INTERMITTENT FASTING AND FITNESS

Intermittent fasting can drastically improve your fitness level by targeting several body functions, including:

Weight loss

This is perhaps the main reason people start intermittent fasting as it could lead to more efficient weight loss.

When researchers studied this phenomenon to get a full grasp of the underlying mechanisms, they found that intermittent fasting-related weight loss is due to caloric deficit, efficient hormonal regulation, and decreased insulin resistance.

Moreover, the basal metabolic rate (BMR) in people on the intermittent fasting diet significantly increased.

If you’re not familiar with BMR, it is a parameter used by nutritionists and fitness experts to estimate how many calories your body needs per day to keep the organs functioning.

This parameter is subject to numerous factors, including age, gender, weight, height, body type, diet, degree of physical activity, and genetics.

Unfortunately, most diets slow down BMR, which decreases the rate of weight loss. You can think of intermittent fasting as the exception to this rule.

Decreased insulin resistance

Insulin resistance is a major cause of weight gain and obesity.

Fortunately, several studies concluded that intermitting fasting improves insulin sensitivity and helps in the regulation of blood sugar levels.

These findings suggest that intermittent fasting is quite beneficial for pre-diabetic individuals and people looking to improve their fitness.

Improved cardiovascular health

Intermittent fasting increases the efficiency of cardiac function and reduces the risk of diseases, such as coronary artery disease (CAD).

This will allow you to be more efficient during exercises to reach optimal performance and increase weight loss.

How does intermittent fasting affect bulking?

Contrary to popular belief, intermittent fasting is not only beneficial for individuals who want to lose weight.

If you are trying to bulk while cutting, you can combine your fitness routine with intermittent fasting for optimized results.

You see, bulking is all about increased caloric intake to meet with the demands of the muscle-building process, and, as you may know, intermittent fasting does not restrict the number of calories you’re allowed to eat per day nor does it eliminate a certain food or macronutrient from your diet.

With that being said, athletes need to consume up to 4000-5000 calories a day during the bulking cycle, which is difficult to achieve if you’re only allowed to eat during a restricted time window. However, it is not impossible.