In yesterday's Observer Sport, Olympic windsurfing medallist, Bryony Shaw was interviewed and talked about how she burns fat by training in the morning before eating.
'I'll do it first thing in the morning before eating so that I know I'm burning off calories from my stores.'
How does this work?
The body holds around two hours worth of energy in the muscles and it's only when this is depleted that energy from fat stores is used. So, it's generally believed that if you exercise on an empty stomach you will get to these fat stores more quickly. If you want to further ensure this, stick to a meal of protein for your supper which will help to deplete glycogen stored in the muscles further. Of course, you have to weigh this up against having the energy to exercise - if you end up so tired you can't exercise for as long or as hard then re-think your strategy.
