Is HIIT More Effective On An Empty Stomach?

By Russ Howe


Most people who perform HIIT don't support their workout with the proper nutrition. Today we clear up the fog surrounding what you should do with your diet and supplements to make the most of high intensity interval training.

Today we will clear up a few of the myths for you and help you enhance your workouts.

One of the most common myths in the gym is training on an empty stomach. When it comes to fat loss this is actually yesterday's advice. In the last ten years there have been countless scientific studies which have shown that you can gain far more from a workout if you get the right nutrients into your body before you hit the gym.

The majority of gym users discovered high intensity interval training in the last ten years but this technique has been used in sports for over twenty years, so research into the nutritional aspect is anything but sparse. The problem is, however, most people short change themselves by not taking any time out to discover what they need to change with their diet to make the most of this new way of performing cardio for fat loss.

Most people who perform high intensity cardio are doing so because they have heard it helps you to lose weight much faster, so today we're going to specifically focus on how to get the most from the fat loss benefits. These two rules are very important:

* Studies show that trainers who consume 20 grams of whey protein around 20 miuntes before a high intensity interval workout were able to continue burning calories at a far higher rate than those who went in on an empty stomach. Furthermore, this extra calorie burning lasted a massive 24 hours.

* Try adding some essential amino acids to your supplement routine and consuming them before your cardio workout to maximize results. EAA's are proven to help retain muscle mass while burning fat.

There are two sides to the workout window, and those folks who insist on only feeding their body after a session are missing out on some great results. Ensure you hit your next high intensity level training fully prepared with protein and essential amino acids.

When looking at Essential Amino Acids, for example, research concludes that having them before a workout is superior to taking them post-workout. Two groups trialed this a few years ago and while the post-workout group were able to take up 16% of the amino's the pre-workout group enjoyed a massive 42% muscle uptake.

So there you have it, folks. To get the most from your HIIT session you should consume a simple whey protein supplement and some essential amino acids prior to your session, followed by a decent protein shake afterwards. Chances are you were already consuming your post-workout shake anyway, so this tiny little change will help kick-start your high intensity interval training to the next level and bring unparalleled fat loss results to you.




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