What Is Fasted Cardio and How Can It Help Aspiring Pro Cheerleaders?

Some of you may prefer working out in the morning before breakfast. Others prefer an afternoon workout after they've eaten a snack. Both options help you get closer to your fitness goals. But when it comes to burning more fat, you might be curious to know which of the two is most effective. For that reason, we need to dive into today's topic which is fasted cardio.

Learn what fasted cardio is and how it works.

What is fasted cardio?

Fasted cardio refers to a cardiovascular workout done in a fasted state. For example, after 6-8 hours of sleep at night, you go for a jog or an elliptical workout first thing in the morning. Take note that fasted cardio isn't when you "feel" empty, although you've eaten something for the past hour.

What happens if you exercise in a fasted state?

In a fasted state, your insulin levels are low since you're basically not digesting any food. If you don't know what insulin is, it's a hormone that decreases your blood glucose by moving glucose into your cells. Insulin increases or promotes fat storage.

Since your insulin is low in a fasted state, your body is primed for fat burning. As you do a cardio workout, your glycogen storage (the storage form of carbohydrates) gets depleted. To sustain your workout, your body then burns its fat stores for energy.

This mechanism will explain why you burn more fat when you train in a fasted state.

Should you do fasted cardio in the morning?

Not necessarily. Fasted cardio can be done anytime of the day as long as you've fasted for at least 3 hours. Remember to not eat anything before the workout if you truly want greater fat loss.

The Benefits of Fasted Cardio

If you're eager to know how fasted cardio helps with your pro cheer prep fitness goals, here are some of its advantages:

1. Helps burn stubborn fat more quickly

Wondering how to burn that last bit of fat? Do fasted cardio. Again, this type of exercise mobilizes fat more effectively, especially if you have been exercising for a while and are experiencing a plateau.

2. Get more minutes of sleep.

Preparing breakfast can be time-consuming. Sometimes, you don't even feel like eating breakfast since you're not that hungry anyway. The benefit of this is that you get about 30 minutes of extra sleeping time. No more rushing to do meal prep!

3. More energy throughout the day.

Doing fasted cardio in the morning could be the ultimate solution to help you feel your best at the office. Besides, when you work from nine to five, it's easy to make an excuse to skip the gym.

Final Thoughts

Fasted cardio works for a lot of people, but keep in mind that like any exercise regimen, you will go through a period of adjustment. You will feel weaker at first. I recommend that you start by having a light snack at the beginning and progress to having none.

At the end of the day, you should be doing what you think, feel, and know is BEST for you!

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