The holy month of Ramadan has started and many people are wondering if they should continue exercising?
The answer is obviously yes, you shouldn’t stop exercising but the real question here is what should you exercise while fasting?
Fasted workouts normally mean exercising without the consumption of anything that contains calories (energy). Moreover, like everything else, fasted workouts have different pros and cons including:
• Pros.
1. Improves fat burning:
Many people prefer to exercise while fasting because fasted workouts increase fat burn and thus, increase weight loss.
The body usually depends on glycogen, the carbohydrates stores for energy during exercising but if your body is running low on glycogen, it will burn fat for energy instead.
2. Improves digestion
Fasted workouts decrease digestion problems like stomach cramps and the indigestion caused by eating before exercising. They also prevent feeling weighed down.
3. Enhance training adaptation:
Exercising while fasting helps in building the body’s endurance by teaching it to burn fat more quickly. It trains your body to adapt to low blood levels by burning fat. It also increases the Oxygen utilized to enable the body to perform the exercise.
• Cons.
1. Reduces performance
Fasted workouts and exercising in a run-out glycogen state reduces the body’s ability to maintain strength during the workout. The body gets exhausted quickly thus, compromising the form. It also increases the danger of muscle and joint injury.
2. Reduces muscle mass
Fasted workouts increases the secretion of Cortisol (Stress hormone) which causes the burning of the amino acids, the building units of protein for energy. Thus, your muscle tissues will be degraded and your muscle mass will be reduced.
Make sure to take care of your body and soul in this holy month.
Stay safe and Ramadan kareem!!
By Sara Goda.
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