Should you exercise on an empty stomach? Experts explain the pros and cons

To understand exactly how the body behaves – and benefits – if exercising on no food, Annie Davies a clinical nutritionist at https://www.mybodyfabulous.co.uk/clinical-team helps to break it down.

“There are many potential benefits to exercising in a fasted state. For example, if someone exercises in the morning after an overnight fast and doesn’t eat until 1pm they may experience:

“Greater fat utilisation during the workout. With lower insulin levels and reduced glycogen stores, the body tends to rely more on fat as a fuel source, particularly during low- to moderate-intensity exercise.

“Convenience. Some people prefer training before work and don’t feel hungry first thing in the morning.

“Potential improvements in metabolic flexibility. Some studies suggest that fasted training may help the body become more efficient at switching between carbohydrate and fat for fuel.”

Get the knowledge

While exercising on an empty stomach isn’t inherently dangerous for most healthy people, it’s important to arm yourself with the knowledge of the possible disadvantages to consider as training without eating is not ideal or safe for everyone.

According to Annie, some of these include:

Reduced performance during high-intensity exercise – many may find that enjoy exercising when they fuel their body

• Lower energy and increased perceived effort.

• Dizziness or light-headedness, especially if dehydrated.

• Slower recovery if many hours pass before eating.

• Increased muscle protein breakdown if fasting is prolonged and protein intake over the day is inadequate.

“For women in particular, some people notice increased fatigue, changes in menstrual cycles if energy intake becomes chronically too low, elevated stress or poor sleep and difficulty recovering from frequent intense workouts,” she adds.

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Womens Fitness 5th July 2026