You might think that eating less rather than more is counterintuitive if you want to gain muscle mass. You’re right in a sense–calorie counting can reduce your muscle mass. There’s another way to reduce your eating habits without reducing your muscle mass.
It’s not a diet. And it’s different from other techniques that you have tried to lose weight. You can achieve gains by combining fasting with a bodybuilding or exercise regimen.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
This is a way of eating where you alternate between periods during which you eat and those when you fast. You will eat all the nutrients of the day during your feasting period to provide your body with energy. You will not eat anything until the next feasting period opens.
There are many different types of protocols or schedules for intermittent fasting. The 16:8 protocol is the most popular. It extends your natural fasting time while you are sleeping. A 16:8 protocol extends the fasting period from morning to afternoon. The intermittent fasting guide will explain all the different fasting protocols.
During the fasting period, your body undergoes a series reactions. Without a constant influx of food, vital benchmarks such as blood sugar, insulin, high cholesterol and high blood pressure start to fall. Intermittent fasting can increase your autophagy rate, which is a natural process in the body that replaces damaged or old cells with new, healthy ones. Intermittent fasting is also a safe and effective way to lose unwanted visceral fat, or stubborn belly fat.
Misconceptions about Intermittent Fasting and Muscle Growth
Internet is full of myths and misconceptions regarding intermittent fasting (IF) for muscle gain. The most common one is that IF burns muscle instead of fat. This claim is false for several reasons.
One of the things your body does when you fast is to seek out alternative energy sources. During intermittent eating, your body undergoes a “metabolic switch” — a change in which you burn ketones derived from fatty acids instead of carbohydrates. When you enter a fasting period, your metabolism will release stored fat for energy. It doesn’t use muscle tissue.
Moreover, intermittent fasting increases the production and release of multiple hormones
Responsible for muscle repair and gain. After a 24-hour-fast, the amount of human growth hormone (HGH), which is necessary for increasing muscle mass in men, can rise by up to 2,000% in men and 1300% in women. Testosterone is another hormone that’s needed to repair muscle fibers. It can increase by 180 per cent. Scientists agree that increased levels of hormones are optimal for building muscle.
How does the intermittent fasting diet for muscle gain compare to diets that count calories? Studies have shown that intermittent fasting is four times more efficient at maintaining muscle mass compared to calorie restricted meal plans. In a controlled study that compared fasting with traditional calorie diets, the IF-group increased muscle mass by 2.2 % while the calorie restricted-group only gained 0.5 %. Fasting also caused the group to lose more than twice as much body fat.
How to Use Intermittent fasting for Bodybuilding
You’re now confident that intermittent fasting will maintain and grow your muscles. Now let’s look at how you can use your fasting regimen for bodybuilding. Consider a 16:8 protocol if you have never fasted. You can also try the 5:2 Protocol, which allows you to eat normally five days a week while fasting two days.
Plan carefully what you will eat in your eating windows. You should aim to consume at least 20 grams of proteins per day. This can be achieved by combining red meat, tempeh, and legumes or dairy products that are high in protein. Drink plenty of water while fasting to stay hydrated. Vegetables like cucumbers and tomatoes, which are high in minerals and contain over 90 percent of water, can help you meet your daily water needs.
Although the majority of benefits from intermittent fasting occur when you are fasted, it is important to provide your body with essential vitamins and nutrition before you begin a fast. If you plan to do weightlifting or exercise during your fasting period, nutrition is crucial. Fasted training is an effective way to build muscle and burn fat. Fasting makes muscle-boosting hormones such as HGH and testosterone more readily available. Researchers say that fasted exercise lasting 25-40 minutes can boost lean mass.
Notes for Intermittent Fasting to Promote Muscle Growth
While intermittent fasting to build muscle, you must ensure that your body is receiving the essential vitamins and nutrients, like iron and calcium. Always err to the side caution. Talk to your doctor to determine the best way to incorporate these elements into your diet. Intermittent fasting can be a healthy lifestyle that transforms the way you build muscle. You can combine an intermittent-fasting protocol with healthy exercise. You can maintain your gains while shedding stubborn body fat.