Can Intermittent Fasting improve Sports Performance?
Intermittent fasting joins the never-ending list of eating methods that promise to achieve the same objectives as every other diet.
As with many other diets, some people have their minds blown by intermittent fasting, which is essentially just skipping a meal. Unfortunately, many people overcomplicate nutrition. They think restricting and not eating what they love is the only way to achieve their fitness goals. I’m here to tell you that this is nonsense.
What if intermittent fasting is the answer for you? As a runner and racing driver, I’ve experimented with intermittent fasting for the past 3 years. Here are my findings.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
The unique thing about intermittent fasting is that everyone does it every day.
It’s boxed into the diet category now, but it is simply an eating pattern that cycles between periods of eating and not eating.
We fast every day, that’s why the first thing you eat every day is called breakfast. So why am I writing about a diet that everyone already does without thinking about it?
The results of intermittent fasting come when you apply structure and purpose to the fasting and eating periods.
My Experience With Intermittent Fasting
There are a few micro-methods within the method of fasting. Some people fast for 13 hours to match the circadian rhythm. Some fast for days at a time. However, I only have experience with the 16:8 method (16-hour fast, 8-hour eating window - the most common intermittent fasting schedule), so that is all I’ll write about. If you want more information about the other fasting methods, click here.
I purposely completed my first 16-hour fast in June 2020. I remember the day during the COVID pandemic, I had been kickboxing for 2 hours in the morning, watching the clock to see when I could eat, but I was surprised by the energy I had on an empty stomach.
The biggest thing I noticed was the mental energy I had. Rather than hitting a slump after eating breakfast, my brain was switched on the entire morning.
It isn’t always as plain sailing as that though.
If you’re anything like me, you LOVE food. Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day, so skipping that comes with its own set of challenges.
I’ve logged 100s of 16-hour fasts on the Zero app, and have learnt some key points you need to consider before starting:
Don’t forget the basics of nutrition - Restricting the time you eat doesn’t give you a free ticket to eat whatever you want. Whatever your goal is, you need to consider the calories and macros of everything you eat.
Don’t starve yourself for nothing - There’s no point in jumping straight into a 24-hour fast if you like food. Limit the hours of the day when you eat, and for the best effect, make it suit your daily schedule.
Fasting promotes a healthier brain - You won’t feel sluggish every morning.
Fasting gives your gut a rest - Rather than your blood pumping to your gut for digestion every few hours, it gets a chance to rest and recover with intermittent fasting.
Fasting helps you lose weight - It’s simple math. If you have less time throughout the day to eat, you’re probably going to consume less calories.
Intermittent Fasting for Sports Performance
Intermittent fasting isn’t recommended for athletes during competition. Studies show a performance dip when fasting. That shouldn’t be a surprise, considering the fast that an athlete’s body constantly needs to fuel and refuel after intense exercise.
However, during the off-season or on rest days, intermittent fasting could help athletes improve their overall health, positively affecting sports performance. A few benefits include:
Longevity
Repairs your body’s damaged cells
Reduces inflammation
Keeps you in tune with your circadian rhythm
How to start Intermittent Fasting?
I recommend to everyone that they start intermittent fasting by making it fun. The Zero app is the best way of doing that. It enables you to clearly track your fasting periods and offers an abundance of helpful resources to learn more about the diet.
Recap, if you’re thinking about trying intermittent fasting, my reply is “Why not?!”. Just keep an open mind, log your first fast, and see how you feel. You don’t know the true benefits of it until you experience them yourself.
Don’t let this be another fad diet you follow for a while and give up, though. Listen to what your body needs.
