LONDON (Reuters) - Exercise before breakfast can help burn fat and lower blood sugar, reducing the incidence of diabetes and heart disease, according to a new study.
The study was conducted by researchers at the Universities of Bath and Birmingham in Britain and published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
The researchers said blood sugar levels could be better controlled by changing the timing of eating and exercising.
To find the results of the study, the team monitored 30 obese men and divided them into two groups, with half of the first group exercising before breakfast and the other half exercising after, while the participants in the second group did not change any lifestyle.
In their six-week study, the researchers found that people who had exercise before breakfast had a burn rate of twice the amount of fat compared to the group after exercise.
They also found that increased fat burning when people exercised before breakfast was mainly due to lower insulin levels during exercise resulting from not eating for a while during sleep at night, which means that they can use more fat from the fatty tissue and fat in their muscles to fuel movement. Body and therefore burn more fat.
The current study involved only men, but future studies will seek to translate these findings into different groups, including women, according to the researchers.
"Our findings suggest that changing the timing of eating in relation to exercise time can make profound and positive changes to your overall health," said Dr. Javier Gonzales, leader of the University of Bath's research team.
Gonzales noted that keeping blood sugar levels under control reduces the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.