One type of exercise you’ve probably heard of is fast cardio training. The idea behind this workout is that you wake up and before you eat anything (fasted), do a bit of cardio training.
In theory, this is supposed to help increase your overall rate of fat burning because you won’t have to worry about burning calories from the foods you just ate for breakfast. So that your body can start burning the body fat reserves that it has. But is this workout better for people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes? Or would it be better to pass it entirely?
Here are some quick points for type 2 diabetics to keep in mind…
1. The Level of Intensity. The first thing to consider is your blood sugar level. You will most likely need to use a lower overall intensity level when doing fast cardio, as your blood sugar level will be below the best level for high-intensity training.
Now won’t be the time to do those high-intensity interval sprints you normally do. Instead, you’ll be stuck doing a steady-state cardio workout. If you don’t mind constant exercise, this might be fine, but for those who get bored quickly, it’s just not ideal.
2. The issue of blood sugar. As a type 2 diabetic taking medication to lower blood sugar, it is not advisable to go hours without eating. In fact, you may find that when you wake up from your overnight fast, your blood sugar levels are much lower than you’d like them to be.
Now if you exercise, this will only amplify the effect. For many type 2 diabetics, doing fasted cardio training could cause dangerously low blood sugar levels, making this type of training completely impossible.
If you’re going to try a quick cardio workout, be sure to talk to your doctor before doing it. You will also need to monitor your blood sugar level very carefully as you go through your exercise session.
There you have the two main points to consider about fast state cardio. All in all, the fat loss benefits aren’t even that pronounced because the intensity of the cardio decreases. It will be just as beneficial for your body if you do a HIIT session later in the day after you’ve eaten some food and have the energy to perform more intense exercise.