Intermittent fasting in dieting refers to a pattern where you alternate times of eating and times of fasting. It doesn’t necessarily tell you how much you can consume or what types of food to take in, but it dictates prolonged periods without food consumption. In my opinion this can be dangerous to follow if you’re an athlete, especially in-season. The following three bullet points outline why I recommend athletes stay way from intermittent fasting. If you’re in the general population, read these and think through your daily routine. You can apply the concepts to your own work and training routine.
1. Long Periods of Time Without Eating Doesn’t Equate to Only Fat Loss
I’ve heard this one many times before. Someone is trying out intermittent fasting to crash diet and lose a few pounds or shed fat. The problem behind this idea is that you’re not only shedding fat, but you’re also potentially shedding away lean muscle tissue by not providing proper fuel to keep/grow muscle. There is nothing out there to show long periods of time without food consumption will target fat loss like many hope would happen.
2. Activity Level Dictates the Need for Around the Clock Fueling
For the hockey athletes I work with, it is not uncommon for them to lose 1000+ calories in a practice. On top of that, they typically complete a strength training session beforehand with me. To perform at a high level, they will need to fuel properly with a solid amount of carbs and protein, as well as fat. Immediately after practice, the recovery process begins which means its time to restore the body. Due to the amount of activity, where can a segment of 12 hours with no eating be of benefit to the athlete? And this example didn’t even include the potential for a game at night, or if you’re a high school/college athlete who has class you’ll need the energy to make it through that.
3. There is No Performance Benefit to Intermittent Fasting
Everything an athlete does should be with the goal of improving at their sport. A 2019 review that searched through high intensity, endurance, and resistance exercises that there was no benefit to athletic performance while fasting (1). Similarly, there has always been a debate on whether you need to fuel with a shake immediately upon completing a training session. My response to that is typically this: the process of recovery, so you can be at your best for the next practice or game starts, begins the second a practice or game ends. Why wouldn’t you want to jump start that recovery process right away? There isn’t benefit to waiting 30 minutes, an hour, or however long it may be.
If a diet works for you, it works for you. Every individual has different needs. I just find intermittent to be a dangerous route to go down for athletes.
References
1. Levi, E., & Chu, T. (2019). Intermittent Fasting and Its Effects on Athletic Performance: A Review. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 18(7), 266–269.
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