Intermittent Fasting. Are you missing out?

Intermittent fasting

By The International Sport Science Association

Related to meal frequency is the concept of Intermittent Fasting (IF). IF is the name some nutrition experts give to the practice of occasionally going for extended periods without eating.

Of course, IF is nothing new. Humans have fasted for most of history, whether it’s during the typical overnight period, during more extended periods of food scarcity, or for religious reasons.

What is new is that research on IF’s benefits for health and longevity is beginning to catch up. Current data show that IF, when done properly, might help extend life, regulate blood glucose, control blood lipids, manage bodyweight, gain (or maintain) lean mass, and more.

So, rather than something we’re forced to endure — a result of poor food availability or cultural expectations — IF is becoming something that health and physique-oriented people are seeking out in order to lose fat and improve health.

IF sounds very promising as a general ideology. But things get messy when it comes to actually doing IF.

• How often should you fast?

• For how long?

• Should you eat zero calories?

• Should you eat the same amount of food on non-fasting days that you normally would, or should you eat more?

None of these questions has a definite answer yet. So many IF proponents have come up with their own best guesses from alternate day fasting (eating only every other day), to once per week fasting (fasting for a full day every week), to daily 16 hour fasts (fasting for 16 hours and eating within an 8 hour window only).

As the various IF communities and early adopters test out their different ideas, the best ones will rise to the top. Eventually, scientists will catch wind of these and put them to the test.

Right now, we’d say the scientific community is a good 2-4 years from knowing what exactly IF does in humans (and why), and a good 7-9 years from knowing which IF protocols are “best.”

In the meantime, if you’re interested in learning more about this fairly unique approach to eating for health, performance and body composition, you can check out the free (and very comprehensive) e-book we wrote on the subject. It’s called My Experiments with Intermittent Fasting and can be found at: www.precisionutrition.com/intermittent-fasting