Training fasted is the concept of training without having eaten for about 12 hours or more. That time is called the “fasted window”. In the fasted window the body has run out of glucose from the last meal, assuming that last meal contained carbohydrates and/or protein. Because the body doesn’t have any available glucose to use for energy, it now needs to tap into the body’s stored fat in order to produce energy.
So is training fasted beneficial for you? Here are the pros and cons of fasted training.
Well, it
technically depends on your goals! If your goal is losing body fat, training
fasted has shown to be very beneficial because it elevates the amount of Human Growth
Hormone (HGH). This hormone is a catalyst for everything else happening in the
body, including fat loss, because of its ability to enable the body to train
more efficiently. Weight training elevates the level of lactic acid in the muscle,
which in turn also elevates HGH. Therefore, weight training while fasted produces
a higher rate of fat loss. Studies have
also shown that training fasted enables the body to shred fat in problematic
areas, where blood flow is impaired, such as in the lower abdominal area. The
reason for this is that when in a fasted state, blood flows more easily into those
areas of the body, suggesting that fasted training could be beneficial for spot
reducing body fat.
Muscle break down is accelerated in a fasted state, even if the whole point of weight training is to break down muscle to then build new ones. Too much muscle break down can result in your muscles not having enough time to repair themselves, impairing your next training session and potentially causing injuries. This is where proper nutrition and rest is key. You can also expect to feel a bit weaker and lose a few reps when training fasted if you are generally used to have carbohydrate-based meals pre-training.
When it
comes to endurance training – such as
cycling and running – training fasted can be great in order to train your body
to use fat more efficiently and thus delaying your need for carbohydrate
intake. This is especially beneficial for people doing longer events such as
marathons and longer triathlon races, meaning that your body could last without
fuel for up to 2 hours because your body is well trained to use fat stores for
energy. However, training fasted in endurance sports can only really be done
for low to moderate intensity training when the body is at maximum 60-70 % of
its maximum heart rate capacity. When the body trains at a higher intensity – such
as when you are sprinting to the finish line or running up a hill – your body
relies on carbohydrates. Therefore, it is important to not train fasted when
you are planning to do an interval or a hill session for example.
If you decided that fasted training is for you, it is important to remember to start slow by maybe only doing a 20 minutes session at first and then build from there. Never train fasted for more than 2 hours as this can result in weakening your immune system and potentially causing injuries. Also, limit your fasted training to 2-3 sessions per week.
To facilitate recovery after exercise correct nutrition is crucial. Read Post Workout Nutrition post to find out more.
Understanding the importance of Post Workout Nutrition!
Post workout meals have proven to have many health benefits and to be necessary in order to enable the body to go from a catabolic state to an anabolic state. Additionally, post workout meals have been shown to help replace glycogen stores, build muscles by promoting muscle protein synthesis and repair damaged tissue as well as supporting the immune function.
In
fact not eating post exercise can cause more harm than good. Recent studies
have demonstrated that not eating within 2 hours after a workout can lead to a
physical state resembling insulin resistance.
It can also compromise future training by not allowing the body tissue time to heal properly. Additionally, not eating after has been shown to promote muscle breakdown due to the body’s increased cortisol levels experienced post exercise.
Eating
straight after exercise will allow the body to replenish glycogen stores more
efficiently as Insulin is deemed to be more sensitive at that time. Because
Insulin is more potent straight after a workout, it is best to eat in the 45
minutes following a workout to allow carbohydrates to go straight into your
muscles and replenish those glycogen stores. Glycogen is the primary source of
fuel used by muscles to produce energy. When carbohydrate intake is diminished
or intense exercise is performed, muscles can run out of glycogen stores
leaving the body feeling fatigued. Thus the importance of consuming
carbohydrates post workout.
To
make the most out of your workout, it is preferable to eat a combination of
carbohydrate and protein within the 45 minutes following your workout. A 2:1
ratio of carbohydrate to protein is required.
Research has shown that the timing of nutrient intake may be more important than the total daily intake of nutrients, with the post-workout period, considered to be the most important part of nutrient timing, because of its ability to improve performance and well as body composition (Aragon and Schoenfeld, 2013).
Supplementing with protein post-exercise has shown to maximize post-exercise muscle protein synthesis rate, which is the process of building muscle mass. Animal-based protein has shown to have a higher response to this process then plant-derived protein. Whey protein is one of the best sources of protein because of its high content branched chain amino acid Leucine and its ability to be absorbed and digested much faster than other protein sources such as Casein. Leucine works in the body by activating the mTOR pathway which then induces the building of muscle mass. Protein supplementation is not only required for muscle protein synthesis but it has also shown that when ingested with carbohydrates it results in an increased muscle glycogen re-synthesis compared to a carbohydrate-only meal or supplement. Supplementing with 20-30 grams of protein 45 minutes post workout is ideal to achieve the above-listed benefits. Post-workouts drinks contain the right ratio of carbohydrates to protein and are widely available on the market – even chocolate milk has proven to do the trick.
Reference
:
Aragon,
A. A., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2013). Nutrient timing revisited: is there a
post-exercise anabolic window?. Journal of the international society of
sports nutrition, 10(1), 5.
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