Content provided in partnership with

Hey, sugar - Letter to the Editor

Men's Fitness, July, 2002 by Bob Bright, Stacie Mueller

My lifting partner and I look forward each month to receiving MEN'S FITNESS in the mail. In particular, I find the nutritional features and training routines helpful. The article "Make Sugar Work for You" [April] was the best piece I've ever read about this important subject. A lot of marketing hype promises incredible physical achievements, to wit, "Add 20 pounds of lean muscle mass in just 6 weeks!" Your magazine cuts through all that hype with informative reporting backed by solid research, which helps me keep on track with my training goals.

P.S. I can't wait until tonight to eat my tuna pizza ["Name That Tuna," April].

--BOB BRIGHT, HILLIARD, OH

Most Popular Articles in Health: Fuel your workout: exercisers who eat before they work out have more energy ...; Soothe a dry, itchy scalp: 5 easy expert solutions; Cocktails and calories: Beer, wine and liquor calories can really add up. ...; The sour truth about apple cider vinegar - evaluation of therapeutic use; The, six best supplements you've never heard of: these secret weapons can ...; More »

I love your magazine and always suggest it to my clients (I am a fitness trainer and all my clients are women). However, I'm getting frustrated over your comments about skipping breakfast and working out.

I remember another reader wrote about the same issue a while ago, and you explained it all very well (whether to eat or not depends on the intensity of your workout, your goals and your body's signals). But in "Make Sugar Work for You," I see that you mention the American Journal of Physiology's study that found eating sugar before a workout inhibits fat burning. It says sugar, not breakfast, yet your article states: "If you run in the morning, do so before eating breakfast."

I've always been under the impression that fat loss is a matter of calorie loss, not so much what fuels your body during exercise. How is it that you will lose less weight if you eat breakfast before a run? If you have found the magic number that works for you, say, 2,200 calories, and don't deviate from that, are you saying that just by waiting to eat breakfast after a run you will lose more weight? Please explain!

--STACIE MUELLER, FRESNO, CA

You are correct that a morning meal is incredibly important for everyone, no matter what your fitness goals. We never advise skipping breakfast, but one way to enhance fat burning is to do cardio before breakfast. While you'll burn the same amount of calories, the difference is that those calories will come from your fat stores instead of your glycogen. In the morning, when your glycogen is somewhat depleted from your overnight fast (unless you've been eating in your sleep!), your body turns to fat for energy sooner. When we refer staying away from sugar before a workout, we mean afternoon or evening workouts. However, you are right on the money when you tell your clients the bottom line of weight loss is calories in vs. calories out.

Hey, sugar - Letter to the Editor

Men's Fitness, July, 2002 by Bob Bright, Stacie Mueller

Find Research Guides for:

Find Featured Titles for: Arts

Most Popular Articles in Health

Most Popular Publications in Health