Do You Know What Fasted Cardio Means? Know All About This New Fitness Routine For Faster Weight Loss

Fasted cardio is a concept which suggests doing cardio in a fasted state for weight loss. Your body is in a fasted state when it has digested all the food that you ate. After you eat food, your body works to break down the food into fatty acids, amino acids and glucose. The process of breakdown of food happens when small intestines absorb nutrients. In the small intestines, nutrients in food are met by hormone insulin, which performs the role of shuttling nutrients in the cells. How fast will this entire process take place, or how long will your insulin levels remain elevated will all depend on what all your meal consists and its size. During the time your body is processing the food you've eaten, it is in a fed state, where your insulin levels are higher than normal. Once that process is completed it enters the fasted state, when insulin levels are low at the baseline level. The body constantly moves in and out of these states every day. And this is much beyond how empty your stomach feels. You may feel empty stomach after 1 hour of eating but you won't be in a fasted state for another 2 or maybe 3 hours.
 

Fasted Cardio for Weight loss

It is a common belief that doing cardio in a fasted state or fasted cardio can help in fat loss and weight loss at a faster pace. Fat loss happens when you burn more calories than you consume. This is irrespective of your insulin levels. While exercising with the right technique and eating food with fewer calories can help you burn fat, fasted cardio has some unique advantages to it.

Also read: 15 Minute Cardio Workout You Can Do Anywhere, Anytime

Research says that exercising in a fasted state helps in increasing lipolysis and rates of fat oxidation. Lipolysis is referred to as the process which helps in breakdown of fat cells for energy and fat oxidation is the process which involves use of fat cells for burning this energy.
 

This means that when you exercise with your insulin levels at the baseline, the body is able to mobilise and burn more fat, as compared to when you are exercising at elevated insulin levels. Some studies also say that blood flow in the abdominal region increases when you are exercising in a fasted state. Thus, burning of stubborn fat like belly fat becomes easier and fasyer with the help of fasted cardio.

Also read: What Will Make You Lose More Weight: Cardio Or Weight Training?

We ask celebrity trainer Vinod Channa about the health benefits of fasted cardio and he says, "People who are on a very obesogenic diet and are overweight can opt for fasted cardio. The fitness regime is also good for people who put on weight because of genetic reasons," he says.

He goes on to explain that there are 2 kinds of people: the ones who put on weight because of unhealthy eating habits and other people who are genetically weak, like ectomorphs. For the latter kind of people, losing fat is more difficult and fasted cardio can be very helpful for them.

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"Ectomorph people should do cardio for 6 days. Doing cardio in a fasted state helps them in a better way," says Vinod.

Ask him about the ideal time to eat meals before working out and he says, "If you are eating 2-3 hours before exercising, you can have a combination of carbs, fats and proteins. If you are eating around 1 hour before, then you can eat carbs and protein. But if you are eating only half an hour before going for exercising, then you should opt for only fruits. They are high in glycemic index and do not cause any problems while exercising. Fruits are easy to digest as well. Hence, what you eat before exercising will depend on how much time gap there is between your meals and your work out," he says.

(Vinod Channa is a celebrity trainer based in Mumbai)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.