Fasting and exercise: factors to consider for benefits

Fasting and exercise are two concepts that can go together, but with certain nuances. One of them is that it can be useful and positive if you are planning to lose weight, for example. If we follow the process correctly in this practice, we can obtain several benefits. Below, we explain what factors should be considered for this.

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting consists of not eating anything for a period of time during each day or week. Precisely because it gives us the flexibility to choose the hours we want to go without eating, there are several types of intermittent fasting. Here we describe some of the most popular ones, depending on how demanding they are:

• 12 hours. A good option for beginners. It means that we can go without food from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., for example. Taking advantage of the night, when we sleep.
• 16 hours. Recommended for those who have already practised the 12-hour diet, in this case food intake would take place at midday. If we have dinner at 8 o’clock and no breakfast the following day.
• 24 hours. It is important to be a bit of an expert because we have to go a whole day without food. Although it is possible to drink some broth.
• 48 hours. Requires consultation with a doctor, as well as a lot of previous experience in fasting and exercise. It involves not eating for the aforementioned period of time, but eating for the remaining five days of the week.

What happens to my body if I exercise on an empty stomach?

The relationship between fasting and exercise can be explained very simply. As our body has less glucose, the physical activity we do uses fat as energy. This speeds up the metabolism of lipids, so it starts to burn them. This mobilisation of energy reserves is not as effective if we have eaten food.

This is why intermittent fasting and sport can help you lose kilos. Experts advise combining the two routines, but always with common sense and under professional supervision. Some studies have shown that it is as useful as following a low-calorie diet for weight loss.

 Important factors for good fasting and exercise

In any case, whichever abstinence option we choose, we need to consider the following:

• Combine low to medium intensity aerobic exercise with functional training (if you are looking to reduce the numbers on the scales).
• Fasting and exercise together is not good if you want to gain muscle mass. It is difficult to take in enough calories.
• In the case of high-intensity physical activities, it is best to do them during the intake period. This prevents the production of the hormone cortisol.
• Eating during non-fasting periods is essential and should be based on fresh and healthy products (avoiding ultra-processed products). The ideal is to add both quantity and variety of nutrients: rice, vegetables, fruits, meats, fish, nuts…
• It is important to pay close attention to the timing of intermittent fasting and sport. It is always advisable to keep to the same schedule, also to prevent possible digestive disorders due to uncontrolled fasting.
• It can lead to unpleasant side effects. These can include hunger, fatigue, nausea, headaches and insomnia.
• We must not forget that good hydration with a few small additions is also key. Water with salt or broths are interesting options before and after training.

Benefits of training while fasting

By carrying out fasting and exercise routines, we can benefit in several ways. The main ones are lipid oxidation and reduction of visceral fat as well as intramyocellular triglycerides. It also lowers the level of LDL cholesterol, which is good for preventing cardiovascular disease. It also prevents obesity, sleep apnoea and some types of cancer.

On the other hand, by lowering abdominal inflammation, other problems derived from it could improve. Such as arthritis, sclerosis, asthma and Alzheimer’s disease. Some research has even concluded that it delays ageing.

In conclusion, you should bear all this in mind if you decide to start combining fasting and exercise. We recommend that you always discuss this with your GP beforehand so that you can follow any instructions he or she may give you. We suggest using products such as G7 Sports Recovery after physical activity. With organic silica, zinc and glycine, it helps to recover muscles, tissues and bones.