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'2based what is fasting? How do I become an intellectual regarding my eating habits (like you)?'
This guide will cover everything you need to know about fasting, what it is, how to fast based on your goals, how to break your fast for best results and all the benefits that come with fasting (with evidence for the rotters that might actually read). ≽^•⩊•^≼ ♡
What is fasting? (for dummies)
Fasting refers to the abstinence of food for a certain period of time, allowing the body to trigger a set of metabolic and hormonal responses from the body.
As blood glucose falls 3-5 hours after a meal, insulin levels drop and glucagon rises, shifting the body from glucose use to glycogenolysis (breaking down stored glycogen) and then lipolysis, where stored fat is released as fatty acids.
The liver converts these fatty acids into ketone bodies (ketogenesis), which serve as an alternative fuel for the brain and muscles.
Prolonged fasting (24-48+ hours) activates autophagy, a cellular repairing and recycling process that removes damaged components, and increases insulin sensitivity while reducing inflammation markers. These processes reflect a transition from an overfed storage state (unfortunately more common than not nowadays) to a repair and fat burning state.
It should be mentioned however that for women fasting should be treated differently. The female body has a very finely tuned sensitivity in regards to the endocrine system, as they are wired to prioritise fertility and resource availability, extreme or frequent caloric restriction can trigger a stress response, which can lead to a disruption in the pulsatile release of gonadotropin releasing hormone (basically fucks up your menstrual cycle), or even bone density loss. Additionally, excessive fasting may lead to a spiked cortisol level, which can affect your sleep quality, anxiety and hair/skin quality.
What are the benefits?As blood glucose falls 3-5 hours after a meal, insulin levels drop and glucagon rises, shifting the body from glucose use to glycogenolysis (breaking down stored glycogen) and then lipolysis, where stored fat is released as fatty acids.
The liver converts these fatty acids into ketone bodies (ketogenesis), which serve as an alternative fuel for the brain and muscles.
Prolonged fasting (24-48+ hours) activates autophagy, a cellular repairing and recycling process that removes damaged components, and increases insulin sensitivity while reducing inflammation markers. These processes reflect a transition from an overfed storage state (unfortunately more common than not nowadays) to a repair and fat burning state.
It should be mentioned however that for women fasting should be treated differently. The female body has a very finely tuned sensitivity in regards to the endocrine system, as they are wired to prioritise fertility and resource availability, extreme or frequent caloric restriction can trigger a stress response, which can lead to a disruption in the pulsatile release of gonadotropin releasing hormone (basically fucks up your menstrual cycle), or even bone density loss. Additionally, excessive fasting may lead to a spiked cortisol level, which can affect your sleep quality, anxiety and hair/skin quality.
- Metabolic health improvement
- Enhances insulin sensitivity, and uptake of fat stores
- BF% management
- Controlled insulin levels and structured eating windows reduce can cravings and focus on breaking down existing energy stores
- Cellular repair
- promotes autophagy, a cellular recycling process
- Heart health
- reduces inflammation markers and CVD risk
- Cognitive function
- improved BDNF and mental performance
BHB (Figure A): Short for Beta Hydroxybutyrate, is one of the most important ketones involved in the fasting process, acting similar to a hormone. As your insulin levels drop with your fast, your liver breaks down fat stores into BHB, which acts as a signalling molecule that is responsible for a survival response during 'food scarcity' (your fast). It is released into your bloodstream where it suppresses systemic inflammation by inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome and protects DNA by acting as a HDAC inhibitor (basically promote more transcriptionally active chromatin structure, all you need to know is that this is good). During fasts there is a period of time where you will feel really good, some may liken it to a 'high' but its not particularly mindblowing imo, BHB is responsible for this. From a caveman perspective this is essentially so you can function at peak performance even without a direct food source.
Glycerol (Figure B): Glycerol acts as a bridge between your fat metabolism and your blood sugar homeostaasis (maintaining a steady level). As you break down your fat stores ,triglycerides, for energy, each triglyceride molecule splits into 3 fatty acids and a glycerol backbone. The fatty acids are converted into BHB ketones (see above), the glycerol here undergoes glucogenesis. This means its converted into glucose aka sugar which provides an energy source for some specialised cells such as your red blood cells which are unable to run on ketones alone. Basically glycerol ensures that even without food you are able to maintain a safe blood glucose level.
Leptin (Figure C): Leptin levels also drop during your fast as your body detects a decrease in energy intake and the uptake of fat cells. Leptin is the hormone that makes you feel full, and is produced by adipose tissue (metabolically active tissue, stores energy and protects organs type shiet). The drop in leptin levels signals a starvation response to conserve energy and regulate non essential processes to prioritise survival. while this is water, this is useful as once you DO eat, the hormone is more effective at signalling fullness due to your changed leptin sensitivity, meaning you'll feel generally less hungry if you keep fasting consistently.
Activin A (Figure D): Rise in Activin A coordinates metabolic shift, and it acts as a brake on muscle growth, but fear not because BHB pretty much counteracts this and protects your prized muscles from potentially catabolic effects of elevated Activin A.
FG21 (Figure E): Stimulates lipolysis (fat breakdown) in response to low glycogen levels. Directs liver to produce BHB ketones (again see above), and suppresses food cravings. TLDR, is responsible for improving insulin sensitivity and metabolic flexibility.
Follistatin (Figure F): Follistatin acts as a muscle conserver by neutralizing the growth-inhibiting effects of proteins like Myostatin and Actavin A. While fasting typically triggers catabolic (detrimental for muscle) signals to conserve energy, the body increases Follistatin expression to prevent excessive muscle wasting. By binding to and deactivating these inhibitory signals, Follistatin helps maintain lean tissue mass even when there is no caloric intake, ensuring that the body primarily burns fat for fuel instead of breaking down muscle or organ tissue.
GDF15 (Figure G): GDF15 is a stress response hormone that helps regulate energy and food intake cravings. Produced by various tissues including the liver and kidneys, GDF15 levels rise as the body undergoes metabolic stress from a lack of caloric intake. GDF15 binds to a the GFRAL receptor in the brain, signalling a suppression in appetite. In some people like myself this causes a feeling of repulsion towards food, acting as a natural signal to stop food consumption. This is useful as it prevents overeating once you break your fast. This is a protective mechanism that helps the body rely more on fat oxidation while maintaining metabolic homeostasis.
How do I start?
A very useful app is EasyFast, I use it a lot and if you're a beginner its useful to see what stages you're in.
EasyFast - Free Intermittent Fasting App
Free intermittent fasting app with no subscription required. Track 16:8, 18:6, OMAD, extended fasts. Weight tracker, water reminder, fasting stages. No ads - 100% free forever.
easyfastapp.com
Note: I do not recommend going over 72 hours with no food to anyone who is inexperienced.
But 2based I'm sooo hungryyy
Hunger is something that you WILL struggle with in the start, but there are ways to curb this without breaking your fast, such as black coffee, tea (NO SUGAR OR MILK OBVIOUSLY), electrolytes will fill you up temporarily, but we all know that it will only last 10 minutes, so unfortunately it is more so about your willpower. Controlling your hunger is something that will come naturally however if you fast consistently, it does not have to be extreme. Starving yourself is different to fasting and has many negatives. Fasting aims to work on your metabolic function, gut health and regulates various hormones (see above) compared to depriving yourself of nutrients in the name of 'muh skinny'.
While drinking water and electrolytes is futile in terms of keeping your hunger at bay, I cannot stress their importance enough during a fast. During a fast, you may experience a loss of fluids and minerals as your insulin levels drop, as the kidneys excrete sodium. Water follows sodium and this can lead to rapid dehydration and/or deficiency in key minerals such as magnesium and potassium. Electrolytes therefore are essential for maintaining an even electrical concentration gradient across cell membranes, and without them you are more susceptible to symptoms ranging from so called 'keto flu' and mild cramping to potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmia, as your nervous system and muscles rely on electrical signals to function.
Note: over hydrating with water can flush remaining electrolytes faster
Should I fast if I'm trying to gain muscle weight?
Gymcels GTFIH
graph TLDR:
As you can see, all power and oxygen consumption goes down, decreasing performance. This is due to the fact your body is in a deep state of ketosis (your body is relying heavily on ketones and fatty acids for energy), which is not optimal for lifting as your blood sugar is ridiculously low so long into fasting, so if you're doing a prolonged fast the most optimal exercises are just light cardio.
Trying to do an intense workout in this phase is detrimental to your muscles, even though it burns fat at a ridiculous rate.
HOWEVER.
Consistent (intermittent) fasting consistently yields undeniable results in areas such as maximum fat oxidation (will be referred to as MFO from now), as shown on the graph.
'buuut 2based, i'm just a forum rotting sperg, I don't know what any of these strange words are!'
What are these words 2based? What is their significance?
MFO (Figure I,J): MFO refers to the highest rate that the body can burn fat at for energy during exercise. So when the graph shows the MFO rate going up significantly, this means that your body is more suited to endurance tests. Additionally a higher MFO rate is beneficial for insulin sensitivity and reduced metabolic risk factors.
Gymcel notes: great for endurance training as it adapts your body to not rely solely on carbohydrate sources for energy.
RER (Figure F) : Ratio of gas exchange in the lungs, reflecting cellular respiration. RER is used to determine aerobic capacity and cardiovascular capacity. In this case it helps identify the subject's ability to switch between burning carbs compared to burning fat. As you can see in the graph, the subject's resting rate drops significantly, meaning there has been a decrease in the resting heart rate as well as the improved burning of fat as opposed to consumed carbs.
Blood Lactate (Figure K): Blood lactate is a byproduct of anaerobic (no oxygen) metabolism, produced when cells break down glucose for energy. This is common during intense exercise. As you can see after the fast, there has been a decrease in the lactate produced. Although the drop is not all that significant, it still will improve athletic performance as you get a longer window of intense exercise before your muscles cramp and you become a spaz.
yeye ik 99% of you are DNRing BUT YES you should fast intermittently for improved performance, just don't get anorexic about it.
stay based. (like me, duh)
thank you to the autists that made it this far, luv you all
thank u to chadfishing @tonisworld for suggesting I make a guide on this topic
Sources:
Fibroblast growth factor 21 - Wikipedia
β-Hydroxybutyric acid - Wikipedia
Maximal Fat Oxidation during Incremental Upper and Lower Body Exercise in Healthy Young Males - PMC
The aim of this study is to determine the magnitude of maximal fat oxidation (MFO) during incremental upper and lower body exercise. Thirteen non-specifically trained male participants (19.3 ± 0.5 y, 78.1 ± 9.1 kg body mass) volunteered for this ...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Lactate Profile | UC Davis Sports Medicine
GDF15 - Wikipedia
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