Are cardiovascular exercises on an empty stomach first thing in the morning worth it?

First and foremost, anything on an empty stomach is a bad idea. Your body needs fuel for you to function effectively, more so if you’ll be doing an intensive activity which require burning a lot of fuel.

In the morning, your body temperature is at its lowest. It will take a significantly longer time to warm up, getting you muscles, joints and nerves working right together. Warm ups are essential because it protects you from injury. The next thing is that in the morning, your Cortisol levels are at its peak. It is at its highest in the morning. This stress hormone is what signals your body to consume muscle (proteins) for energy.

That being said, morning exercises would have a muscle-wasting effect. You may have heard that people say that you’ll burn fat instead of carbs when working out before breakfast. Be informed: THAT IS A MYTH! Fat gets burned when you sleep mostly. When you get up, you have a tank-full of carbohydrate-derived fuel.

Exercise is best done at a time when your body is ready for it. It doesn’t matter whatever time of the day it is. If it happens to be in the morning – at least eat something first.