Time-restricted eating (TRE) is the bright shiny toy everyone wants on their diet list these days. Yeah, you can call it intermittent fasting. Salk scientists studying TRE in mice, looked into how it promotes multiple health benefits besides weight loss. The study also shows that these benefits may depend on sex and age.

While weight loss is a big deal, especially in young male mice (at least for science guys and gals), this paper, published in Cell Reports, the researchers wanted to see if TRE was beneficial in other ways.

Their findings show that while age and sex do affect the outcomes of TRE, the eating strategy delivers multiple health benefits for young and old of both sexes, and indicates that TRE may be a valuable intervention for type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and liver cancer, and even infectious diseases such as COVID-19, in humans.

“For many TRE clinical interventions, the primary outcome is weight loss, but we’ve found that TRE is good not only for metabolic disease but also for increased resilience against infectious diseases and insulin resistance,” says Satchidananda Panda, a professor in Salk’s Regulatory Biology Laboratory and holder of the Rita and Richard Atkinson Chair.

Glucose intolerance is the first step on a slippery slope to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and liver cancer – one of the few cancers whose incidence and death rates have increased, rather than declined, in the past 25 to 30 years. Further, over 40 percent of Americans are already diabetic or prediabetic, with the American Diabetes Association predicting 1.5 million new cases each year.

These trends make finding a simple treatment for glucose intolerance a major priority.

The researchers also found that TRE may protect both males and females from sepsis-induced death – a particular danger in ICUs, especially during the pandemic. After administering a toxin that induced a sepsis-like condition in the mice, the researchers monitored survival rates for 13 days and found that TRE protected both male and female mice from dying of sepsis.

TRE didn’t just protect against fatty liver disease, diabetes, and death from sepsis; it even enabled male mice to preserve and add muscle mass and improve muscle performance (the effect did not hold for females).

This finding is particularly significant for the elderly, for whom improved muscle performance can help guard against falls.

Summary

Title: Sex- and age-dependent outcomes of 9-hour time-restricted feeding of a Western high-fat high-sucrose diet in C57BL/6J mice

Date: August 17, 2021

DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109543

Abstract: Time-restricted feeding (TRF) is a nutritional intervention wherein food intake is limited to a consistent 8- to 10-h daily window without changes in nutritional quality or quantity. TRF can prevent and treat diet-induced obesity (DIO) and associated metabolic disease in young male mice fed an obesogenic diet, the gold standard preclinical model for metabolic disease research. Because age and sex are key biological variables affecting metabolic disease pathophysiology and response to therapies, we assessed their impact on TRF benefits by subjecting young 3-month-old or middle-aged 12-month-old male and female mice to ad libitum or TRF of a Western diet. We show that most of the benefits of TRF are age-independent but are sex-dependent. TRF protects both sexes against fatty liver and glucose intolerance while body weight benefits are observed only in males. We also find that TRF imparts performance benefits and increases survival to sepsis in both sexes.

Main Purpose: A study of how TRF can delay metabolic dysfunction and promote healthy aging in middle-aged pre-clinical male and female mouse models of metabolic disease.

Research Type: Journal Article

Findings Indicate: TRE confers multiple health benefits besides weight loss. The study also shows that these benefits may depend on sex and age.

Limitation: For out purposes, the obvious limitation of this study is the limitation of animal models applied to humans.

The post Time Restricted Eating Is All About Age and Sex appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Types of Fasts

24-Hour Fast – This is completed 1-2 times per week and involves fasting for an entire 24-hour period. For example, you might stop eating at 8 pm on Saturday, and not eat again until 8 pm on Sunday.

8:16 Fast – This is a more common type of fast, usually followed every day, where you eat during an eight-hour window and fast the remaining 16 hours (including sleep). The most common arrangement is to eat between 1-9pm every day. You basically skip breakfast every morning and wait until lunch to have your first meal. This can also be done periodically throughout the week and doesn’t have to be every day.

5:2 Fast – Also referred to as a “modified fast,” this style of fasting involves dropping calories to 500-600 total calories two days each week and eating normally for the remainder. This style of fasting can be a good introduction to those who can’t fathom extended periods of time without eating anything. The total calories are usually split into two equally-sized meals during the day.

12:12 Fast – This is most closely resembles a normal eating routine where you eat during a 12-hour window (i.e. 9am-9pm) and fast the remaining 12-hours (including sleep).

IF Supports Fat loss

For fat loss, the main benefit of IF is in how it creates a caloric deficit. There is nothing magical about this type of diet. However, one could see how it would be less likely to overeat calories when you restrict yourself to a limited eating window every day. Additionally, a intermittent fasting type of diet would allow you to eat larger meals than eating regularly throughout the day. If you have a preference for larger, more infrequent meals, then IF could be a suitable alternative.

Increased Insulin Sensitivity

I could write a whole article on insulin, but for our purpose imagine insulin as the key that opens the door to put the nutrients you eat into the cells of your body to be used for energy (or stored). Insulin is released as a result of eating carbohydrates and plays an important role in muscle building and energy production. However, if too much insulin is released over an extended period of time you can become desensitized, meaning your body changes the locks and your keys no longer work. When insulin function becomes dramatically impacted, this develops into Type 2 diabetes. IF has been shown, in some studies, to improve insulin sensitivity.¹

IF May Decrease Your Appetite and Fight Disease

The benefit of decreased appetite² depends on where you place your eating window. When you eat your hunger hormones (ghrelin and leptin) are stimulated to produce. These hormones are responsible for making you feel hungry. When you eat first thing in the morning, these hormones are rearing to go all day long, which can make you hungrier throughout the day. By waiting further into the day to eat, you postpone the production of these hormones which can decrease your appetite throughout the day. This can further lead to reduced calorie consumption. Some studies have shown that those who consume a healthy breakfast tend to weigh less than their breakfast-skipping counterparts. Physiologically, eating breakfast bears no advantage for fat loss. However, many people find themselves famished by the afternoon and often give themselves permission to overindulge in whatever piques their appetite—because they can afford the extra calories from a missed breakfast. If you find you fall into this category of afternoon binging, starting an IF diet could prove problematic (at least initially).

Studies have also shown that IF can increase cellular repair, increase cell resistance to oxidation, and help prevent chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.^{3, 4}

Who Should Consider IF?

If you are often in a rush in the morning or generally busy with work IF can be great for your productivity. It’s easier to plow through your workload when you don’t have to worry about stopping to prepare or eat food. In fact, I practice the 16/8 fast 2 times per week and those are my most productive days.

If you find you aren’t too hungry in the mornings but get cravings late at night that leads to snacking, IF can be one potential way to mitigate over-consumption. Again, IF allows you to eat larger meals later in the day, so you will likely feel less of a need to snack into the late hours.

While you get used to fasting for extended periods of time, now and again you do experience hunger hours before you are planning to eat anything. Most people overeat because they can’t stand this feeling, and unfortunately, we often feel hungry for reasons other than actual hunger (stress, habit, entertainment, boredom, etc). Learning to “sit” with this hunger, and recognizing that it’s not that bad, and it goes away after some time, allows you to have better self-control with your eating behaviors.

Who Should Avoid IF?

If you already struggle to meet your caloric goals, then IF might make this even harder to achieve. Again, your appetite will be suppressed (even more than it is now), and you will have less time to consume your calories.

If you work out in the morning or late at night it isn’t necessarily a deal breaker, but still something to consider when looking at the pros and cons of IF. You will want to fit your workout in sometime within your eating window. If you plan to stop eating by 9 pm, for example, but don’t workout until 10 pm, then you won’t be able to eat anything afterwards—a problem for strength and muscle gain. Likewise, if you workout in the morning having fasted, you will notice you can’t perform as well. In other words, you will want to have at least one meal pre-workout and one post-workout. Remember, you can shift your eating window to the morning hours, but this will likely make it harder to stop eating throughout the evening given those pesky hunger hormones.

Original research into intermittent fasting involved performing a strength training routine toward the end of a morning fast (working out around lunchtime), then consuming the first meal of the day immediately afterward. If your schedule allows it, and you don’t notice a decrease in performance, then this is another potential option. In so doing you should consume 5-10g of branched-chain amino acids during your workout to prevent muscle loss.

If you’re prone to binge-eating IF may not be a good option for you because there is a period at the beginning where your body is still getting accustomed to the new schedule, so you’ll likely be famished by the time your first meal rolls around—thus putting you in a position to binge eat. If you are prone to binge-eating—uncontrollable eating of anything and everything in sight (usually not healthy stuff)—then IF could exacerbate that desire to binge.

If you have pre-existing medical conditions that contraindicate infrequent food consumption, IF may not be appropriate for you due to your health history. If you have diabetes, for example, and it is imperative to monitor and strictly control blood sugar levels throughout the day, the infrequency of eating due to IF could potentially lead to low blood sugar during the fasted state.

Additional Considerations for IF

Since you are fasting for extended periods of time, you run a greater risk for muscle atrophy (shrinkage—getting weaker). For this reason, it becomes imperative to consume enough protein during your eating window. Vegetarians and vegans will find it harder to meet this requirement. Additionally, the use of a BCAA Supplement during your fast can help prevent muscle loss.

Weight training should be within your eating window, but because cardio is about relative effort you can still do this without food. Do note that your performance might be lower than you’re used to. Also note: if you are prone to low-blood sugar spells during exercise, this may not be a good option.

Make caffeine your friend and use non-caloric caffeine sources (black coffee, tea, etc.) in the morning during your fast. These drinks can help keep energy levels up and further help control your appetite until the eating window begins.

You need to make sure to drink lots of water during your fast. This will not only keep you hydrated (you likely won’t have room in your stomach for much liquid during your eating window), but can also help keep you comfortable during your fast.

Consider Your Options Carefully

As you’ve seen, there are a lot of considerations to make when contemplating an intermittent fasting diet. Of course, I recommend consulting with your doctor before beginning any new diet or exercise program. However, intermittent fasting does appear to be a beneficial option for those individuals that can make it work with their lifestyle. Remember, the best diet is the one you can stick to without feeling (or being) deprived of any foods or nutrients. The only way to truly know if IF is a good option for you is to experiment and give it a try.

You might also like:

• Build Lean Muscle With Intermittent Fasting, Carb And Calorie Cycling
• Is Intermittent Fasting Right For You?
• A Woman’s Guide To Intermittent Fasting
• Intermittent Fasting For Athletes: The Why And How

References:

1. Harvie, Michelle N., Mary Pegington, Mark P. Mattson, Jan Frystyk, Bernice Dillon, Gareth Evans, Jack Cuzick et al. “The effects of intermittent or continuous energy restriction on weight loss and metabolic disease risk markers: a randomized trial in young overweight women“. International journal of obesity 35, no. 5 (2011): 714.

2. Natalucci, Giancarlo, S. Riedl, A. Gleiss, T. Zidek, and H. Frisch. “Spontaneous 24-h ghrelin secretion pattern in fasting subjects: maintenance of a meal-related pattern“. European Journal of Endocrinology 152, no. 6 (2005): 845-850.

3. Tinsley, Grant M., and Paul M. La Bounty. “Effects of intermittent fasting on body composition and clinical health markers in humans“. Nutrition reviews 73, no. 10 (2015): 661-674.

4. Mattson, Mark P., Valter D. Longo, and Michelle Harvie. “Impact of intermittent fasting on health and disease processes“. Ageing research reviews 39 (2017): 46-58.

The post A Practical Guide to Intermittent Fasting appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The first day, I under at and couldn’t sleep all night from the hunger. The next day, I was tired, cranky, and grossly over ate. That was when my hunger and hormone roller coaster started. I quit after three days. I felt like a complete and utter failure.

Women Fast Differently

My first experiment with intermittent fasting left me tired and lethargic.

If you are a woman, chances are you have experienced this or a similar diet roller coaster at least once – if not dozens of times – in your life. For me, this seemed to be anothe r”lose weight fast” fad, so I quit.

What I didn’t realize back then is that women experience intermittent fasting quite differently than men. It’s sometimes trickier for women to get results. The physiological and weight benefits are still possible, but sometimes require a different approach.

“But how do you fast gradually without throwing your hormones into a frenzy? I find that fasting on nonconsecutive days is better at keeping those pesky hormones in check.”

As I looked into why – and the science behind it – I realized that whether you’re make or female, to get that coveted fat loss, you have to customize fasting to you.

For women, in particular, there are specific biological truths about fasting, and if you ignore them, they will keep you from reaching your body and fitness goals. Once I figured out some techniques that bypassed these problems (more on that later), I ended up sharing them with others who experienced the same success.

Why Do Intermittent Fasting at All?

There are actually a good number of science-backed medical benefits to intermittent fasting (IF). First off, studies have shown that IF makes us less insulin resistant. And several studies suggest that people who fast have more energy, better cognition and memory, and increased production of something called neurotrophic growth factor (a protein that promotes neuron growth and protection).

Studies have shown that fasting can improve neural activity.

Fasting intermittently can also prime your cells so they can better handle stressful insults. One study says that a break from eating jolts cells into a minor stressful state, making them more capable of later fending off other types of stress (like the type that can lead to disease.) Lastly, studies among people who participate in Ramadan – a month-long religious fast – say IF may improve immunity, lower diabetes risk, and improve heart health.

In fact, lots of studies on lots of different groups show some cardiovascular, cognitive, diabetes and weight loss benefits on IF. Their major limitation is they tended to be small, short-term studies. Despite that, many in the field are excited about IF’s possibilities.

IF and Hormone Imbalance

You’re probably thinking: What’s the problem? Well, I kind of alluded to that earlier with my failure story. Fasting can be tricky, particularly for women.

In fact, IF may cause hormonal imbalance in women. Women are extremely sensitive to signals of starvation. If the body senses starvation, it will kick up production of hunger hormones. Therefore, when you break the fast, you may experience insatiable hunger. It’s our body’s way of protecting a potential fetus (even when we’re not pregnant). Many of us driven women tend to ignore those hunger cues. Or even worse, we try to ignore them, then fail and binge later, but follow that up with under eating and starvation again. Guess what? All that can halt ovulation.

“All that being said, I think most of you women, even those of reproductive age, will do fine with gentle fasting, as long as when you do eat, you do it healthfully.”

In animal studies, after two weeks on IF, female rats stopped having menstrual cycles and their ovaries shrunk; and male rats ended up with lower testosterone production. Insomnia was also more common among female rats.

There are actually very few human studies that have looked at fasting for women specifically, but the animal studies confirm our suspicion: intermittent fasting can sometimes throw off a woman’s hormonal balance and cause fertility problems. (And it feeds the negative cycle of eating disorders like anorexia.)

Some signs you’re experiencing hormonal imbalance:

• Fatigue
• Depressed mood
• Bloating
• Headaches
• Irregular periods

“Crescendo” Intermittent Fasting

If you find yourself or your clients experiencing any of the above symptoms while doing an intermittent fast – stop immediately. Assuming your symptoms normalize after a couple of weeks, I suggest trying gentle IF. (If you’ve ever heard of the Fast Diet – also known as 5:2 – it is a form of gentle IF.)

But how do you fast gradually without throwing your hormones into a frenzy? I find that fasting on nonconsecutive days is better at keeping those pesky hormones in check. I like to call it Crescendo Intermittent Fasting because you’re gradually working your body until you find the fasting approach that is sustainable for you.

Using “eating windows” can help you achieve the benefits of IF without the hormonal downswing.

Start with a twelve- to sixteen-hour fast on three days a week (but not three days in a row). On those three days you should focus on healthy eating during a restricted window – say, from 11:00am to 7:00pm. Typically, you can achieve this by just skipping breakfast. Make sure to do a shorter training session on fast days. It should be “shorter” for you, so for me that means doing HIIT or something less intense like yoga.

The other thing I believe really helps, but is not absolutely necessary, is branched chain amino acids (BCAAs). BCAAs can keep the building blocks of protein in your system and prevent muscle breakdown. But the biggest advantage I find is that supplementing with them mitigates that ravenous hunger a lot of us have, especially in the beginning stages.

Other details of Crescendo IF:

• Fast on two to three nonconsecutive days.
• On fasting days do yoga, strength, or light cardio.
• Ideally, fast for twelve to sixteen hours.
• Eat normally on your high-cardio days (that means one or more intense hours of running, biking, metabolic conditioning WODs, etc.).
• Strongly consider taking 5-8 grams of BCAAs during your fast.
• Drink plenty of water. Tea and coffee are okay, too.

After you get comfortable with this (after two to three weeks), feel free to fast more often and add nuances like fasting for longer on weekends and for less time on weekdays.

When to Stop Fasting

If you notice any of the negative hormonal imbalance symptoms I mentioned, if you experience problems with your menstrual cycles, or if fasting triggers symptoms of an eating disorder. If any of these things happen, stop immediately – IF probably is not for you.

All that being said, I think most of you women, even those of reproductive age, will do fine with gentle fasting, as long as when you do eat, you do it healthfully.

Fast the Smart Way

As you can tell, I am a big fan of intermittent fasting because of the combination of health and fat-loss benefits. I also think that moving away from the six to eight meals a day dogma is so relieving to many people. No carrying food with you everywhere, no counting calories, no obsessing about every meal, no constant grazing, and so on!

Ladies, if you’re sick and tired of quick fixes tha make you less healthy and weaker over the long haul, and if you want to gain the benefits of IF – to feel good, get stronger, and like the body ou see in the mirror – then do IF, the smart way.

Check out these related articles:

• Is Intermittent Fasting Right for You?
• The Female Guide to Getting Lean
• How to Recycle and Progress Your Nutrition (Just Like Your Lifting)
• What’s New On Breaking Muscle Today

References:

1. Harvie, M, “The effect of intermittent energy and carbohydrate restriction v. daily energy restriction on weight loss and metabolic disease risk markers in overweight women,” British Journal of Nutrition 2013 Oct; 110(8): 1534-47, doi: 10.1017/S0007114513000792.

2. Martin, B. and Mattson, MP, “Sex-dependent metabolic, neuroendocrine, and cognitive responses to dietary energy restriction and excess,” Journal Endocrinology (2007) Sep; 148(9): 4318-33. Epub 2007 Jun 14z

3. Bronwen Martin, Mark P. Mattson, and Stuart Maudsleya, “Caloric restriction and intermittent fasting: Two potential diets for successful brain aging,” Journal of Ageing Research (2006); 5(3): 332-353.

4. Faris, MA, Kacimi, S, Al-Kurd, RA, Farajeh, MA, Bustanji, YK, Mohammad, MK, Salem, ML, “Intermittent fasting during Ramadan attenuates proinflammatory cytokines and immune cells in healthy subjects,” Journal of Nutritional Research, 2012 Dec;32(12):947-55. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2012.06.021. Epub 2012 Oct 4.

5. Krista A. Varady and Mark K. Hellerstein, “Alternate-day fasting and chronic disease prevention: a review of human and animal trials,” American Journal of Nutrition, July 2007 vol. 86 no. 1 7-13.

6. Sushil Kumar and Gurcharan Kaur, “Intermittent fasting dietary restriction regimen negatively influences reproduction in young rats: a study of hypothalamo-hypophysial-gonadal axis,” PLoS One, 2013;8(1):e52416. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052416. Epub 2013 Jan 29.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post A Woman’s Guide to Intermittent Fasting appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

I have been a scientist for a few years, and I enjoy doing the dirty, dry research behind all of the nutrition questions asked in the confines of a room full of fitness enthusiasts. And if anyone asks me for a tip to help control calories, manage appetite, or eating for all-around health, my first go-to is intermittent fasting (IF). Yes, even before the paleo diet.

RELATED: Intermittent Fasting For Athletes: The Why and How

Intermittent Fasting and Starvation Mode

I think all types of intermittent fasting have their values, but in my experience, a daily fast with an eating window is the most convenient. I prefer to skip breakfast and maintain an eight-hour eating window from 12:00 to 8:00PM.

Critics of intermittent fasting reference phrases like “starvation mode” if skipping breakfast is involved. By definition this means the metabolism slows to rates that do not effectively break down fat. Starvation mode is not a scientifically proven idea, but it is possible. It is also possible you can make starvation mode work to your advantage without calorie restriction.

Imagine a hypothetical daily schedule where food timing is used to manage appetite. In the morning, try skipping breakfast. Even hold off on the morning coffee as long as possible. Many people, me included, will not feel particularly hungry, and if we do, it passes quickly. We use “starvation mode” to our advantage and don’t feel hungry until lunch.

“Starvation mode is not a scientifically proven idea, but it is possible. It is also possible you can make starvation mode work to your advantage without calorie restriction.”

The lack of hunger most likely stems from the balance of the hunger hormones leptin and ghrelin, according to Dr. Michael Mosely who authored a documentary special on the topic. The fasting state also allows for a period of fat burning instead of carbohydrate burning. As your cells become more accustomed to metabolizing fat instead of sugar, the body becomes more sensitive to insulin and blood sugar. The sensitivity to insulin is a hallmark of cardiovascular health.

RELATED: First Rule: Do Not Talk About Intermittent Fasting 

IF Increases Speed of Recovery

Dr. Mosley’s documentary, as well as recent research in the scientific journal Experiment Gerontology, supports the presumption that intermittent fasting may aid in inflammation resistance in muscle fibers. We all know exercise breaks down muscle tissue. The process of rebuilding muscles makes them stronger and, in many cases, bigger. Recovery can be a painful albeit useful process, but research shows that inflammatory factors are reduced when exercising in a fasted state. Recovery is not only less painful but more rapid.

In the study, the researchers monitored young adult women to be sure they had fasted for at least eight hours for five days while the control group was fed a specific diet for the same five days. Both groups were supervised while they completed sets of bicep curls with their non-dominant arm. Those in the control group lost their elbow extension at a significantly higher rate compared to the group that had been fasting. Exercise-induced muscle damage caused more stiffening of the fed working muscle fibers than the fasted working muscle fibers.

RELATED: Fasting Does Not Negatively Affect Muscle Gain 

IF Prevents Cells From Overproducing Free Radicals

The fasted state is not only beneficial for the body on the muscular level, but the cellular level as well. Health experts would will us to drink four or five cups of green tea per day for the antioxidant effects to neutralize damaging free radicals. Intermittent fasting prevents the cells from overproducing the damaging free radicals that antioxidants combat.

Think of cellular mitochondria as very efficient engines. Even the most efficient engines give off a few fumes. Think of these fumes as free radicals. A normal three-meal, two-snack-per-day eating schedule is like a car in a small room running all day, accumulating harmful fumes and damaging anything stuck in the room.

“Intermittent fasting prevents the cells from overproducing the damaging free radicals that antioxidants combat.”

This is a cellular mitochondria chipping away at our snacks all day long. The harmful oxidants build up inside the cell and can damage proteins and DNA. If the engine runs for a shorter period of time, there is not as much accumulation of harmful fumes, especially with the extra time for the fumes to dissipate. It is the same with harmful oxidants and free radicals. Research shows periods of fasting have reduced overall cellular free radicals and inflammatory markers, which are indicators of heart disease and diabetes risk.

Free radicals.

Summary: The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

1. Intermittent fasting is a good tool for calorie control/calorie restriction depending on your goals.
2. Maintaining a daily eating window can take the inconvenience out of calorie restriction.
3. Starvation mode can help you sustain consistency with an eating window while fasting the rest of the day.
4. Starvation mode positively affects insulin sensitivity, as well as the hunger hormones, leptin and ghrelin.
5. While, in theory, metabolism slows during starvation mode, fat is preferentially burned.
6. During exercise, fasted muscles have been shown to stiffen more slowly.
7. At the cellular level, fasted cells accumulate fewer oxidants and free radicals, which slows the degradation of proteins and DNA. Mitochondria have time to rest and allow free radicals to dissipate.

RELATED: How Leptin Helps Us Avoid Getting Fat 

Experiment with IF Styles and Schedules

Trying intermittent fasting for yourself is an interesting experiment. It depends greatly on your individual work and exercise schedule, but luckily, it can be adjusted for those factors. The style of fast also depends upon your goals. A one-day-per-week fast may fit your schedule better than a daily fast.

“While, in theory, metabolism slows during starvation mode, fat is preferentially burned.”

Experiment. It is easy to try, and doesn’t cost you any more money than a typical healthy diet would. Of course, the quality of your food and physical activity will contribute to the results you see, but structured, timed eating plans have only been shown to increase health when used responsibly.

This is a plan more suited to healthy individuals, and those with questions should contact their physician. For those with a history of disordered eating, intermittent fasting could trigger a relapse and is not recommended.

References:

1. Mosley, M. “Eat, Fast & Live Longer.” BBC America. (2012).

2. Dannecker, E. A., et al., “The Effect of Fasting on Indicators of Muscle Damage.” Exp Gerontol 48, no. 10 (2013): 1101-6.

3. Antoni, R. et al., “The Effects of Intermittent Energy Restriction on Indices of Cardiometabolic Health”. Research in Endocrineology Vol 2014 (2014), 24 pages.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Starvation Mode: How to Make the Fasted State Work for You appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Now that might be a bit of biased journalism there, and I’ll concede that the potential for fasting to be a hindrance to training is a reasonable concern. If we simply extend out the idea of fasting ad absurdum, you will find that it not only prevents muscle gain, but it will eventually kill you when you cross from fasting to starving. But we need to ask where the cutoff is, since intermittent fasting has many other positive benefits that make it worth consideration, even for serious athletes looking for real results. A recent study in the International Society of Sports Nutrition answered that very question.

In the study the researchers found a pretty clever way to examine the anabolic response to fasting. They looked at the Muslim population during the time of Ramadan. Ramadan is a holy month in which participants do not eat or drink during the day, from dawn until sunset. However, there are still many Muslim athletes, and even some studies on the effects of Ramadan on soccer and other sports, but not for weight training.

The participants of the study were Muslim bodybuilders, but the results should apply to anyone looking to gain lean mass or strength. They weren’t elite level bodybuilders, but rather they recreationally performed bodybuilding routines at least three days per week. The group of participants was split into two – those who exercised during the day while fasting and those who exercised at night after having eaten.

Interestingly, as the fasting began, the total volume of exercise and the total caloric intake for the bodybuilders didn’t really change. They seemingly ate larger meals in the evening to compensate, and so their protein, fat, and carb levels were still roughly the same each day. The only major differences once fasting began were an improvement in body fat usage and some dehydration. For those Muslims participating in Ramada, drinking a lot of water after sunset is ideal to help curb this. For those doing intermittent fasting for other reasons, however, the dehydration effect should be no issue.

The other finding of the study was that the time of day when resistance training was done had no impact on body mass and body fat percentage. It made no difference whether training happened after eating in the evening or while fasting during the day. The duration of the study was only four weeks, but I suspect this would largely carry on, and perhaps, as noted by the researchers, training may actually be enhanced due to a larger anabolic response from fasting.

Since more and more athletes are becoming interested in fasting, studies like this go a long way to help dissuade the fears about negative performance effects. If you’ve been considering trying intermittent fasting, but you’ve had this stumbling block, now is the time to give it a shot.

References:

1. Khaled Trabelsi, et. al., “Effect of fed- versus fasted state resistance training during Ramadan on body composition and selected metabolic parameters in bodybuilders,” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2013, 10:23

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Fasting Does Not Negatively Affect Muscle Gain appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

People are cruel. If people find out that you don’t eat breakfast purposely they will look down upon you and aim malicious verbal intents directly at your soul. You could be totally ripped and that person could be a fat slob, and he/she will still feel right. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, remember?

If you’re bold enough, you will listen to all the negative comments left, right, and center. If you’re not, there’s always the option to pass on invites to breakfast, brunch, and lunch, and instead sit at home sipping on green tea and watching the Olympics.

Both options are ridiculous (even though the Olympics are awesome). That’s why intermittent fasting (IF) is stupid. I should know. I’ve been doing it for over a year and have written more than a few articles on the subject. Anyone can do a Google search on IF and find a plethora of ways to not eat – it’s pretty simple. The real problem is that society doesn’t approve of it, and that’s where things get a little tricky.

This article is all about weaseling your way into having a social life and not being frowned upon for your food choices (or lack thereof in this case). Let’s gossip, shall we?

Don’t Tell People You’re Fasting

I remember reading on Dan Go’s blog a while ago that he will avoid telling people he is fasting at all costs. This is such a simple way to not have the subject brought up. If people find out you are purposely not eating, they will let you know how ridiculous you are.

I’ve had to deal with this many times. Too many, actually. For some strange reason, my girlfriend (who is a very amazing and lovely woman) loves to tell people that I don’t eat breakfast. I’ve told people why more times than I’ve showered in the past year (and I have very exceptional hygiene). Luckily, I’ve learned some excuses that people will accept when the cat gets out of the bag.

Your Excuses

• “I’m just not that hungry in the morning” – I’ve found about half of people will accept this answer. Surprisingly, a lot of people aren’t hungry in the morning and can relate. For the other half, you need a better excuse.
• “I’m detoxing.” – Thanks to the media, people know that detoxing is healthy for the body. Whether or not people will agree with the claim, it’s socially acceptable to cleanse your body of all toxins. Personally, I think that intermittent fasting is an amazing tool for daily detoxing, so I have no problem giving this answer.

Whatever excuse you choose, always be polite, sincere, and say it with a smile.

Social Situations

When people invite you out for breakfast, you can go. Just because you don’t eat breakfast, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the company of your friends and family. Go, and order either water with lemon, tea, or coffee. People love their morning cup of Joe.

When asked why you’re not ordering (since this is bound to happen), use one of the two excuses above. Just last week, I was on a full-day fast, and my lovely girlfriend let the cat out of the bag again. This time, I used both of the excuses above, but my breakfast party didn’t budge.

For some reason, they really felt strongly about the subject and wanted me to order something to eat. Luckily, I was quick on my feet and said, “It’s more important for me to see you guys and enjoy your company than it is to actually order food. I’m very happy with my lemon water and our good conversation.” It worked. Next subject please.

Likewise, we can’t overlook the second most popular beverage in human history: alcohol. No doubt about it, people get invited out for drinks all the time. We all know this. Accept it. While it may not be a problem for some people, there is always the chance that you will get invited to drinks on days you are doing a full-day fast.

No sweat; I have a solution. If you are at a loud bar, drink water with a lime in a fancy glass. People will assume you are drinking a gin and tonic. If people are with you at a table while you are ordering, you can still order this drink, but get ready for the age old question, “Why aren’t you drinking, Jason?” Just tell them you don’t feel like drinking, or that your stomach is bothering you. (And also that your name isn’t Jason.) If they’re cool, they’ll understand.

Your Fasting Solutions

So there you go, a handful of tips that continue to form my fasting habits and social interactions each and every day:

1. First, never tell people you are fasting. That is a no-no.
2. If the secret is let loose, tell people you’re not hungry or that you’re detoxing. Smile.
3. Sometimes, people will insist you order food. Embrace their company instead while sipping on your coffee.
4. When interaction is accompanied with alcohol, your fake gin and tonic will come in handy. Remember, people just don’t feel like drinking sometimes. It’s okay.

If all else fails, the Olympics coverage is still on for the next week. Just don’t run out of green tea.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

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