NFL star Davante Adams starts every day with 'fasted cardio' to stay slim and light— here's how it works
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- Green Bay Packers star Davante Adams uses "fasted cardio" to keep his weight down.
- "Fasted cardio" is a technique that involves getting your heart rate up on an empty stomach.
- Research suggests it burns fat because the body is forced to use fat for energy before you eat.
Green Bay Packers star Davante Adams has made the NFL Pro Bowl every year since 2017, and he says a big reason has been thanks to his focus on keeping his weight down.
The 29-year-old wide receiver told GQ that he was a bulkier player when he came into the league in 2014, but that extra weight didn't work to his advantage at the pro level. He said he started to have more success when he slimmed down to stay faster and light on his feet.
One method Adams says he uses to stay thin and light these days is fasted cardio, which involves doing cardio workouts on an empty stomach.
"If it's a really early workout, I may decide I want to do some fasted cardio. So I'll get in there and run around a little bit before I do my breakfast," Adams told GQ. "Usually I'll start off my day with that workout."
The technique has helped Adams lower his weight from 215 lbs his rookie year in 2014 to 202 lbs now, and keep it that way as he looks to help lead the Packers back to the Super Bowl.
Fasted cardio is supposed to force the body to burn fat for energy, but isn't proven to be effective
Doing fasted cardio requires your body to be in a fasted state, which means it is not digesting food. The idea behind it is that you are doing cardio while your body is low on glucose, which is the body's main source of energy, so it is forced to burn body fat for energy instead.
Fasted cardio is often performed in the morning before eating any food, but you can also do it later in the day if you practice intermittent fasting.
But while Adams might use it as a regular part of his training routine, that doesn't mean it will work for everyone.
According to a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition that evaluated weight loss amongst groups of fasted and non-fasted participants, both groups lost a significant amount of weight, but found no significant differences between the two groups.
But another study by the Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports found that fasted exercise led to higher metabolic performance after the workout was complete. That same study found that fasted subjects did not put on as much muscle either because the body may also convert protein into energy while a fasted state in addition to body fat.
Fasted cardio could also be dangerous and lead to fainting for those who have low blood sugar, low blood pressure, or pregnant women, according to Healthline.