Can Intermittent Fasting Improve Fitness
There are tons of questions circulating about intermittent fasting.
It’s important to realize that Intermittent Fasting is not just about fitness. Which is crazy because the question, “Can Intermittent Fasting Improve Fitness?” is a super common question! Nor is it just about weight loss. When first starting, it’s actually more about reducing inflammation. Improving gut health along with immunity. And last and not least, a process called Autophagy which means cellular regeneration.
Some things to note about using Intermittent Fasting for weight loss. The truth is that whether you eat too much or too little in an 8 hour window or a 16 hour window, the weight loss result won’t change. I always recommend focusing on “fueling before fasting.” This means that it’s best to know what Macro balance works for you during your eating window. And this is before trying to trying to reduce your eating window, and extend your fasting window.
Now as for the question, “Can Intermittent Fasting Improve Fitness?”
Yes! It’s *true* that Intermittent Fasting can actually improve your fitness level by targeting several body functions. Keep in mind that true intermittent fasting means water, black coffee, unsweetened tea and electrolytes like my favorite 40k Volts by Trace Minerals.
Now in terms of weight loss, research has shown that in most cases, intermittent fasting-related weight loss is due to the right caloric deficit, efficient hormonal regulation, and decreased insulin resistance. Moreover, the basal metabolic rate (BMR) in people who IF correctly can increase as well.
If you’re not familiar with BMR, it is a parameter used to estimate how many calories your body needs per day to function. Literally, just laying in bed with eyes open. BMR is subject to numerous factors, including age, gender, weight, height, body type, diet, degree of physical activity, and genetics. BMR is one of the factors I use when helping clients create their customized Macro formulas.
Unfortunately, most diets slow down BMR. As a result, not only will rate of weight loss decrease, but the simplicity of how easy it can be to get results will become yet another challenge.
Enter yo-yo dieting, insulin + leptin resistance, and more; all major causes of weight gain, weight plateaus and obesity.
Fortunately, *proper fueling* in combination with Intermittent Fasting, can regulate blood sugar, increase leptin and insulin sensitivity. All while reducing excessive hunger and cravings. As a result, energy and focus will improve as well.
All of this will allow you to be more efficient during workouts to reach optimal performance. And, Intermittent Fasting has shown to increase the efficiency of cardiac function, improving cardiovascular health as well.
The thing that most people get confused about is that IF itself, or what’s known as the Intermittent Fasting Diet, does not actually restrict the number of calories you’re “allowed” to eat per day. It also doesn’t eliminate a certain food or macronutrient from your diet. As a result, it’s not magic and it takes the correct balance of ALLLL the things that’s going to yield the best results.
Ready to stop the guesswork and get the results you’ve been working so hard for… in the kitchen AND in the gym? CLICK HERE to contact me today!