Since Phillips published his book, there have been several studies published that have looked into this in more detail.
Brad Schoenfeld PhD, fitness expert and bodybuilder, has done extensive research into whether fasted cardio is backed by science. He conducted a great review of existing literature around the subject which looked at several different studies and concluded that science doesn’t support the theory.
He states that “at best, the net effect on fat loss associated with such an approach will be no better than training after meal consumption, and quite possibly it would produce inferior results”.
He also points out that training on an empty stomach can make it difficult to perform at your best anyway, whereas studies have shown that a pre-exercise meal allows you to train more intensely, giving a net result of burning a greater number of calories both before and after exercise, which will heighten fat loss.
So why does fasted cardio have a good reputation within the fitness community? This is likely because there are some studies that suggest that fasted cardio helps you burn more fat, however it’s not a huge difference.
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