1. It’s not terrible for you.
There are some people who raise hell about fasted cardio. The first thing you need to understand is that it isn’t the worst thing for your body. Some experts may argue that without giving your body the proper fuel/nutrition before working out, it can cause the body to over-exert. This is valid, but remember this is fasted cardio not heavy lifting. With running, your are not putting the same type of strenuous work on your muscles as you would in a lift. No, doing this every single time you workout is definitely not okay, but running in a fasted state, (meaning when your body has finished processing all the nutrients from a previous meal and is ‘fasted’) can be beneficial in your training/workout regime.

2. Fasted cardio can definitely promote weight loss.
Because you are running in a ‘fasted’ period, meaning you have not eaten within a 3+ hour span and are no longer digesting, your body naturally burns fat quicker because it doesn’t have an ample source of energy from food. When you eat before working out, your body burns the energy from the food, not from the storage in your body. So naturally, when you run in a fasted state, your body can burn fat quickly and more efficiently.

3. The ideal time for fasted cardio is in the mornings.
Your body has been fasted since your last meal, and while you were sleeping, as burned calories, digested, and processed all the previous energy. Mornings are ideal for fasted cardio because they get your blood pumping and your fat-burning processes from the moment you get up. This, however, is not a necessity to fasted cardio.

4. Fasted cardio increases fat breakdown. And protein breakdown.
When you workout in a fasted state, your body is not only breaking down fat (yay!) but it is also breaking down protein, which is a valuable substance for muscle-building as well as energy. This can be a negative, as not having the protein needed will prevent your body from building muscle effectively.

I’m no expert on fasted cardio, however I have tried it.
I do like it, and I do hate it.

Fasted cardio is a challenge. You’re conjuring up energy and fuel where your body does not naturally have some; however, the benefits (aka fat burn and endurance) are very encouraging.

Here’s more sites to read up on, if you’re super interested in fasted workouts:
1. Understanding Fasted Cardio
2. Is Fasted Cardio The Best For Burning Fat?
3. Why And How I Use Fasted Cardio

The most important thing to remember: if you are going to try fasted cardio, make sure to be SAFE.

Read up and research it so you know what you’re doing is correct and so that you don’t do more harm to your body than good. Fasted cardio can be a weight loss tool, but not a end-all, fix-all. Keep that in mind. Keep yourself safe. And happy running!

Photo Credit: Skeeze