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From Mark Ford, founder, Palm Beach Research Group: Could switching the order of your breakfast and your workout affect weight gain?
The answer—according to a Belgium study—seems to be yes.
Researchers recruited 28 healthy, active males for the study and adjusted their daily diets. They increased fat intake by 50% and added 30% more calories.
Then they split the cohort into three groups. Group 1 didn’t exercise at all. Groups 2 and 3 endured a morning exercise routine of intense running and cycling four times per week.
Of the two exercise groups, Group 2 ate a carbohydrate-rich breakfast before working out. Group 3 ate breakfast after working out.
The results: It’s no surprise that Group 1, the non-exercising group, gained weight—an average of six pounds across the six-week study. The men in Group 2, who ate breakfast before working out, also gained weight (though only about half as much).
But what of the men in Group 3 who ate breakfast after exercising? You guessed it—they didn’t gain any weight.
Researchers concluded exercising first thing in the morning—while the body’s in a “fasted” state—burns more fat. It uses that fat as fuel instead of relying on carbohydrates (which are easier to break down).
So if you eat breakfast before hitting the gym, consider switching up the order of your routine. It could keep the pounds from sneaking back on.
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