Intermittent fasting and training timing.
- Thread starter Fro Joe
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WarHorse
Star Player
I train fasted when I'm cutting. When I'm bulking up, I have a medium carb/protein breakfast, like oatmeal. Honestly, the raw strength gains feel like they're about the same both ways, but the weight gain/loss is definitely different.
When I fast I also drink a gallon of water a day and eat a carb/protein bar before lift so I have some energy, otherwise I feel dead at the gym.
When I fast I also drink a gallon of water a day and eat a carb/protein bar before lift so I have some energy, otherwise I feel dead at the gym.
NDshotokan
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Jason Ferruggia's Renegade Diet employs fasting for 14-16 hours and breaking the fast with athletic greens and a protein shake. He uses a fast, under-eat, over-eat methodology incorporating organic foods and primarily targets gut health. A lot of newer research has found how important gut health is to nutrition and body composition.
Pretty interesting stuff, IMO. I don't like everything he has to say, but it's a good book.
Pretty interesting stuff, IMO. I don't like everything he has to say, but it's a good book.
WarHorse
Star Player
Curious: what about yogurt?
NDshotokan
(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
According to him, it's an ideal protein source during the under-eating phase if your body can handle pasteurized dairy products. Although I think he prefers Kefir because of the extra probiotics, which you can get organic versions of.
WarHorse
Star Player
Awesome, thanks!
Fro Joe
Snowden is a hero.
I've read some of his fasting theories and I disagree with some of his points. The 14 hour fast is barely enough time to get into the coveted "autophagy" stage which is one of the main points behind this style of eating schedule. The other thing is the over/under eating times. I don't understand it plus I have a hard enough time getting the calories down during my eating window as it is.
I'm on day 7 of IF. I've had two 20 hour fasts, three 18 hour fasts, and two 16 hour fasts. I'm loving it so far. This is the fastest I've ever seen body composition changes.
NDshotokan
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I disagree with some of his points as well, but I'm not a professional or I'd be writing my own books. So it's just my ****ty, amateur opinions.
GrandCherokee
Addicted to Softballfans
I am not real familiar with this. Are you following a program? What specific results have you seen with body composition and strength?
I'd venture that 99.99999% of people will train better with a little something in their system. I don't get the same intensity/duration when training fasted. I'd rather have a good workout and rely on the overall plan to get me where I want rather than trying to cash in on some potential benefits of training fasted.
That being said, most people that were recently inspired to IF don't really train fasted anyway. They often drink BCAAs during the workout which are insulinogenic and, contrary to FDA labeling rules, have calories.
When I do a sound "crash" diet, I'll have 5-10 grams of dextrose with my stim-based preworkout and sip some BCAAs whilst training. I get a good workout and don't go hypo (which I am sometimes prone to do).
That being said, most people that were recently inspired to IF don't really train fasted anyway. They often drink BCAAs during the workout which are insulinogenic and, contrary to FDA labeling rules, have calories.
When I do a sound "crash" diet, I'll have 5-10 grams of dextrose with my stim-based preworkout and sip some BCAAs whilst training. I get a good workout and don't go hypo (which I am sometimes prone to do).
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grubd
Banned User
So, do you or do you not train fasted?
corndiggity
Addicted to Softballfans
Both. Just like he trains for both bodybuilding and not for bodybuilding.
Fro Joe
Snowden is a hero.
It's just an eating schedule not a diet per say. The typical I.F. is a 16 hour fast followed by an eight hour eating window. The more extreme "warrior diet" has a 20 hour fast and a 4 hour fast. I really haven't changed my diet aside from a caloric deficit.
As for training I've been healing from a slight oblique pull so I've only had one workout while doing this. I did it "fasted" with just BCAAs then didn't eat for another 6 hours. I wasn't really a fan of the "fasted" training so that's why I was asking what people do. I really like my carbs before and during a workout.
WarHorse
Star Player
I fast when cutting, I do not fast when bulking/gaining.
Jake 99
Living the dream!
I have only train fasted for years now. First thing in the morning just a preworkout to get going. Have also been fasting after usually shooting for about 14-16 hour fast. I find that now if I eat before I train, even 2 hours before I feel sluggish and slow on a normal day. though when I was competing in strongman a week of rest and lots of food before a contest I felt great. Pretty sure it was just the rest.
I think you need to look behind the concept of IF. From what I understand it comes down to 2 major benefits: increased GH release, and weight loss. If your concern is weight loss, the IF works because you are able to drop all your calories in a couple of days. Ive lost a ton of weight fasting M/W/F and eating normal calories the rest of the week. This tricks your metabolism into staying high, whereas normal dieting will slow your metabolism. Fasting also clears insulin out of your system which causes you to burn fat/muscle as primary fuel sources...great for fat loss, not muscle gains. If you were to take in STRICTLY protein before your workout, your body will not release insulin (ATKINS) in theory. So if you are doing it for weight loss, I would assume a protein only food/supplement would be fine. Eating, however, will change how the GH is released. If you are looking to make gains and lose weight, I would suggest a different approach...intermittent dieting, as im not sure how much of an effect IF actually has on GH release. What I did was to take in 1-200 calories every 2 hours or so to keep my insulin levels stable allowing my body to stay in an anabolic vs catabolic state as I did not want to burn muscle. By supper, i'd only taken in about 800 calories. I'd have a 500 cal dinner or so and be done for the day. The next day id go back to my 2500 cal but increase my cardio to get a net loss on those days. Metabolism stayed high, energy was through the roof, and my weight loss was predominantly fat. Hope this helps...