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I’ve been on the fence about intermittent fasting for a long while now.  I know people who have tried it and while I don’t want to say failed but they found it to be very difficult and eventually went back to their usual way of eating.  On the flip side I have some friends/co-workers who have made intermittent fasting a way of life. 

I’ve done some research and like what I’ve read so I’m going to give it a go. I did my first day this week while at work figuring a work day was easier than being at home with all the food.  I fasted from 6:30 pm until noon the next day. That’s 17.5 hours which is within the recommended timeframe and I’ll get to that in a minute. I found it wasn’t as hard as I anticipated even though I wasn’t as busy at work as some mornings. The hardest part was my 2, 15 minute breaks before lunch when I usually eat breakfast. Instead I filled myself up with electrolyte water and cut my breaks short. 

Why am I doing this?

Why, you might ask, am I choosing to fast? Because everything I read says it detoxes the cells, regulates cortisol (the stress hormone that, when elevated, can contribute to heart disease), lowers inflammation (which can reek havoc in the body from joints, heart, brain and so on) regulates insulin, improves gut health, improves energy and brain clarity. Need I say more? I’m trying this out for all these reasons but more specifically because I have been feeling sluggish and bloated. I feel like I need to push a reset button and I’m hoping this is it.

What is Intermittent Fasting (IF)?

For those of you who may not have heard of IF or heard of it in passing but, like me, thought “Why would anyone want to starve themselves?” Because let’s face it, as runners we generally like to eat, sometimes a lot so fasting is not in our vocabulary. Here it is in a nutshell, but I’m far from an expert on the subject so for a lot more details and information check out.The Resetter Podcast with Dr Mindy Pelz.

Intermittent fasting is an eating regimen that cycles between eating and fasting.  There are several ways to do this but the most common are these.

• Daily fasting with the 16/8 method. This is where you fast for 16 hours then have an eating period of 8 hours. An example is to stop eating after dinner, skip breakfast then break your fast after 16 hours. People find this to be the easiest method to follow and maintain. 
• The 5:2 method. With this approach you eat normally 5 days a week and on 2 days you eat one meal of 500 – 600 calories. This method sounds tough to me but that’s what’s good about IF, you can do what works for you.
• 24 Fasting. Just like the name implies, you would fast for 24 hours once or twice a week, say from dinner to dinner. You could also extend this fast to 48 or 72 hours but starving for too long can trigger your body to store fat, so depending on what your goals are for IF this might be counter intuitive.

 What is allowed during IF?

During non eating periods you can have coffee, tea and water. Some say only black coffee while others say a small about of unsweetened creamer is okay. I’m going with the creamer. No collagen powders or protein powders but you can add electrolytes to your water. I like Nuun and LMNT.

For eating periods you can eat whatever you like, but for obvious reasons healthy foods are your best bet, preferably high in protein. Some people find salads to be hard to digest after fasting as well as some high fat foods. Soup with bone broth and soft veggies, or a fruit smoothie with protein powder are generally safe choices. Try to avoid eating every and any thing in sight…like many of us (me) tend to do when we’re starving. 

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

• Heart health. IM may lower blood pressure and resting heart rate (2 things us runners probably don’t need to worry about but still worth mentioning), reduce cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar and insulin resistance.
• Brain function. While in the beginning you may experience some brain fog, eventually as you become accustomed to IF a brain hormone BDNF increases which may aid in forming new nerve cells and protect against Alzheimer’s.
• Diabetes and weight loss. As mentioned previously, IM helps regulate insulin and blood sugar. Weight loss seems like a given considering you are eating less providing you’re not filling up on high calorie foods during the eating period. 
• Increased Life Span. Studies in rats have shown fasting rats to live 36 – 83% longer. (Sources: here and here)
• Saves money and simplifies life. Since you’re eating less there are less meals to plan which means spending less on food. I call that a win win!
• Physical performance. Mice fed on alternate days have shown better endurance in running. (Right up our alley!) Source:John Hoskins Medicine

These are just a few of the benefits to be had with IF, there are other cellular benefits that can get quite complicated but I encourage you to listen to Dr Pelz in the link I mentioned earlier. 

Side Effects.

• Crankiness. Let’s face it, I can get pretty hangry, but the experts say this will subside as you get use to IF. 
• Brain fog and fatigue. Also something that will clear up after a week or two of IF.
• Constipation. This can be an issue for many. I encourage you to push the fluids. 

Is IF safe for everyone?

Just like any “diet” and I hesitate to say diet because I view this more as an alternate eating regimen and the word diet seems to suggest calorie restriction, anyhow having said that, check with your primary care practitioner before starting any new alternate eating practice. For the most part IF is safe for healthy, well nourished people, but those who should avoid intermittent fasting are as follows:

• Children and teens under 18 years old. 
• Pregnant and breast feeding women.
• People with diabetes or have trouble maintaining a healthy blood sugar.
• Anyone with an eating disorder or are underweight.

How does IF affect me as a runner?

This has been my main concern when considering IF. Unfortunately there have not been enough studies for a definitive answer one way or another when it comes to the average runner/athlete. The few studies that have been done were with elite athletes who have longer more intense workouts and require large amounts of calories. Also the studies were done on these elite athletes during Ramadan (a Muslim practice where they only eat and drink during the dark hours). With IF you are able to consume calorie free fluids during fasting times.

On the plus side however, some studies  have suggested that glycogen stores are accessed quicker, providing fast energy for athletic performance. 

Some helpful tips to run while fasting.

• Time runs or workouts close to the end of a fast so you are able to eat within 30 to 60 minutes afterwards.
• Run in the afternoon, a couple of hours after you have already broken your fast.
• Eat plenty of protein and carbohydrates during the eating period.
• Stay hydrated during the fasting period.
• Just don’t fast on heavy workout days. Nothing written in stone. Some IF is better than none.
• This is not the time to train for a marathon. Long runs need fuel before, during and after.
• If at any time during working out you are feeling lightheaded, weak or nauseated, break your fast and take in some carbs. 

Intermittent fasting may require some trial and error to find what works for you. Or it may not work for you and life goes on. We are all trying to live our best life and this is just another avenue to explore.

I hope this information was helpful. I am not pushing Intermittent Fasting, just throwing some info out there so you can make an informed decision. As a matter of fact I don’t know yet if this will be my new lifestyle change considering I am only on my first week. We’ll see how it all works out. I’ll keep you posted. 

Have you tried IF? If so did you find a difference in how you felt?  If you haven’t tried it is it something you have considered? 

I’m linking with Deborah, Lisa, Jenn, Laura, and Debbie for

As always thanks for reading!

                     Denise