U-Know Yunho says he runs before breakfast every day

U-Know Yunho said on MBC's Omniscient Interfering View on July 18 that he has continued morning fasted running for more than a year without missing a day.

When fellow guest Yoo Byung-jae asked whether he had ever failed to keep the routine, U-Know Yunho said, 'If there is heavy rain, I run with an umbrella, and if there is heavy snow, I run while being hit by the snow.' He said he had not skipped it once.

Fasted running is practiced by many people for body-fat management and improved cardiorespiratory endurance. Running is an aerobic exercise that helps strengthen cardiopulmonary function and lower cardiovascular disease risk, and steady practice can also affect blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol management.

Running before eating means the body has relatively less stored carbohydrate available during exercise, so the share of energy drawn from fat increases. The practice is not always beneficial, because excessively long or intense exercise can use muscle protein as well as fat as an energy source, raising the risk of muscle loss.

A decrease in muscle mass can reduce basal metabolic rate and make long-term weight management more difficult. People with diabetes or a risk of low blood sugar can experience dizziness or hypoglycemia during fasted exercise.

Before morning exercise, muscles and joints may not be fully loosened, so light stretching and a 5~10-minute brisk walk are recommended to help the body adjust. After exercise, protein, an appropriate amount of carbohydrates, vegetables rich in dietary fiber and enough water are recommended for muscle recovery.