At least this nutrition myth might be based in a little measure of fact. While stuffing yourself with junk food five minutes before a trip to the gym certainly won’t help you break any personal records on the treadmill, avoiding nutrients entirely just because you’re going to exercise is just as bad.

When you work out on an empty stomach, your cells are still generating energy. However, without glucose and other phytonutrients from food to convert into the power you use to run and lift weights, your cells will start pulling from other places, namely, your muscles.

That’s right: When you fast before going to the gym, your body will actually start to break down muscle tissue to keep you supplied with energy. After all, your cells don’t know you’re actually trying to get fitter, so when the call for more power comes in from the brain, they’ll pull from wherever they can to keep everything moving.

#HealthyCellsMatter