best sports performance with slight hunger?

Hey all,

So, I figured, whenever I do any sports that has some endurance component (i.e. no heavy lifting), I do much better if I haven't eaten anything for 3-4hours+. Otherwise, I feel nauseated, like I need to burp, have shit stamina etc.. Indeed, when I have this slight hunger is when I appear to be at my best. That's how it feels to me, but I am wondering if this is all placebo/confirmation bias or not. Is there some research, or are there other people here with the same experiences?

Cheers