One type of exercise you’ve probably heard of is speedy cardio training. The idea behind this workout is that you wake up and before you eat something (fasting), do some cardio training.

In theory, this is supposed to help increase your overall rate of fat burning because you won’t have to worry about burning calories from the food you just ate for breakfast. So that your body can begin to burn the body fat reserves that it has. But is this training better for people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes? Or would it be better to skip it entirely?

Here are some quick points for type 2 diabetics to keep in mind…

1. The Intensity Level. The first thing to watch out for is your blood sugar level. You will most likely need to use a lower overall intensity level when doing speed cardio, since your blood sugar will be below the best level for high-intensity training.

Now won’t be the time to do those high-intensity interval sprints you normally do. Instead, you’ll be stuck doing a steady-state cardio workout. If you don’t mind constant exercise this might be fine, but for those who get bored quickly it just isn’t ideal.

2. The question of blood sugar. As a type 2 diabetic taking blood sugar-lowering medication, it is not advisable to go hours without eating. In fact, you may already wake up from your overnight fast to find that your blood sugar levels are much lower than you would like them to be.

Now if you exercise, this will only amplify the effect. For many type 2 diabetics, doing a fasted cardio workout could cause dangerously low blood sugar levels, making this type of training completely impossible.

If you’re going to try a quick cardio workout, be sure to talk to your doctor before doing so. You will also need to monitor your blood sugar level very carefully as you progress through your exercise session.

There you have the two main points to consider about fast state cardio. All in all, the fat loss benefits aren’t even as pronounced because the intensity of the cardio goes down. It will be just as good for your body if you do a HIIT session later in the day after you’ve eaten some food and have the energy for more intense exercise.