By Alistair Wilkinson
Researchers have recruited 28 healthy, active young men, and put them on a high fat Christmas diet to study its effects.
Then they split the volunteers into three groups.
Group one didn't do any exercise, while group two ate a hefty breakfast then exercised four mornings a week for between an hour and 90 minutes.
Group three did their exercise first then ate the same breakfast as those in group two.
After six weeks the non-exercisers had gained, on average, two and a half kilos
They also developed insulin resistance and unhealthy fat storage between muscle cells - precursors to diabetes.
Volunteers who had breakfast then exercised also gained weight, about a kilo and a half, and showed the same diabetes warning signs.
Those who exercised as soon as they got up didn't gain weight or display any other negative health effects.
A note of caution - the study was conducted, you'll remember, using healthy young active men.
We don't know if the findings apply to women - or older people of either sex.
Experts at Auckland University point out exercising before breakfast may burn fat quicker, but will affect your ability to perform.
Tthe average kiwi might benefit from getting up early in the morning to exercise before breakfast, but they'll probably do just as well if they exercise at their regular time and focus a little bit more on making sure they have a healthy diet over the holiday season,” says Auckland University’s Dr Nick Gant.
Exercising before breakfast also makes you more susceptible to illness, because you haven't had the fuel that drives your immune system.
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