Experienced lifters lose fat by intermittent fasting

[Baron]

Strength athletes perform no better or worse if they do time-restricted feeding based on an American study in which the participants did weight training for the first time in their life. In 2016 Italian sports scientists published in the Journal of Translational Medicine their findings from a comparable study. But the Italians used bodybuilders who had at least five years' experience of weight training. And these bodybuilders reacted a bit differently to the combination of intermittent fasting and strength training than untrained people.

Study
The researchers recruited 34 male bodybuilders in local gyms, all of whom had been doing weight training for at least 5 years. They divided the 34 bodybuilders over two groups. One group ate meals throughout the day [Normal diet; ND]; the other group ate during an 8-hour period of the day [Time-restricted feeding; TRF]. The intermittent-fasting group ate between 1 o'clock in the afternoon and 8 o'clock in the evening.

The researchers got all the participants to do identical training for a period of eight weeks.

Results
Both groups had approximately the same total intake of kcals, carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

Throughout the experiment both groups built up about the same amount of muscle mass and gained about the same amount of muscle strength. There are a few differences in the figure below, but these were not statistically significant.

The difference in effect of intermittent fasting on fat mass was statistically significant: The intermittent-fasting group lost body fat.

Intermittent fasting lowered testosterone and IGF-1 levels, raised the concentration of adiponectin, and lowered the concentration of interleukine-1-beta and of triglycerides in the blood. All of those effects were statistically significant.

Conclusion
"Our results suggest that the modified intermittent fasting employed in this study: time-restricted feed in with 16 hours of fasting and 8 hours of feeding, could be beneficial in resistance trained individuals to improve health-related biomarkers, decrease fat mass, and at least maintain muscle mass," the researchers concluded.

"This kind of regimen could be adopted by athletes during maintenance phases of training in which the goal is to maintain muscle mass while reducing fat mass."

"Additional studies are needed to confirm our results and to investigate the long-term effects of intermittent fasting and periods after intermittent fasting cessation."

 

[Frederick Foresight]

Interesting finding, especially the part about the TRF participants gaining the same amount of muscle mass despite a lowering of testosterone. But I still can't comfortably contain all of my meals within an 8-hour window. And so, it likely wouldn't be sustainable. However, a 10-hour window works for me, since I usually have my first meal of the day at ~8AM and my last meal at ~6PM. I used to be able to have my evening meal later, but I can't comfortably get away with it any more, at least not on a regular basis. So I imagine that my kinder, gentler approach still yields some of the benefits of the TRF.

 

[Clubber Lang]

Interesting, but fasting is not for me.

I eat 6 small to medium meals and a 101.4 oz Poland spring water jug every day.
I'm ravenous in the morning and eat oatmeal with blueberries or apples within half hour of waking up (6:30 usually).
Then I eat every 2-3 hours until my post workout meal usually around 7-7:30pm.

Can't imagine trying to cram all that food into a small window then not eating for 16 hours

 

[Visaria]

The study refers to experienced strength trainees. Unless you fit into that group, the findings don't have much relevance.

Note that pretty much everyone does intermittent fasting for maybe 8 or more hours every day...you don't eat whilst sleeping.

 

[Equalizer]

Dr Michael Mosley "Eat, Fast and live longer"

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-19112549

 

[O(1)]

on intermittent fasting, this one has some pretty interesting stuff with some studies..
http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html

 

[fordewind]

It`s all good,but when you stop fasting,the risk to get balloned byeond the limits is very high.Like myself,when i stopped fasting i gained 50 + pounds in no time.

 

[O(1)]

It`s all good,but when you stop fasting,the risk to get balloned byeond the limits is very high.Like myself,when i stopped fasting i gained 50 + pounds in no time.

did you just stop eating? This is intermittent fasting, not just fasting fasting.. If you just cut down calorie intake as in straight up fasting you will slow your metabolism down. But the idea with intermittent fasting is that in a day, you still get x amount of calories

 

[fordewind]

did you just stop eating? This is intermittent fasting, not just fasting fasting.. If you just cut down calorie intake as in straight up fasting you will slow your metabolism down. But the idea with intermittent fasting is that in a day, you still get x amount of calories

It was low calorie fasting - no meat,fish,egs...just an organic straight up veganism with 4-5 days a month of striaght up, dry fasting with no food and water for 24 hrs.Of course,no alcohol.And it lasted about 5 years(God knows why it took that long).The sensations were realy amazing,great experience,but then i thought like... 'what the freaking point!'....lol...

Very cool way to improve your conditions and health, for sure, but i thought i`d hardly need it and stopped to follow it.There was no clear goal why i was doing it.

 

[fordewind]

Whatever the methods are,you should follow it forever otherwise,if you suddenly stop doing,your body will get it all back and then some!Look for e.g. on ex-athletes.They all on some sort of diet,but when they retire, only a few are still in shape.The majority gain some rolls around their wastes.