Work out before eating?

[SVS]

I'm typically burning between 500 and 800 calories a workout via moderate cardio several times a week to slim down and generally get in better shape. Does delaying eating until after the workout improve fat-loss results? For me, this means working out before breakfast on weekends and before dinner during the week.

 

[adversity04]

I would concentrate more on what you're eating at meals as opposed to when you do cardio. The benefits will be more long term if you fix a diet.

Edit:
It won't make a big deal during the week anyways since you would be doing the exercise after having already eaten. To theoretically get the benefits you would have to do it before breakfast, if that's your first meal. I'm sure others will chime in though.

 

[James Bond]

Considering the evidence for fasted cardio is nowhere near conclusive, I think the potential muscle-wasting outweighs any theoretical benefit, especially since you're burning that much. Eat a few hours before you do cardio.

 

[why]

Doesn't matter much. Just do what's easiest for you.

 

[nordicstyle]

I find it best to eat about one hour before I work out (either weights or cardio). If you don't eat anything you don't really have as much energy as you should, thus giving you a less effective workout.

That being said, the order does not realy matter. Doe whatever suits your life/day best. What matters in the end is how many calories you consumed and how many calories you burned during the course of a day. Metabolism is a continous process in the body, so trying to control it from hour to hour is overrated IMO.

 

[TowleY]

I usually eat after I do cardio since it feels easier to run on an emptier stomach. If you eat too much and run you might throw up. Try eating like a banana before you run, nothing big though. Or eat like an hour or so before you work out so you give your body time to start digesting.