Is it better to exercise on an empty stomach?
 

I was just about to get on the treadmill and I was wondering if I should eat something first.

Is it okay to exercise on an empty stomach?

Honestly it depends on how you feel. I know people who just can't eat before they work out because they feel sick.

I, on the other hand, HATE working out on an empty stomach. I always have to have something before I workout or my workouts simply aren't effective.

Best way to find out may be to hop on the treadmill and see how you feel. If you feel you need something then you know for next time.

i prefer to exercise on empty or almost empty (sometimes i have a banana an hour before). I read somewhere once that if you exercise with food in your tummy, all you burn is the food but if you exercise on empty (or almost) you force your body to use its reserves.

I hate exercising after eating, it makes me nauseous.

Usually, if I need to eat before working out, it's very light - like a banana or some yogurt.

Totally depends on you. Most of the time, I'll need a greek yogurt, almonds, or something in my stomach to get an effective workout. This morning, I didn't feel like eating, and my workout was just as good as always, until the end, when I started feeling a little shaky. I ate as soon as I got back from the gym, and I feel perfectly fine now. Like sontaikle said, you'll have to experiment with what works for you personally.

I like to eat before I work out, but nothing too heavy. If I'll be running I try to time it about an hour in advance too. I find if I eat too close to a run then I start to get side stitches while I'm running.

As you can see it depends on the person. When I don't eat first, I find I am lower energy or get hungry to the point of distraction, so it tends to cut my workout time short. But we've all kind of learned what works best individually by trying different things.

I usually leave a light snack in my gym bag too just in case I feel like I need a little pick me up, like a 100 calorie bag of almonds or a piece of fruit. Usually I just need it if I plan on being at the gym for a while, like sometimes I'll add a yoga class after some cardio, so having a little snack in between keeps me from getting hungry and distracted.