Is fasted cardio better for fat loss?

No - the fat-burning claim is true during the workout and false where it counts. The kernel of truth: a British Journal of Nutrition meta-analysis confirmed that exercising in a fasted state does raise fat oxidation during the session itself, which is the study result the myth is built on. The problem is the outcome: a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing overnight-fasted to fed exercise for actual weight loss and body composition found the differences trivial - five studies, 96 participants, no meaningful advantage in body mass or fat mass. The body compensates across the day: burn more fat in the morning session, burn less later, and the 24-hour ledger ends the same. The practical answer: the best time to do cardio is the time you will do it consistently and feel good doing it. Some people run better empty; others get dizzy and weak fasted - that individual response is the real decision variable. And if fasted training means lighter performance or skipped sessions, it is costing you more than the oxidation bump ever paid.