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Are Fasted Workouts Better for Fat Loss?
Disclaimer: I am not a registered dietitian to recommend any form of changing your diet. Please ask your doctor if you're okay with performing any of this before doing it yourself.
The past decade, there has been so many fad diets; from keto diets and paleo diets to even a carnivore diet where you eat only meat within your diet (bruh what) but the one that has stood out to me out of all the trends ever since has been fasting.
Particularly, intermittent fasting.
Fasting is described as cutting out any calories typically from food and/or beverages for a prolonged period of time. As for people who haven't heard of this term, intermittent fasting is one of the most popular ways of fasting. In fact, there are multiple ways of doing intermittent fasting and they fall under
- 16/8: where 16 hours is fasted & you have an 8 hour feeding window
- 18/6: where 18 hours is fasted & you have a 6 hour feeding window
- 20/4: where 20 hours is fasted & you have a 4 hour feeding window
Importantly, there are other ways to perform intermittent fasting and it really all just depends on if it truly can benefit you and get you to your goals efficiently. Based on a recent 2020 study, overweight, obese, and healthy individuals performing different forms of fasting had all improved by decreasing their body fat, decreased overall bodyweight, and decreased BMI (Body Mass Index) over the course of 6-12 months and this was included with some form of resistance training. Additionally, the populations that were dealing with chronic diseases had lessened.
Nonetheless, it's important to understand that there is a difference between starving yourself and fasting because within those feeding windows, these populations had a caloric intake goal to maintain their body's integrity throughout the course of the study.
Implement At Your Own Discretion!
What my goal with the newsletter this week is to provide you that although there are major benefits to fasting to help improve fat loss, it should be approached in a much careful manner.
With the same 2020 study, it had mentioned that endurance based Muslim athletes such as players from FIFA and rugby were undergoing Ramadan and that their performance and energy had decreased.
So, it may not be ideal for you to undergo intermittent fasting if you perform an endurance based sport, whether you're in a dance team, run long distance, do jiu jitsu, etc.
Feed your body what it needs. Food is FUEL!
Stop feeding it with processed foods/ultra processed foods/junk that you see on the grocery aisles. Yes, a little of something "bad" is okay because we are human and I believe that we're born here to live (EVEN ALCOHOL) but all in moderation.
Feed the SOUL
Personally, throughout the week you need to feed the body with what the Earth gives (no man-made foods). These foods can include your fruits, vegetables, grains, & lentils. The more of these in your diet in your body, the less your body will crave unhealthy foods over time. Your body can reset if you choose the proper food choices.
Eat the Night Before
If you plan to workout in the morning without eating breakfast (something I typically do), make sure you eat a proper and balanced meal the night before. It will get you through the workout and all those nutrients are fully digested for you to perform at your best. Most importantly, stay hydrated!
References:
Exercise Training and Fasting: Current Insights
Coach Tony
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