UrbanUpdate

gq-fitness-naked-workout-blog[1].jpg

Most trainers will tell you your body needs fuel to work out. Don’t want to bonk, dude. But if you’re looking to stay lean and burn extra fat (and who isn’t?), there’s some benefit to working out on an empty stomach.

"I call it the naked workout—no food," says Dr. Jordan Metzl, an acclaimed sports medicine physician and 10-time Ironman triathlete. "You’re basically ramping up your metabolism and really getting your fat metabolism going when you don’t have as much fuel in your body."

Metzl recommends doing your thing—lifting weights, CrossFit, running at the local track—once or twice a week on an empty stomach. The easiest way to make sure your tank is on E is to head out first thing in the morning. (Coffee and water are OK.) Having less fuel in your body forces you to work harder. It’s the equivalent of running into a headwind in a point-to-point road race, or wearing those ridiculous ankle weights.

Here’s how it works: Once you’ve burned through all your carb stores—the body’s most accessible source of fuel—you move on to the fat. "You’re basically using energy to burn calories," Metzl says, "and since you don’t have as many carbs in the way—because, again, your tank is empty—it encourages your body to burn your fat stores." Doing this once or twice a week "can be part of the equation" to losing weight and staying lean.

Don’t push too hard, though. (And don’t do it every day, either.) Spend more than 45 minutes or an hour at the gym on an empty stomach and you’ll risk the much-dreaded bonk—and no one wants to pass out on the StairMaster. Metzl says people whose blood sugar plummets after a workout might want to sit this one out.

The most important part of the Naked Workout? Chowing down when you get home. "Make sure you fuel up right away afterwards," Metzl said. "You want to get something in your body to help with recovery." When you’re that close to empty, it’s time to fill the tank.

Bill Bradley is a columnist at Next City. Follow him on Twitter @billbradley3.

Related Stories for GQFoodHealthHealthFitness