Breakfast is best had after an exercise

To exercise first or to breakfast first is always a matter of debate. Researchers in Belgium did a 6-weeks study to find out if the order of men’s morning routine made any difference in terms of weight loss and overall health.

Lead author of the study, Karen Van Proeyen, Ph.D says, ‘We hypothesized that training in the fasted state would be a better strategy to improve fat metabolism, however, we were rather surprised that almost all measured parameters were more beneficially affected following a training program before breakfast, compared with a similar training session after breakfast.’

28 healthy, active men who were recruited tweaked their daily diets to include 50 percent more fat and 30 percent more calories (to enhance the effect).

The men were divided into 3 groups:

• 1st group – no exercise at all
• 2nd group – did 4 times a week of strenuous morning exercises after a carbohydrate-rich breakfast and drank sports drink throughout the workout
• 3rd group – did 4 times a week of strenuous morning exercises and drank only water during the workout and had breakfast after completion of the strenuous exercises.

The results:

• 1st group – all gained an average of 3 kilograms of weight. They also showed signs of early insulin resistance.
• 2nd group – gained 1.5 kilograms on an average. Also showed similar cautionary diabetes signs.
• 3rd group – almost no weight gain and showed no signs of insulin resistance. They also burned the extra dietary fat more efficiently.

Lessons learnt:

• Exercises were very intense 60 to 90 minute sessions.
• Researchers believe even less intense workouts could have similar results.
• ‘I recommend exercising before breakfast, of course,’ says Van Proeyen. ‘Based on our findings we cannot say what the best breakfast is. However, a healthy, well-balanced fiber-rich breakfast—mainly consisting of carbohydrates—is the most optimal breakfast to maintain a good health in normal fit individuals.’

Lunchtime workouts not recommended:

• The findings are not the same with lunchtime workouts. ‘Our subjects always performed the exercise after a 10- to 12-hour overnight fast, which is likely the most convenient way to stimulate fat oxidation.’
• The time between breakfast and lunch is only about 4 to 6 hours and that’s not enough time to maximize fat oxidation before the workout.

Moral of the story: Get up early – eat a handful of nuts and dates or raisins. Workout as much as you can. Have your breakfast making sure you include carbs in it and not just proteins. This will allow you to enjoy a long, gym-free lunch break.