Dietician Warns People Not To Workout On Empty Stomach As ‘Prescribed’ By LeBron James

LeBron James has revealed he works out on an empty stomach. But before you jump on the bandwagon, you might want to listen to what some dieticians have to say about this trend.
It turns out, working out on an empty stomach may not be the best idea for everyone.

Dieticians warn that exercising without any fuel in your system can cause muscle breakdown and decrease your performance during your workout.

On a recent episode of the “Mind the Game” podcast, basketball legend LeBron James shared his daily training routine, revealing that he doesn’t eat a full meal until after his sweat session and well after noon.

While the strategy is clearly effective for James — who at 40 has spent more than two decades at peak athletic performance levels — some experts warn that this fasting protocol could be detrimental for mere mortals.

“This type of nutrition routine is not ideal for most active individuals,” said Melissa Mitri, a registered dietitian at Welltech. “A large body of research suggests that fueling both before and after exercise is beneficial for optimal performance, recovery, and muscle-building benefits.”

James disclosed to host and former baller Steve Nash that he postpones his first meal until after practice, supplementing with juice or fruit.

“I have either a green juice or some fruit or whatever the case may be, but I don’t eat a full meal until I get back home after practice,” he said. “My first meal is usually around 1:30, 2 o’clock.”

Mitri explained that training in this fasted state forces the body to pull from carbohydrate reserves in the muscles and then the brain, which in turn, can lead to fatigue, brain fog and weakness.

Meanwhile, having low blood sugar can lead to irritability and mood swings, while fasting can also lead to a cortisol response that can contribute to feelings of anxiety.

“Depending on the amount of glycogen a person has, they can become depleted very quickly or more slowly,” she said.

“There is a small subset of people like LeBron that may perform well under fasting conditions, such as those who have a large amount of glycogen stores to pull from for energy,” Mitri noted.

She suggested that it likely took time for James’ metabolism to adjust to exercising in a fasted state, and that the athlete may have experienced an initial performance dip as his body acclimated to this strategy.

While it may be fork down for James, it’s certainly bottoms up.

So unless you’re a professional athlete like LeBron, it might be best to have a small snack before hitting the gym. Always remember to listen to your body and do what works best for you – don’t just follow in the footsteps of the pros without considering your own needs and goals.

The post Dietician Warns People Not To Workout On Empty Stomach As ‘Prescribed’ By LeBron James appeared first on BlackSportsOnline.