Intermittent Fasting

IF
Sounds technical and complicated, right? Well, in reality it isn’t and you’ve already been doing it almost everyday of your life. Each night you sleep, you are in a fasted state. When you wake up and eat your breakfast, you are “breaking” your fast.

Intermittent fasting (IF) is a form of dietary restriction that has been gaining some traction on nutrition and fitness blogs. It’s not a “diet”, but rather a different pattern in eating. It focuses on WHEN you eat and the timing of your meals.

With IF, you are going on a predetermined fast that can last anywhere from 12 to 24 hours. 12-16 is a good place to start. If you are getting 8 hours of sleep then you really only need another 4-8 hours in a fasted state to achieve an intermittent fast.

So why might you want to try IF? In the fitness world, people use IF to lose fat and gain lean muscle. Some research has also shown that IF can help regulate blood glucose, control blood lipids, reduce the risk of coronary disease, manage body weight, and reduce the risk of cancer. [1] The goal is to regulate our hormones and help us hit the reset button.

Try doing IF two to three times a week and see if you experience some of the benefits mentioned above. Be sure to track everything and take note of how this is affecting your training as well.

IF is an advanced nutrition strategy that should be implemented with care. Prior to starting, I would definitely take some time to learn more by reading the articles listed below. IF is not necessarily for everyone. And the research is still fairly new which means there isn’t a ton of conclusive data. Make sure that your sleep is already dialed in and stress levels are manageable before jumping in.

Calorie Restriction and Intermittent Fasting [1]

Lean Gains

An Introduction to Intermittent Fasting

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