Is Intermittent Fasting for BodyBuilders

17 Dec 2020 19:37:27

Those who are bodybuilding, intermittent fasting could prove to be a powerful addition to your lifestyle. It works wonders when it comes to losing unwanted fat. It’s great if you are looking forward to trimming down and achieve a lean look. Let’s look into the details and see how it can help. First things first, intermittent fasting is about losing weight. If your focus is to gain mass, then you should skip this routine. On the other hand, if you are doing it for fat loss, this could be a life-changing experience.

How Long To Fast?

Bodybuilders ask this question quite a lot. How long should I fast? The answer depends on your goals. Generally, you would want a wider fasting window and some control on your appetite so that you can shred your hunger, stress and fatigue at the same time. If you think that intermittent fasting is for losing weight only, then you are wrong, my friend. By fasting on alternative days, you can become lean and keep the muscle mass. Continue to eat like you normally do on your training days to get all the carbs and calories. Then, on the days when you are fasting, go easy on the food. You can also fast for 16 hours on the fasting days and fast for 8 hours, like normal on the training days. This will help you maximize your post-workout nutritional needs. However, it may be tough to overdo the calorie surplus on the fasting days.

One Meal A Day

Also known as OMAD, this is excellent for bodybuilders who want to go on a cutting diet. It will help you reduce 16 to 18 per cent of your overall body fat. You will be eating one huge meal a day.

While following this model, drink plenty of sparkling water, coffee and tea to manage your appetite. You might have to make extra effort in getting enough. Drink a large protein shake after your main meal immediately.

16/8 Fasting For Bodybuilding

This one of the most popular version of intermittent fasting. It is also the easiest to follow. So basically, you are fasting for 16 hours and eating for 8 hours. The eating window can be any timeframe, but most people prefer from 12 pm to 8 pm. this suits everyone’s schedule. It is also the easiest when you are starting out. You are pushing your breakfast by 2 hours for the 1st week and then pushing it back by another 2 hours in the following week.

After your fasting begins, it’s recommended to drink black coffee. This would keep you satisfied and improve your metabolism rate at the same time. These are some of the other benefits you are likely to experience:

Your appetite will reduce

Insulin levels will go down

Protein synthesis will increase

On this journey, you would be losing up to 10 per cent of the body fat. This is where you will be looking at your best as a bodybuilder. You will be glad to achieve results.

What Foods to Eat During IF?

There are no set in stone rules for food choices when it comes IF, but these are the general food items you should focus on:

Breaking the Fast

When it comes to breaking the fast, people have a lot of questions. If you want advice, choose low carb food when breaking your fast. If you break your fast with a high carb meal, this will spike the low insulin levels since you didn’t eat anything from hours. If you do so, you will be experiencing a severe energy crash. Wondering what to eat that is low in carb? Eggs, veggies, fish and red meat would do the work. These foods will make your cutting diet a lot easier.

Evening Meal

The evening is the time when you should be consuming most of the carbs. This won’t mess up with the energy levels. Even if you feel tired, that’s not a problem because you will be going to sleep.

This meal will serve as the post-workout meal that will help you recover and even improve your sleep. Fish, steak, turkey, chicken, rice and potatoes are the best foods to eat. Feel free to adjust the quantity of serving according to your goals.

Keep in mind this evening meal will make your intermittent fasting journey sustainable. Make sure you get 70 per cent of your daily calories through this one meal.

Can You Work Out With Intermittent Fasting?

The answer is both yes and no. You can work out while fasting especially if you have gained weight and have tons of energy stored. Once you start losing weight, and in week 2 of your fast, it’s not recommended to fast. You will be in a calorie deficit, and your body will need pre-workout carbs to last the workout session. If you must work out, then you can do it after you break your fast. Make sure you eat eggs or salmon. Wait for a couple of hours before you start your workout session, which should last for 30 minutes max. To fuel your training, have a banana. Once you are done with the session, you will need a protein shake. You can also have a second meal.

Summing Up

You can build muscles if you are fasting, but the results depend on several factors. The most important of all is the calorie surplus. Without this, you would be able to bulk up. The calorie surplus is like oxygen for humans. On this fasting regimen, you are allowed to eat anything. However, you have to be careful about balancing the carbs and proteins. It’s best to eat food rich in protein and low in sugar to optimize your fat loss. This will help maintain your figure for a long time. This journey of intermittent fasting can be challenging while you are bodybuilding. To stay motivated, measure your success from the start until the end of the journey. It would be great if you can start this regimen with a friend to stay on track.

FAQs

Is intermittent fasting good for bodybuilding?

Intermittent fasting can be a great tool for bodybuilding, especially when your goal is leaning out. It forces your body to tap into stored fat for energy. It is highly effective for cutting phases when keeping a tight eating window helps control your appetite and overall caloric intake.

Can bodybuilders build muscle while intermittent fasting?

Yes, you can absolutely build muscle while fasting. To grow, your body needs a caloric surplus and adequate protein. As long as you pack those required calories and macronutrients into your specific eating window, you will still build muscle mass. It just requires careful meal planning since eating huge amounts in a shorter timeframe can feel quite heavy.

Can intermittent fasting help bodybuilders lose body fat?

Fasting is an excellent strategy for shredding body fat. By restricting your eating window, you naturally create a caloric deficit, which is exactly what you need to cut. Plus, fasting lowers insulin levels and increases growth hormone production, forcing your body to aggressively burn stubborn stored fat for energy.

What is the best intermittent fasting schedule for bodybuilding?

The 16/8 method is generally the absolute best schedule for athletes and bodybuilders. You fast for 16 hours and eat all your meals within an 8-hour window. This specific timeframe gives you enough hours to comfortably consume the large amounts of protein and complex carbs your muscles desperately need to recover and grow after intense lifting sessions.

Can you work out while fasting?

You certainly can train in a fasted state, and many bodybuilders love it for fat loss. Fasted cardio is famously effective for leaning out. However, heavy weightlifting while fasted might leave you feeling drained or weak. If you push massive weights, you might notice a drop in raw strength since your glycogen energy stores are running low.

Should you train before or after breaking your fast?

For maximum muscle growth and strength, it is usually better to train after breaking your fast. Having a solid pre-workout meal fills your muscles with glycogen, giving you the explosive energy needed to push heavy iron. If fat loss is your main priority, doing moderate cardio right before breaking your fast is a highly effective shredding strategy.

What should bodybuilders eat after breaking a fast?

When breaking your fast, you want to immediately stop muscle breakdown. Start with fast-digesting protein like a whey shake and simple carbs to rapidly spike insulin and drive nutrients directly into your muscle cells. An hour later, follow up with a large, whole-food meal containing lean meats, complex carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, and healthy dietary fats.

How much protein do bodybuilders need while intermittent fasting?

Your protein requirements do not change just because you are fasting. You still need to hit about 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight every single day. The only difference is that you must strategically pack all of that essential muscle-building protein into your condensed 8-hour eating window to ensure proper muscle recovery.

Can intermittent fasting cause muscle loss during a cutting phase?

There is a risk of muscle loss if you are not careful. When fasting in a deep caloric deficit, your body might break down muscle tissue for energy. To prevent this, you must keep your protein intake incredibly high during your feeding window and continue lifting heavy weights to signal your body to hold onto that hard-earned muscle.

Can anabolic steroids help preserve muscle while cutting with intermittent fasting?

Yes, this is exactly why many competitors use them. When you combine fasting with a strict cut, your body desperately wants to shed muscle. Mild anabolic compounds trick your system into a highly anabolic state. This powerful anti-catabolic effect protects your muscle fibers entirely, forcing your metabolism to aggressively burn only stored body fat for energy.

Does intermittent fasting affect the results of anabolic steroid use?

Fasting will not negatively impact how the actual compounds work inside your body, but it can affect your overall mass gains. Steroids significantly boost protein synthesis, which requires massive amounts of food to maximize growth. Fasting makes eating huge surplus calories difficult, meaning you might see leaner, tighter results rather than huge, bulky mass gains during cycles.

Can you use anabolic steroids while following an intermittent fasting diet?

You can, and many athletes do this during prep to get shredded. However, oral compounds pass directly through your liver and can be very harsh on an empty stomach. If you run orals, always take them during your eating window with food. Injectables are less affected by your fasting window, providing steady hormone release regardless of meals.