I personally subscribe to IF and have been maintaining this eating protocol consistently since Jan of 2018. I’ve tested IF during an arduous special operations work-up cycle and throughout a combat deployment overseas.
IF is NOT a diet, but an eating protocol
This protocol is a long-term solution to keeping your eating habits in check and enabling you to reap the benefits of fasting. It requires you to fast between 14-18 hours a day and then eat between six and ten hours a day five to seven days out of the week.
My personal experience with Intermittent Fasting
When I first learned about the benefits of intermittent fasting, being disciplined with IF wasn’t very hard for me because I ate whatever I wanted (including quality macro and micronutrients) during a specific 8-hour eating window. This ensured that I got in enough calories to sustain my activity level. I maintained discipline in my fast throughout a 16-hour fasting window, all the while training and operating at a high level. I felt great and I also experienced improvements in both my physical performance and physique. I noticed that I had more energy and less inflammation. I recovered faster between training sessions and combat operations. I also noticed that I felt stronger, and more focused during my fasting windows, and my body fat was visibly lower.
I looked leaner (more shredded) without “dieting” and without losing muscle mass. I was simply eating as much food as I wanted within my respective eating window and then fasting the rest of the day. I also continued to train hard throughout this particular eating and fasting protocol. If I felt that I wasn’t getting enough calories, I would simply adjust accordingly or cut the fast the following day to ensure that I was getting enough quality fuel to keep my performance up. After a day of taking a break from IF, I would then get back on the horse and follow through until I felt like I needed another break. This was easy and sustainable for me! I do not make IF any more complicated than it has to be. This protocol has worked for me and it may work for you as well.
Benefits of Intermittent Fasting (IF)
I’m not going to go into all the science or research data surrounding IF. I would encourage you to look into some of the studies for yourself (as the benefits of fasting have been proven for many years now).
Some of the benefit claims include improved cognitive function, the slowing down of cellular degeneration (aging process), increased testosterone, improved immune system, cutting down inflammation, etc. Studies have also shown that Human Growth Hormone (HGH) and blood insulin levels are inversely related. When you eat, there is a spike in your insulin and then a dip in HGH levels in the body. When fasting, insulin levels are down and HGH levels are elevated. These increases in HGH levels have been measured at various moments of a fast and the data suggests that the longer you fast the higher your natural HGH levels are. Higher levels of HGH in the body equate to greater benefits in health and performance. IF provides a realistic framework for maximizing the benefits of fasting along with getting enough calories in order to sustain athletic performance.
Intermittent Fasting Does NOT lead to muscle loss
Of course, there is a point of diminishing returns when fasting, but this does not happen for a few days. However, the body does need fuel to perform at optimal levels. You DO HAVE TO EAT the necessary amount of quality calories to build and maintain lean muscle tissue. This is a must.
Fasting for prolonged periods while being active will eventually lead to a caloric deficit. This deficit will then result in weight loss. Also, prolonged periods of catabolic activity (endurance training) strip BCAAs from your muscle tissue to convert to glucose once your glycogen stores have been depleted. This takes a long time and a lot of expended energy without replenishing the body's calories. IF (in almost all circumstances) will NOT result in a loss of muscle mass or strength for most individuals.
Ideal fasting and eating windows for most people
For most people, the 16-hour fasting period with an eight-hour eating window is sustainable and highly effective. These eating windows are up to the individual and their preference. One may eat from 12 PM to 8 PM, another from 10 AM to 6 PM, or 2 PM to 10 PM, etc. it doesn’t matter. Choose the appropriate eating window that best suits your lifestyle or schedule. The eating window that seems to suit most people is the 12 PM to 8 PM window.
How it works
Simply put, you fast from 8 PM until noon the following day. Essentially, all you are doing is skipping breakfast and any other morning snacks before eating your lunch. The important thing to remember though is to get the necessary amount of fuel in the form of calories during your eating window to sustain your current level of activity. To clarify, if you need 3,000 calories a day to maintain lean muscle mass and peak performance levels, then eat all 3,000 calories during your 8-hour feeding window. It's that simple.
What is considered fasting?
Fasting is abstaining from food and calories for a specific period. Avoid eating or drinking anything that will create a spike in your blood insulin levels. Calories and some chemicals will cause this spike, so it is best to just stick to water, black coffee, and or certain teas during your fasting period. No bulletproof coffee (do this after your first meal if you desire), and no creamers or sugar in your coffee because this will break your fast. Suck it up and stick to water and take your coffee black for best results.
Challenges with IF
The challenge with IF is getting in enough calories to support bodybuilding, powerlifting, bulking, etc. IF may or may not suit your goals for this reason. If you are following the Optimal Readiness training system, however, IF will most likely work for you. It takes about two to three weeks for your body to adjust to this style of eating and fasting and can be a grind at first. Once you get adjusted and into a groove IF is quite painless and very manageable. As a disclaimer, I would also suggest that you get a thumbs up from your doctor or a medical professional to clear you hot for IF. People with certain medical conditions should avoid fasting for prolonged periods.
How I incorporate IF into my life
# 1. I train in a fasted state for the majority of my workouts. I do not eat before I train and I’m at the point where I feel stronger training in a fasted state. For training sessions performed at relatively light to moderate intensity levels (aerobic training at lower percentages of Maximum Heart Rate), I work out fasted in the morning and don't usually eat anything until after noon (12 PM). That’s right, no post-workout shakes or nutrition to see me through the rest of the morning, just plenty of water and some black coffee.
On days I train at higher intensity levels where I am burning through glycogen (think anaerobic training at higher percentages of Maximum Heart Rate), I tend to push my training sessions closer to my feeding window so that I can eat soon after the workout to help replenish glycogen stores and facilitate recovery. Ultimately, however, you need to figure out what works best for you and stick with it, gauge your results, and adjust or course correct as necessary.
# 2. I eat as much as I want during my feeding window. I do my best to eat a well-balanced diet to ensure that I recover properly, maintain lean muscle mass, and have the necessary energy to fuel my active lifestyle. I also eat whatever I want. I follow a general 70/30 rule. This means that 70% of what I eat is relatively “clean” and the other 30% can be considered “trash” or junk food. Whatever. This works for me because I train hard most days and my body needs the calories. The other reason I do this is to ensure that I properly fuel my body with adequate fats, protein, and carbohydrates. I also do my best to get in ample vitamins and minerals (micronutrients) as well.
# 3. I drink plenty of water each day. This is very important when fasting because your body burns through fat and releases the toxins stored in your fat tissues into the bloodstream. Drinking plenty of water helps to adequately flush out these toxins. Do NOT overdo it with the water, however. Drinking too much water can be dangerous to your health. Ensure that your urine maintains a slight yellow tint throughout the day and you should be fine. If you are peeing every 20 minutes…you are drinking too much water and peeing out valuable nutrients that your body needs to maintain optimal health and performance. I tend to do the following…
Drink 2-3 glasses of water (16-32oz) first thing in the morning after I wake up.
Drink 1 to 2 cups of black coffee while I read in the morning to help wake up my Central Nervous System (CNS) before I train
Drink one more cup of water before I train
Physical Training for 30-60 minutes
Follow the training session with 16-32oz of water and then I try to avoid caffeine the rest of the day on most days. Not always though. Just depends.
Drink water throughout the day.
# 4. I will occasionally take a break from IF. If I feel like I’m not getting in enough calories to support my activity level or I feel like I’m not recovering fast enough, I’ll take a break from IF and extend my eating window until I feel like I am back on point. This usually only requires taking a break for a day or two. I also adjust my feeding window from time to time depending on what I’ve got going on. If I want to eat breakfast with my family or go out for a late dinner with friends, I do it. No drama. Discipline is very important to maintaining consistent gains in performance but life is more important than training and sticking to an eating protocol.
# 5. I take my vitamin supplements AFTER my first meal in order to ensure that I do not break my fast. Supplements I routinely take…
A daily multivitamin with LESS than 100% vitamin A. You get plenty of vitamin A from the foods you eat and consuming too much vitamin A has been proven to leach calcium from your bones.
Vitamin D along with adequate sun exposure each day when feasible. Vitamin D has been proven to enhance the immune system. Doctors recommend NO more than 4000 IUs per day.
# 6. I drink caffeine each day by consuming between one and two cups of black coffee BEFORE noon. Research has shown that caffeine is a solid performance enhancer when taken in the right doses and at the right times. It is also proven to help wake up your central nervous system (CNS) before training in the AM (very important to those training for strength development). To maximize adaptations in strength, your CNS must be activated for maximum muscle recruitment to take place to avoid injury and increase performance.
There are some points to consider, however, when utilizing caffeine for increased physical and mental performance. You will develop a tolerance over time. This tolerance requires more and more caffeine for adequate stimulation. To avoid this, I recommend drinking only ONE or TWO cups of black coffee before you train and avoiding it all other times. This requires a lot of discipline, however. Avoiding caffeine as much as feasible to maximize the positive effects on your training is a way to increase the performance-enhancing benefits of caffeine without abusing it.
Ingesting too much caffeine is bad for your health comes with a host of side effects such as restlessness, and anxiety, and harms sleep to name a few.
Supplements
Apart from these supplements, I also take an essential amino acid supplement from time to time post-workout (during my feeding window) to enhance recovery. I may also use it as a pre-workout (because it contains caffeine) ONLY if I'm training AFTER I have already broken my fast. Another supplement I take from time to time is a standard whey protein isolate. This is to ensure that I am getting enough protein throughout the day.
Nutrition is a very important piece of the puzzle when it comes to optimal performance. Ensure that you are fueling your body in a way that adequately supports your lifestyle, training, and performance goals.
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