cc nostr:npub1an6xs9jt6apmw45rmvu8pnspewdp6juwcgp76fk72ruky4dmcadqwfze63 nostr:npub1vemf09ljxzeanx2ht7wzzenphchw3yvjzzp6a4pdp8k8v6qj58xs43mz3k nostr:npub1ghcetnluhryhynhuyj8s2pazldjm27wl40nu6dfeskvpv09twcnsneygat nostr:npub1z4jjcjvcgzhet06jmr4e80aa6u6tjt2q7gwyawt5kyjwtxta2l9slv9uda
Discussion
I always train in a fasted state. Although I also workout in the morning. I follow up afterwards with 4 scrambled eggs.
It’s also much like the beginning days when humans needed to gather their food before eating; working out before eating essentially.
I find I can push harder in a fasted state. I did try a couple times in the beginning to eat first and it was awful because you’re scrunched up in different positions or have your head below your waist or food hasn’t settled yet.
I know others who will follow up with a protein shake immediately after their workout. Whole foods focusing on protein is best in my opinion.
I do the same except for the protein right after. I do totally agree with whole foods better than protein powder. I find my best trainings are fasted as well 🤝
I stopped taking protein powder. I just have a steak after. The protein drink argument is based on flawed science regarding protein absorption window. The window is much larger than 1 hour. Classic fiat world marketing.
Our ancestors definitely hunted in the morning that’s a great point. There’s research that shows our bodies better at using fat for energy first thing in the morning. Of course this research is likely done on people who are not fat adapted. I will say that working out, if you’re doing it right, is more intense than a group of men hunting. They usually spend morning walking around lookin for their prey. Then they use their tools to kill the animal and bring it back. It’s not the same as an intense workout where you’re breaking down all of your muscle fibers.
But I agree if you are going to workout while fasting, it’s probably best to do it sooner rather than later.
Fasting is tricky and there’s disagreement on its benefits. Some argue it’s good because your body burns more fat than muscle and carbs in the morning. Then there are others that say it’s not great because prolonged fasting spikes cortisol. This makes sense to me based on my experiences with fasting. I feel ok in the beginning but after a while I start to feel like shit. It affects your mood.
If you do choose to fast, drink tons of water and make sure you’re getting electrolytes. I always add a bit of salt to my water. It’s important because we evolved to survive in the wild. And if our ancestors were able to find water, then food was also going to be close by. But if you’re fasting and you’re not drinking a lot of water, your body will think something is wrong and go into survival mode. Once in survival mode, your body shifts to low energy in an effort to preserve the resources needed for survival.
Also, our ancestors were hunters not bodybuilders. Pushing your muscles to their limit and breaking down all the muscle fibers was not something our ancestors did intentionally. They did it coincidentally during their hunts and battles.
For example, when you train legs really hard you’ll notice that there’s a feeling of anxiety that creeps in as you start to fatigue and approach muscle failure. My belief is that your body is sending a signal that you’re in danger. Obviously you aren’t and the best bodybuilders ignore this and push through that discomfort. But your ancestors didn’t do squats for aesthetics. They were likely being chased or in danger. When they’d feel that burning sensation and anxiety they knew that their muscles are going to fail soon which would lead to imminent death. At that point you have to look for a tree or something to get out of harm’s way. Well if you’re training while fasting, you already have less resources to utilize.
Training while fasting seems like a terrible idea to me. I don’t think I’ve ever had a good workout while hungry. I’d say give it a try and see how you feel. Do you have similar strength? Do you feel less motivated to finish the workout? Alternate between the two and try to compare how strong you are.
Your diet probably has a lot to do with it too. Someone nostr:npub1an6xs9jt6apmw45rmvu8pnspewdp6juwcgp76fk72ruky4dmcadqwfze63 who is fat adapted probably can handle a workout while fasting better than I can. Also how early you do the workout matters too. If you wake up at 7 am and workout at 8 am, you’re probably gonna have a better workout than if you were to do it at 12 pm.
Thanks for the input brother.
I workout roughly 10mins after waking up. Before the kids wake up. When I travel, I train later. I’ve never felt like I had less ressources available while training fasted. During training I have water + salt + creatine in one bottle. And 2 more bottles with water + salt
Damn node you’re on point!
I learned about adding salt to water a year ago from reading notes of people who train on here 🫡
This is completely anecdotal but I feel like I have less bad breath when I add more salt to my water and I feel less cold. Like my hands and feet sometimes feel really cold even if the rest of my body is fine. My guess is that salt helps your body pump blood more effectively and being hydrated helps prevent buildup of bacteria in your mouth. Curious if anyone else noticed this or has any thoughts on it.
You know your body best. You can try both and see how you feel. Everything I said can be technically true but if your mind and body have gotten used to this routine of training while fasted, then it may not apply to you anymore.
I've heard a back and forth on this. I usually don't training while fasting; like your Xfit fren says, even a banana for pre-workout will go a long way....
This makes sense. Might add a banana during or right after
It's all up your goals and training objectives too. Our bodies and compositions are different from one person to the next, so what works for someone might not for everyone...
Like for example, I have to have some carbs bc if not, I'm completely depleted of fuel. That being said, some out there just thrive on beef only and do amazing
It's a thing of trial and error imho
This makes sense. I’ll definitely try a few things. See if they help or not. I don’t believe it’s a one size fits all type of thing
Exactly. See if it helps or not
For example, I usually have breakfast, then walk and then workout and then lunch. And that's it... but my life is structured around this schedule
If you’re not a pure carnivore, I think carbs post workout is also very important. You’ve depleted glycogen stores in your muscles during your workout and your body isn’t going to convert fat into glucose. So recovery will be slower for you without some carbs.
Absolutely. Fruits come in handy; I like to drink coconut water to replenish glycogen
This week, I’ll try a banana maybe an apple too right after workout.
I do carb cycling moderate carbs 20 days a month and zero carbs the last 10 days. Through trial and error this is how I found I can keep my abs year round. I don’t claim any science, it works for me also I can’t tell the difference from a workout standpoint between no carb to carbs.
Nice! I do 24hrs fast during a rest day to balance things out each week. This is my lazy way to cut back haha
Interesting. Carb cycling sounds very stressful but maybe is more evolutionarily consistent since our ancestors didn’t have access to fruit year round 🤔
I see that it could be stressful but I seem to respond well to it.
I think there’s some validity to the theory that you should eat a diet consistent with what your ancestors ate in the region they originated from. If bananas aren’t naturally found in your native homeland then you probably shouldn’t eat them. And if you do any type of fruit, you probably would benefit from only eating them when they’re in season. They’re pretty damn delicious though so I never experimented myself 😂
I do too.