# HIIT and Eating



## Big Smoothy (Mar 19, 2010)

Correct me if I'm wrong, please.

I have thought that when doing HIIT, it's best to do HIIT on an empty stomach, and not having eaten for 3 hours.  Then, after a session of HIIT is finished, eat 60 minutes after the session.

Eat

3 hours later, do HIIT

1 hour after completion, eat


I am reading more and more that it's good to eat a protein & carb mix about 60-90 minutes before HIIT.


Can someone please clarify which is best?


Thanks in advance.


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## ceazur (Mar 20, 2010)

I only thought the reason for not eating before HIIT was so that you let your food settle. Didn't think it mattered. I'm interested now tho ,and I'm going to look it up.


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## T_man (Mar 20, 2010)

Just have a big smoothy whenever 

But the idea is to not have much in your stomach when doing it, yet also be nourished at the same time. If you eat too soon you'll throw up. I would not eat anything less than 90 minutes prior, and if I did, it would be a rapid absoprtion whey/carb mix.


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## danzik17 (Mar 20, 2010)

I think the point is good luck not throwing up with HIIT if you've eaten in the last hour.


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## Merkaba (Mar 20, 2010)

danzik17 said:


> I think the point is good luck not throwing up with HIIT if you've eaten in the last hour.



lol...I think that's about it.


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## theCaptn' (Mar 21, 2010)

HIIT is most effective for fat loss 1st thing in the AM.

You can eat 30min after.

No candy!


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## Big Smoothy (Mar 21, 2010)

CaptRichArund said:


> HIIT is most effective for fat loss 1st thing in the AM.
> 
> You can eat 30min after.



Yes, HIIT, first thing in the AM, on a empty stomach really rock my body and I feel different all day.

Is the low glycogen stores, true, in that you can burn more fat?

Also, after HIIT, I do not eat for 1 full hour.


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## theCaptn' (Mar 21, 2010)

low glycogen, yes, tapping into fat stores for energy. 

However, also cranks metabolism for additional calorie burning throughout the day.

The Capt recommends 45-60mins top


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## Big Smoothy (Mar 21, 2010)

CaptRichArund said:


> low glycogen, yes, tapping into fat stores for energy.
> 
> However, also cranks metabolism for additional calorie burning throughout the day.
> 
> The Capt recommends 45-60mins top



45-60 min of HITT?

I only do 22 min top.

Any studies on 45-60 min?

Seems too long.  Body will tap into muscle and then amonia sweat smell.


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## ceazur (Mar 21, 2010)

CaptRichArund said:


> low glycogen, yes, tapping into fat stores for energy.
> 
> However, also cranks metabolism for additional calorie burning throughout the day.
> 
> The Capt recommends 45-60mins top



I would die after 45 minutes of HIIT.. I do sprint 30 secs, jog 1 minute for about 15 minutes. 
I also do this. YouTube - David Beckham's Cardio Workout- High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) For Fat Loss


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## stepaukas (Mar 21, 2010)

who said eat 60 minutes after a hard workout? its been around 50+ years that i know of, that you eat in the first 15 minutes after anykind of trainning session. ez, med. or hard.
the 15 minute window..


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## T_man (Mar 21, 2010)

20 mins is just about my max.

Furthermore it's the 'afterburn' that causes you to burn fat, due to stimulation of hormones such as test, GH and leptin etc, rather than the fat you burn during the HIIT.

Furthermore if you were relying on the fat burn of the workout, it would be better to walk instead of run because when you run you use glycogen then burn up your muscles. It's a good idea to atleast have some level of saturation of glycogen in order to not use muscle as a source of energy during the HIIT.

Doing HIIT then 20 mins of walking to burn the freed up fat is optimal IMO.


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## sweetjaymz (Mar 23, 2010)

i usually do hiit in the a.m. on an empty stomach, i have my first whey shake within 30 minutes and break the fast about an hour after that...


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## Big Smoothy (Mar 23, 2010)

T_man said:


> Furthermore if you were relying on the fat burn of the workout, it would be better to walk instead of run because when you run you use glycogen then burn up your muscles. It's a good idea to atleast have some level of saturation of glycogen in order to not use muscle as a source of energy during the HIIT.
> 
> Doing HIIT then 20 mins of walking to burn the freed up fat is optimal IMO.



So, you are stating that HIIT on an empty stomach right out of bed, will end up using muscles and not fat?

22 minutes HIIT?

More confusion.

I've never heard/read that.


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## Big Smoothy (Feb 12, 2012)

T_man said:


> Doing HIIT then 20 mins of walking to burn the freed up fat is optimal IMO.



Just read my old posts as I'm looking for info again.  I was confused back then (doh!) having forgotten some of the details.

I'm doing HIIT again right after I wake up on an empty stomach.  21-22 minutes of HIIT, and I'll walk briskly for 20 minutes after that.

Eat after 20-30 minutes after the brisk walk is finished.  Safe? 

Want to lose some fat.  I think this will work.


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## .V. (Feb 12, 2012)

A tabata routine, sprint 8 session, or guerilla cardio (all the same concept) takes only 20 minutes.  Only about 4 minutes of that time is actually spent at 100% effort.  The rest is spent "resting" with lower intensity between 100% effort times.  Honestly, I think that if someone can go longer, they aren't giving 100% effort and getting the maximum benefit.

100% is in fact 100%, no matter how fast or hard your own personal level of ability allows you to go...and the body can only do so much of it.  If you can go longer, then you need to work harder.

Lower intensity cardio like walking or jogging, if it's for fat loss rather than for heart health and fitness can really work better if done for an hour before breakfast on an empty stomach.  

I personally believe that a mix of the two is needed.  HIIT one day, lower intensity the next (much lower intensity as in a brisk walk)...  endurance training like running for a distance should be kept minimal and no more than one day a week and no more than 4 miles.  Too many long distance runners and other endurance athletes are still having heart attacks and strokes, dealing with issues from myocardial hypertrophy, etc...

As far as eating before your cardio...wait long enough after eating so that you don't vomit...and the same for post cardio eating.


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## Big Smoothy (Feb 13, 2012)

.V. said:


> Lower intensity cardio like walking or jogging, if it's for fat loss rather than for heart health and fitness can really work better if done for an hour before breakfast on an empty stomach.



Ignorant question, as I've never been a walker or walked brisky (because I've always been inside the gym):

Can walking burn fat? I assume if walking does, it won't be that much fat, but can walking burn fat?


Thanx.


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## Chrisotpherm (Feb 13, 2012)

Great info here. 

So Mote it Be
Chris


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## Big Smoothy (May 13, 2014)

Bumping this thread for any new tips.  Cheers.


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## heavyiron (May 13, 2014)

I do both fasted AM HIIT and HIIT post training. I recently read that you need about 6 sprinting intervals in order to keep fat burning going all day. I do at least 6 of these intervals then the rest of my cardio I may or may not continue with as much intensity.


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## jtip1810 (May 13, 2014)

What length of time are you using for sprints and what ratio for rest?  I usually use a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio depending on the day and what I'm training with active rest (fast pace walk almost a jog) for 10 intervals with a 5min warm up and 5min cool down so 30-40mins total after lifting.  Also very interested in this as I have been told if using a treadmill I could go all out for 30sec to 1min then jump off sit and rest until fully recovered then jump back on and it would work better.  I would like to know your opinions on that as well seems as if staying on with active rest would help keep heart rate up burn more total cals and make fat burning possible.


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## theCaptn' (May 13, 2014)

The trick is to mix it up. If you use the same ratios week after week you'll stall. If you just run and no cycle or row you'll stall.


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## Kenny Croxdale (May 13, 2014)

Big Smoothy said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, please.
> 
> I have thought that when doing HIIT, it's best to do HIIT on an empty stomach, and not having eaten for 3 hours.  Then, after a session of HIIT is finished, eat 60 minutes after the session.
> 
> ...



A BAD IDEA
Training is one of the bad ideas that continues to be perpetuated based on a lack of knowledge. 

"Does Cardio After an Overnight Fast Maximize Fat Loss?"
http://pulsthjalfun.is/wp-content/up...doescardio.pdf

NO!!! The research indicates it does NOT.

"In conclusion, the literature does not support the efficacy of training early in the morning on an empty stomach as a tactic to reduce body fat. At best, the
net effect on fat loss associated with such an approach will be no better than training after meal consumption, and quite possibly, it would produce inferior results."

What burns body fat is "Excess Post Oxygen Consumption Workout", EPOC.

EPOC (intense) workouts increase your metabolism long after the workout is over.

Combining that type of workout with a slight decrease in caloric intake decreases/burns your body fat levels.

Kenny Croxdale


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## theCaptn' (May 13, 2014)

Mct oil prior to early AM cardio works a treat


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## Tbjeff (May 13, 2014)

I think ur over analyzing it bro. Don't eat, cardio, eat 30 mins after


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## Big Smoothy (May 15, 2014)

Thanks for the responses.

When I do cardio right after waking up and do a moderate version of HIIT, it helps a lot.

Good to have these discussions.


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## gds92115 (May 18, 2014)

interesting thread.


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## cluv909 (May 18, 2014)

Co-sign... well said


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## Big Smoothy (May 20, 2014)

Good, more responses.

The Cap'n referred to jump starting the metabolism / burning throughout the day. 

That is why I prefer AM HIIT (on an empty stomach).

As long as I eat the right mix afterwards in the appropriate time frame, it's good.

As the Cap'n also notes, we gotta switch up the routine to keep the body from adapting and going into stalls.


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## Big Smoothy (Dec 6, 2014)

I've been lifting steady, and stopped doing cardio (except for walking with a HBP rate of about 120-125).

I started AM HIIT cardio in a fasted state and it does help me lose fat. Looking in the mirror naked.

I think it's effectiveness of lack of depends on the individual, his/her body fat %, and the obvious diet factor.


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