Best Time To Exercise To Burn Fat: Dr. Oz vs. Heidi Skolnik & Andrea Churnis

Recently, Dr. Oz (my mentor) did a show on the best time to exercise to burn fat. He recommended to exercise in the morning before breakfast, which will encourage fat burning. He is not alone in regards to this recommendation. However, Heidi Skolnik, MS, CDN, FACSM and Andrea Chernus, MS, RD, CDE, authors of the book, "Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance" (2010) disagree. Listen to what they say about this controversial topic.

"Although exercising without eating might seem advantageous, the  intensity of your work-out will most likely suffer. Remember that if you train in the morning, you'll have low liver glycogen (stored carbohydrates), and you can quickly deplete muscle glycogen. A number of studies have shown that training without preexercise fuel leads to decreased performance and early fatigue. In Tokmakidis' (2008) trial, athletes were able to run 12.8 percent longer with pre-exercise fuel as opposed to in a fasted state. What you might gain in fat burning, you lose in increasing your fitenss and your ability to burn fat at higher intensity levels all the time. Additionally, working out a lower intensity to burn more fat actually means you will most likely burn fewer calories, a short-sighted plan at best."        

This was a "game changer" book for me. I highly recommend this gem. Keep in mind, this is a bit technical and may not be suited for everyone. 

Anyone interested in this book, click on the link below:
http://www.amazon.com/Nutrient-Timing-Peak-Performance/dp/0736087648/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1296575529&sr=8-2