW MORE – It takes a while for the brain to tell you that you are full so it’s real easy to overeat. Take time over your food, eat slowly and chew well. When you feel full – STOP EATING!

9. DO WHAT YOU LIKE – we exercise more and we exercise better if we do workouts that make us happy. So, if you hate swimming, don’t swim and find something else to do. If you really cannot find any workout that you like then plan on doing short bursts of activity for 4 or 5 different exercises for 10 minutes at a time. Picture yourself on the beach and grit your teeth!

10. TALK TO A PERSONAL TRAINER – the quickest way to lose weight and tone up for summer is to talk to a Personal Trainer who can give you advice on what to do and how to do it. This will save you a lot of time and effort and you’ll find it far easier to achieve your goals.

So, it’s up to you now – good luck and enjoy your summer!