Does exercising on an empty stomach help burn fat? Don't try these two types of people...

Does exercising on an empty stomach help burn fat? Experts point out that although exercising on an empty stomach can burn stored fat in the body, the key to reducing body fat still lies in the content of exercise and diet, and has nothing to do with whether or not you are on an empty stomach. In particular, exercising immediately after a meal is more harmful than exercising on an empty stomach and may even affect your health.

Xiao Dunren, executive director of the Taiwan Obesity Medicine Association and a famous weight loss doctor, pointed out that obesity is the public enemy, but now medicine no longer measures obesity only by weight, but by the proportion of fat to body weight. Generally speaking, the normal body fat percentage for boys is between 14% and 23%, and for girls it is about 17% to 27%.

Exercise helps lose weight but not necessarily fat

When the body fat percentage of an adult male exceeds 25% and that of an adult female exceeds 30%, it is considered "obese." Therefore, even if someone is much overweight, but their body fat percentage is within the standard, they cannot be called obese; on the contrary, if their weight is below the standard but their body fat percentage is above 30%, they can also be called obese.

Although exercise can help you lose weight, it may not necessarily achieve the goal of burning fat, especially if you exercise on an empty stomach. This is especially true for people with diabetes and poor stomachs. It can easily cause problems such as low blood sugar, excessive gastric acid secretion, and muscle loss, and can even lead to risks such as sudden death. Do not take it lightly.

Exercise 2 hours after a meal to strengthen your muscles

Is it better to exercise before or after meals? It has always been the focus of discussion. The general idea is "exercise in the morning: exercise first and then eat breakfast" and "exercise in the evening: eat first and then exercise". In any case, it is not advisable to exercise immediately after a meal. Not only is it easy to cause gastrointestinal discomfort, it may be more harmful than exercising on an empty stomach.

Dr. Xiao Dunren emphasized that if you want to do strenuous exercise after a meal, you should rest for at least 1 to 2 hours to allow the food in the stomach to complete the digestion process; therefore, the ideal time to exercise is about 2 hours after a meal. It is also recommended to drink a glass of milk or soy milk after exercise, which can not only replenish physical strength but also strengthen muscles.

For example, if you eat a bento for a meal, you can do low-intensity exercise (walking) about 1 hour after the meal; 1 to 2 hours after a meal, it is suitable for moderate-intensity exercise (jogging, brisk walking, leisure cycling, etc.); 2 hours after a meal, you can start high-intensity exercise (playing basketball, fast cycling).

If you want to reduce body fat, it is recommended that your diet should be based on natural foods, that is, consume plenty of vegetables and fruits, with high-quality protein and starch, and avoid processed foods such as biscuits, sugary drinks, and refined starch; in addition, high-oil and high-fat foods, such as fried chicken, will also accelerate the accumulation of fat in the body, so it is best to eat less.