What is Intermittent Fasting and How Does it Work?
Rex Xavier Braganza • August 4, 2020
Intermittent fasting (IF) has become one of the most talked about modern protocols over the last number of years, and rightfully so, it breaks the rules.
For decades we have been told to eat every 2-3 hours and to eat breakfast upon waking; to kick start our metabolism for optimal body composition and health.
Intermittent fasting goes against this, and many protocols suggest reducing your meals and delaying breakfast. Also, many protocols suggest eating less during the day and feasting at night, again going against the saying ‘eat breakfast like a king, lunch as a prince, and dinner as a pauper’.
Intermittent fasting therefore goes against many of the typical recommendations from fitness professionals and has grasped the attention of many people.
In this article you will learn what is intermittent fasting, how it works, the different protocols to follow and all the benefits and negatives.
What Is Intermittent Fasting?
In its most basic form, IF is essentially the practice of occasionally (or at certain times) going for periods of time without food.
That’s right, you don’t eat anything.
This typically raises two key questions:
1. Don't I do this when I'm sleeping?
2. Surely you will lose weight by not eating?
The answer is yes to both of these questions, but we must look at the facts in more detail to better explain this modern protocol.
Everybody fasts, whether it’s from an overnight fast (when sleeping), during periods of food scarcity or perhaps even for religious reasons.
Intermittent fasting is not a ‘diet’, but rather a dieting pattern. Essentially, it is making a conscious decision to skip certain meals. You are therefore deciding on a specific time period to consume your daily calories, while forgoing food at other times of the day.
Over the last few years this has become increasingly popular with the health and fitness conscious as a further means to manipulate their eating habits for increased results.
How Does Intermittent Fasting Work?
IF appears to be a rather simple protocol on the whole, however there are a variety of other protocols that follow this general ideology, but are very different in practice.
There are a number of popular IF protocols that are worth knowing about and understanding.
Unlike some of the modern nutrition protocols, the lack of scientific basis behind IF has left itself open to manipulation by many users and proponents.
The current research on fasting is still relatively new and it wasn’t until its increased popularity that we have been able to get a true reflection of the benefits and negatives it has on a large population.
Existing ‘lab’ research is minimal on humans and many studies are of poor quality. Furthermore, it appears that many of the benefits of IF were noted when compared to ‘normal’ diets i.e. Western type diets. Therefore results from a scientific standpoint appear positive but could be disputed regarding accuracy and scale.
Many of the various IF protocols have therefore been based on other scientific studies along with strong support from anecdotal evidence. It appears that many people have had great success with various IF protocols and it really does seem like a case of ‘test it yourself and see if it fits’.
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Common IF Protocols And The Variations Between Them
Lean Gains (16 hour fast with 8 hour eating window)
This is a form of IF made popular by Martin Berkham. It is focused around a short daily eating window of 8 hours, followed by a 16 hour fast. The general recommendations are to start the eating around 12pm (around midday) and finish around 8pm(just before bed).
This means the bulk of the fast is completed overnight with the remaining hours coming first thing in the morning.
This protocol also promotes a diet from making good food choices and a focus on nutrient timing.
Weight training should be conducted during the fasting period but with the consumption of 10g Branch Chained Amino Acids (BCAA’s) prior to it. The bulk of the daily calories should be planned post workout for improved nutrient partitioning.
Eat Stop Eat (24 hour fast, 1 or 2 times per week)
This IF protocol takes the previous Lean Gains daily fast and extends it to a 24 hour fast, but only 1-2 times per week. Outside of this normal foods can be consumed, ideally coming from healthy whole foods.
Aside from this, you can pick the start of your fast, so it can be morning to morning, or dinner to dinner, the choice is yours.
Alternative Day Fasting (ADF) (36 hour fast, 12 hour eating window)
This is considered one of the most aggressive forms of IF, as food is consumed only every other day. You have a 12 hour eating window by: 8am-8pm followed by a 36 hour fast from all foods.
There is less focus on the food choices and calories intake during the eating window than with the other IF protocols.
Warrior Diet (20 hour fast, 4 hour eating window)
This is somewhat similar to the Lean Gains protocol and extends the fasting window up to 20 hours each day. It is typically recommended that the eating window is conducted in the evening to reap the benefits of fasting throughout the day.
It is possible to eat a small amount of selected foods during the fast (or also known as the under eating phase) that may enhance the effects of the fast and better prime the body for a large influx of food during the short eating window (overeating phase).
It is recommended that weight training occurs just before breaking the fast. This is repeated daily.
The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
When we look at the list of benefits from scientific and anecdotal evidence, it is clear to see it has a lot to offer.
Studies have shown reduced blood lipids, blood pressure, markers of inflammation, oxidative stress and risk of cancer.
They have also shown increased cellular turnover and repair (autophagy), fat burning, growth hormone release, and metabolic rate later in the fast.
Also we have seen improved appetite control, blood sugar control, cardiovascular function, and effectiveness of chemotherapy.
Also, we are now seeing a large number of benefits in those who have experimented with the various IF protocols and these are notably:
Improved fat burning (particularly stubborn fat)
Many people are reporting improved fat burning, especially from stubborn body parts. Despite total energy intake being the key factor to weight loss, many are seeing an increase in fat loss despite similar calorie intake and no further cardio.
Reduced hunger level
Many people report feeling hungry when first switching to an IF protocol. Once they adjust to this there is no longer that hungry feeling in the morning, and the fewer yet larger meals provide higher levels of satiety.
More stable energy levels and improved mood
Fewer meals usually means more stable blood sugar levels, leading to more stable energy and improved mood. Also, being liberated from eating 6+ meals compared to traditional ‘diets’, brings a sense of relief and reduced irritability.
Increased mental focus and concentration
Many people report feeling at their most productive during the fasting window. This is because their body releases more of a stimulant hormone called Catecholamines. This boosts mental focus and concentration levels are increased.
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The Negatives of Intermittent Fasting
Overall, there are very few negative side effects with intermitted fasting.
The biggest drawback for many is transitioning onto such a protocol. Moving from eating 6 meals a day to 3, all by delaying breakfast and incorporating fasted weight training can be a difficult task.
This can be a lot to throw at a body in one go, despite it being a physiological side effect, so taking it easy and introducing various components at a time can improve compliance.
IF can be complex for people who have issues with blood sugar regulation, suffer from hypoglycemia, have diabetes etc. It may therefore not be the best protocol for these populations and a more balanced and traditional approach would be advised.
Aside from avoiding this protocol with certain clinical populations, there is evidence that IF affects men and women differently.
Research is now suggesting that there can be some significant negative side effects of intermittent fasting for women.
Many women find that with IF comes sleeplessness, anxiety, irregular periods and a myriad of other symptoms such as hormone deregulation.
Some studies have also shown that while IF improved insulin sensitivity in male subjects, female subjects showed no such improvement. In fact, glucose tolerance of fasting women actually got worse.
Another study examined the effect of alternative day fasting on blood lipids. Women’s HDL improved and their triglycerides remained stable. For men, HDL remained stable and their triglycerides decreased.
It’s therefore clear that due to the metabolic and hormonal differences in males and females, this might determine how we respond to stress effects or like intermittent fasting. After all, not eating is a further stress what is intermittent fasting on the body.
Summary
Intermittent fasting in all of its various forms can potentially offer a lot of benefits.
It’s important to consider as the research is still unclear whether these benefits are coming from an improved diet, calorie control or increased exercise.
When recommending IF protocols it’s important for the user to be in a good state of health, eating whole unprocessed foods, getting sufficient sleep, reducing stress and exercising well.
It should therefore be an addition to an already effective and consistent training and nutrition strategy.
Fasting can elicit a powerful response in our bodies, which therefore needs carefully monitored and adjusted to the person. Always start slow and build up to the longer and intense fasts.
Until future long-term human studies are conducted on the benefits and negatives of IF, it’s important to remember that one size does not fit all and everyone is different.
That being said, IF and its various protocols are worth experimenting with to learn more about the body and nutrition.
SUPPLEMENTATION GUIDE Supplements can be a minefield these days, with so many different options and promising claims, it can be difficult to know what exactly, we should be using and if they will even work. When truth be told, if a supplement claims to do something that sounds too good to be true, then this is usually the case, and we are better off saving our hard earned cash. However, not all is wasted, there are a small number of supplements that have been scientifically researched, and field tested to show they work. And guess what, the ones that work do not have any fancy names or shiny packaging and are usually consumed already via our diets. The supplements recommended below are merely vitamins, minerals or oils that can be sourced to natural origins, not artificial powders or liquids made in a factory. SO WHY SHOULD WE SUPPLEMENT NATURAL NUTRIENTS WHEN FOLLOWING A HEALTHY EATING PLAN? Well, the research shows that increasing levels of certain vitamins and minerals is required to get the most benefit from them. Usually, these levels are much higher than we can typically get from our food sources alone, even when eating high-quality foods. We should also consider the overall quality of our foods in today’s society; pollution is higher, crops are sprayed more, and many items are heavily processed before reaching us. The quality of our food is not up to scratch anymore and is lacking some of the critical nutrients they can be regarded for. Further, many of our clients are also training hard. This can be depleting on the body, adding further external stressors while also requiring extra energy and nutrients to recover from in order to force the body to adapt to the stimulus. As you can see, boosting some natural vitamins and minerals via supplementation is important for our optimal performance and health. Providing our nutrition is dialed in, and our clients are eating correctly with high-quality foods, research suggests they can be of benefit to us. 1. VITAMIN D – HEALTH, STRENGTH, MUSCLE BUILDER & FAT LOSS SUPPLEMENT Most of us are deficient in this vitamin. Vitamin D has been shown to improve mood, aid immune function, fight off cancers, burn body fat, and improve bone health. It’s also been shown to boost muscle strength and growth, mainly due to it's potential to increase testosterone levels in males. HOW TO TAKE ‘For moderate supplementation, a dose of 1,000-2,000IU vitamin D3 is sufficient to meet the needs of 50- 95% of the population and should be seen as the lowest effective dose range. Higher doses based on body weight are in the range of 20-80IU/kg daily, with the lower half of the range being a dose taken during periods of high sun exposure and the higher range being taken during periods of little or no sun exposure. It is recommended to take vitamin D supplementation in the vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) form rather than D2 (ergocalciferol) due to better utilization in the body, and to take it with meals.’ (1) Want to learn the proven nutrition coaching strategies of elite trainers? Get access the exact nutrition coaching methodologies with this workshop! 2. OMEGA 3 FISH OIL – HEALTH, FAT LOSS, MUSCLE BUILDER & STRENGTH SUPPLEMENT Fish oil contains the essential omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which are known to provide some health and performance benefits due to its highly anti-inflammatory properties. From a health perspective, these fatty acids appear to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke while from a performance aspect they can help to prevent muscle breakdown, enhance joint healing, improve brain function and achieve a more significant fat loss. HOW TO TAKE ‘All the below numbers are based not on omega-3, but on combined EPA and DHA. Also, total daily EPA+DHA intake should be from both supplements and food intake; a higher intake of EPA+DHA from food would mean less needed from supplements. For primary prevention (taking some “just because”), a dose of 250mg or above seems to be the minimum. The American Heart Association recommends 1g daily, and it is advised for pregnant women to increase intake of DHA by at least 200mg daily (although mercury should be a concern). These doses are effective, but would not result in any short-term (less than a week) changes. For more acute and dramatic effects, such as reducing soreness or attempting to increase the metabolic flux of muscle cells, a higher dose nearing 6g may be used over the course of a day.’ (2) 3. GREEN TEA – FAT LOSS, ENERGY PRODUCTION & HEALTH SUPPLEMENT Green tea contains compounds called catechins, including EGCG, the primary active ingredient for its thermogenic properties. EGCG can inhibit an enzyme that breaks down norepinephrine, the neurotransmitter involved in regulating metabolic rate and fat burning. Green tea also contains caffeine, which helps boost energy levels and provide further fat burning actions. It can also serve as an excellent antioxidant and may help reduce certain cancers and provide other health benefits such as improved joint healing. HOW TO TAKE ‘Most doses are standardized against EGCG. Although the amount of EGCG-equivalent varies from one cup of tea to another depending on many factors (species of tea, length of steeping, time spent oxidizing) a rough rule of thumb could be that one cup of camellia sinensis green tea contains approximately 50mg of EGCG-equivalence. Fat burning: Benefits of green tea catechins on lipid oxidation and related fat burning pathways are achieved in a dose-dependent manner, although significant effects in humans are noted only at high doses, such as 400-500mg EGCG equivalent per day (most Green Tea Extract supplements are roughly 50% EGCG). Fat burning effects are highly synergistic, almost dependent, on not consuming caffeine habitually. Cancer Prevention: Cancer prevention effects are quite dose-dependent, and would be better to consume all catechins (as green tea extract) rather than isolated EGCG. Minimal doses would be good (200mg or higher) but with more frequency (3+ times a day). Higher doses with frequency may make one prone to nausea .’ (3) 4. ZMA – HEALTH, STRENGTH, MUSCLE BUILDER & FAT LOSS SUPPLEMENT This is a combination of zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6. Its benefits are supported by clinical research as it has been shown that hard training individuals (people who sweat a lot) may be deficient in these important minerals. You will see improved hormone levels aiding better recovery, sleep and strength. HOW TO TAKE ZINC ‘Zinc is most commonly dosed in either the ‘low dosage’ range of 5-10mg or the ‘high dosage’ range of 25-45mg. The low dosage is a daily preventative that reduces the risk for deficiency, and the high dosage range is the one used to prevent deficiency in persons who have more than just a dietary deficiency working against them (athletes, diabetics, etc.). There is zinc ‘superloading’ protocol using up to 100mg zinc daily, and while this is confirmed to be safe for short-term usage (2-4 months), it is well above the tolerable upper limit (TUL) of 40mg and thus not advisable for prolonged supplementation. (4) MAGNESIUM Magnesium doses range from 200-450mg when looking at the weight of the ion itself (known as Elemental Magnesium). Depending on what the ion is ingested as this dose is increased by a variable amount. For the purposes of relieving a deficiency or maintaining Magnesium status, any form of Magnesium may be used, but Magnesium L-Threonate may not be the best choice (due to the low amount of elemental Magnesium per dose). Although all forms appear to be able to attenuate a deficiency, gastrointestinal side-effects such as diarrhea and bloat are more common with the forms that have fewer absorption rates; oxide and chloride. Citrate tends to be a good choice in these instances. For any attempt of super loading Magnesium above and beyond dietary sufficiency, more bioavailable forms of Magnesium such as Diglycinate or Gluconate (taken with food) should be used in moderate to high doses. Magnesium L-Threonate appears to be able to enhance cerebral Magnesium levels to a supraphysiological level even when at a moderate dose and may be a good choice for cognitive enhancement.’ (5) 5. VITAMIN K - HEALTH, MASS BUILDER, STRENGTH Only recently has the importance of vitamin K realized. Research is uncovering many roles for this vitamin in the body. There are two main types of vitamin K – K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinone). What is currently known is that vitamin K plays a critical role in enabling specific enzymes in the body to function. Some of these enzymes help to form blood-clotting factors that allow blood to clot, and some are important for fixing calcium in bones. These roles appear to be performed by K1. A particular type of K2 is known as MK-4 has recently been shown to increase testosterone production. HOW TO TAKE Look for vitamin K supplements that provide both K1 and K2. While most supplements use a form of K2 known as MK-7, your best bet is to use a form that includes MK-4 to maximize testosterone production. Take 100-1,000mcg of vitamin K1 and vitamin K2. 6. WHEY PROTEIN - MASS BUILDER, STRENGTH, ENERGY PRODUCTION, FAT LOSS, HEALTH Whey protein makes up to 20% of the protein in milk. Whey is the most effective protein for increasing muscle protein synthesis, the process in muscle cells that results in muscle growth. There are numerous reasons why whey is so effective, such as its high content of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and it’s ability to boost blood flows to muscles. However, the most important characteristic of whey is its rapid rate of digestion. Whey protein is the fastest-digesting protein source that you can get. This is a critical property for a pre-workout and post-workout protein. Pre-workout means that the amino acid from the whey will be available to your muscles during the workout, which is when they need them the most. During exercise, muscles that have been provided with amino acids will have more energy and will experience less muscle breakdown. Getting a fast-digesting protein is also a great idea after workouts and good nutrition for strength training, to drive aminos to muscle tissue, promoting recovery and growth. HOW TO TAKE Dosage: Typical recommendations are 20-40g first thing in the morning, within 30 minutes before workouts, within 30 minutes after workouts, and between meals, as needed. 7. CREATINE MONOHYDRATE - MASS BUILDER, STRENGTH & ENERGY PRODUCTION With regard to athletic performance, creatine has continually proved itself to be one of the most effective and safe nutritional supplements to increase strength, muscle mass and performance. To date, there have been hundreds of studies conducted on creatine and they have included such areas as the ways to maximise creatine storage in muscle; which types of exercise may obtain the greatest benefit from supplementation; the potential medical uses of creatine; and the long term safety and efficiency of creatine supplementation. Approximately 70% of these studies have shown positive results from creatine supplementation in the chosen areas. Also, safety reviews within these studies show that creatine is safe and well tolerated by most individuals. Enhanced benefits to be had are: Increased muscle mass and strength Increased single and repetitive athlete performance Enhanced glycogen synthesis Increased work capacity Enhanced recovery We typically store around 120g of creatine, yet are capable of storing up to 150-160g. It therefore makes sense that if you want to enhance the effects of the benefits it can bring, topping up the total creatine pool and keeping it full is advisable. Most of the studies on creatine supplementation were conducted using pharmaceutical creatine monohydrate in powder form, so this is what I’d suggest to use. 3-5g per day is the recommended dosage, and you shouldn’t need to cycle it using this amount. You should consume this alongside a meal, or at least some carbohydrates to maximize uptake by the muscle cells. 8. MULTI-VITAMIN - HEALTH Supplementing with a multivitamin/multimineral will help eliminate the possibility of deficiencies that often result from reduced dietary variety or calorie intake and increased loss through exercise. HOW TO TAKE Take this supplement once or twice daily with meals. Choose brands that provide 100% of the daily value of C, D, E and the most of the b-complex vitamins, as well as 100% of zinc, copper and chromium. A NOTE ON MULTIVITAMINS... I often get this question. Can I just take a multivitamin instead to get all my vitamin needs? The answer to that is no not really. Most regular of the shelf multivitamins do not have high enough quantities to provide the benefits that the higher dose individual vitamin and mineral supplementation protocols can. Just like our food, the quality of our supplements matters too, always buy the highest quality product to match your budget. If a supplement falls well short on the typical dosages recommended, it is more than likely poor quality and a waste of money. Not only that, you would have to take more of these in order to reach the ideal dosages, so in the long wrong, you would be spending just as much. Also, many of the cheaper products contain fillers and further ingredients to bulk up the product. Therefore it is always best to buy the higher quality option in order to know exactly what you are taking. References & Further Reading https://examine.com/supplements/vitamin-d/ https://examine.com/supplements/fish-oil/ https://examine.com/supplements/green-tea-catechins/ https://examine.com/supplements/zinc/ https://examine.com/supplements/magnesium/
What is energy balance? “Energy balance” is the relationship between “energy in” (food calories taken into the body through food and drink) and “energy out” (calories being used in the body for our daily energy requirements). This relationship, which is defined by the laws of thermodynamics, dictates whether weight is lost, gained, or remains the same. According to these laws, energy is never really created and it’s never really destroyed. Rather, energy is transferred between entities. We convert potential energy that’s stored within our food (measured in Calories or kcals) into three major “destinations”: work, heat and storage.Energy balance When it comes to “energy out,” the body’s energy needs include the amount of energy required for maintenance at rest, physical activity and movement, and for food digestion, absorption, and transport. We can estimate our energy needs by measuring the amount of oxygen we consume. We eat, we digest, we absorb, we circulate, we store, we transfer energy, we burn the energy, and then we repeat. Why energy balance is so important There’s a lot more to energy balance than a change in body weight. Energy balance also has to do with what’s going on in your cells. When you’re in a positive energy balance (more in than out) and when you’re in a negative energy balance (more out than in), everything from your metabolism, to your hormonal balance, to your mood is impacted. Negative energy balance - Deficit A severe negative energy balance can lead to a decline in metabolism, decreases in bone mass, reductions in thyroid hormones, reductions in testosterone levels, an inability to concentrate, and a reduction in physical performance. Yet a negative energy balance does lead to weight loss. The body detects an energy “deficit” and fat reserves are called upon to make up the difference. The body doesn’t know the difference between a strict diet monitored by a physician at a Beverly Hills spa and simply running out of food in a poor African village. The body just knows it isn’t getting enough energy, so it will begin to slow down (or shut down) all “non-survival” functions. Ask somebody who has been fasting for two weeks if they have a high sex drive. Nope. Positive energy balance - Surplus Overfeeding (and/or under exercising) has its own ramifications not only in terms of weight gain but in terms of health and cellular fitness. With too much overfeeding, plaques can build up in arteries, the blood pressure and cholesterol in our body can increase, we can become insulin resistant and suffer from diabetes, we can increase our risk for certain cancers, and so on. The relationship between the amount of Calories we eat in the diet and the amount of energy we use in the body determines our body weight and overall health. The body is highly adaptable to a variety of energy intakes/outputs. It must be adaptable in order to survive. Therefore, mechanisms are in place to ensure stable energy transfer regardless of whether energy imbalances exist. How to create a negative energy balance (Deficit for FAT LOSS RESULTS) Build muscle with weight training (about 5 hours of total exercise each week) and proper nutrition Create muscle damage with intense weight training Maximize post workout energy expenditure by using high intensity exercise Regular program change to force new stimuli and adaptations Boost non-exercise physical activity Increase thermic effect of feeding by increasing unprocessed food intake Eat at regular intervals throughout the day Eat lean protein at regular intervals throughout the day Eat vegetables and/or fruit at regular intervals Incorporate omega-3 fats Incorporate multiple exercise modes Stay involved with “life” outside of exercise and nutrition Sleep 7-9 hours each night Don’t engage in extreme diets for risk of long-term overcompensation Stay consistent with habits Ignore food advertising How to create a positive energy balance (Surplus to GAIN MASS) Build muscle with weight training (at least 4 hours of intense exercise per week) and proper nutrition Create muscle damage with intense weight training Minimize other forms of exercise (other than high intensity and resistance training) Limit excessive non-exercise physical activity Try consuming more shakes and liquids with calories Build in energy dense foods that don’t cause rapid satiety (nut butters, nuts, trail mix, oils, etc.) Eat at regular intervals throughout the day Incorporate additional omega-3 fats Take advantage of peri-workout nutrition, with plenty of nutrients consumed before, during, and after exercise Sleep 7-9 hours per night Stay consistent with habits