My big question is if you train on lower calories (say, 200 per hour), how much trouble to people truly have upping the calories on race day? Every time I try to "train up" my calorie intake on the bike to say 300+ cals, my stomach says no. So if I'm doing great in training on just 200, am I already fat burning enough that I don't need to try to up it during an Ironman?

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Zen and the Art of Triathlon. Strava Workout Log
Interviews with Chris McCormack, Helle Frederikson, Angela Naeth, and many more.
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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/...articles/PMC5371619/

I also like coffee with heavy cream in the morning. But doing that would break a 16:8 fast. Is there any benefit to a 16:8 fast if coffee and cream are included in the 16 hour fasting window?

Michael

I also like coffee with heavy cream in the morning. But doing that would break a 16:8 fast. Is there any benefit to a 16:8 fast if coffee and cream are included in the 16 hour fasting window? //


I have heard some of the proponents say that some low fat milk is probably ok in the coffee. But that is a very good question, I had the same one about my salt chews I take between workouts during the fast. They have about 5 calories, I take about 3 in a 2 hour period. Did I break the fast, and what does that mean exactly? I mean you put in a few calories, but they are gone almost immediately, or at least 15 calories are. So your body still has to be burning fuel from some store, did breaking the fast change that tank it draws one, if so, which one??


I think there is a lot unknown about this fasting regime, a lot of guessing by the experts, and of course just some common sense need be applied.

It's a good white paper, but you can't trust it's sugar recommendations completely when in the fine print it says... "This article was published in a supplement supported by the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI), a division of PepsiCo." I'm positive it's valid for high-carbers, but not so sure about people that burn a greater ratio of fat.

I have been doing intermittent fasting for a couple of years. it does take while to get used to it. I now have a black coffee and an amino acids drink I do a 60-90 minute run, 60 minute swim or 60 minute trainer road workout before breakfast. I can highly recommend this approach.

That is funny. The same thing happened to me. A couple of weeks ago I read an article about Alex Smith and his intermittent fasting. I searched for intermittent fasting on Google and found this thread. I had saved the page on my phone because I eventually wanted to comment, reviving the thread, and now someone else has done so already.

I have been toying with the idea of trying a 16:8 intermittent fasting during the upcoming period of less intense training with the goal of losing a few pounds (instead of gaining weight) and more importantly to teach my body to burn more fat ahead of some long course racing next season. I would return to normal eating habits once my training intensity picks up in February. A few questions that I had were the following:

- With my goals in mind, should the fasting be everyday or is a few days a week sufficient?
- If I always train in the morning, is the proper eating window still 12pm - 8pm?
- Will intermittent fasting over the next couple of months still provide a benefit for long course racing during the second half of 2019?
- I would think that intermittent fasting would have the greatest benefit during lower intensity, longer duration training. Does that make sense?

I intermittent fast everyday, it's called sleeping.

SO we can put you down for a 14 hour eating window, thanks for that input, very helpful..

I know his response was intended to be sarcastic, but I was thinking the same thing. I eat dinner, maybe snack, and then sleep and work out in the morning with only water or diet soda (no caffeine) to hydrate in the morning. If I procrastinate my workout, it will be upwards of 10-12 hours from when I ate the night before to when I have my post-workout fruit shake. Is that considered fasting? I have never been able to tolerate food in my stomach before working out and my single-best Half-IM effort was on about 40 oz of water and maybe 200 calories early in the bike. My best marathon 20 years ago was very similar; meal the day before, not sure I took anything but a bit of water during the race. Who knows? Maybe it has made me stay skinny all these years.
If I put anything in my stomach for less than 8 hours before a race, I know it will come back to me. Just a couple of weeks ago I ate dinner around 8 pm and then had a s'more around the campfire at 9ish. Sure enough, on the run my stomach started to protest. I have often wondered my inability to digest was just a personal thing or a function of the fact that I rarely eat anything before or during workouts. It has never really been an issue except for the few races/rides I have attempted that were longer than two to three hours.

Is that considered fasting?//

Short answer, yes, it is a 10 to 12 hour fast. Now is that enough to do what folks doing longer fasts are looking for, probably not. If it were, then why would we need longer fasts? My own common sense on this, is that each additional hour is like the earthquake measuring system or altitude affects on our bodies. It becomes exponential, and hour after hour gets more and more benefit. You sound like you are at a very low weight and have stomach issues, so it is very possible that IF is not something you need, or would benefit from.


Others can chime in, I only know what I have read and of course my own results, along with all my friends who are now doing IF..

Agreed.

My understanding is that somewhere between 6 to 12 hours since your last calorie ingestion, depending on the individual, you will have moved to a primarily fat burning state and that beyond that 12 hour mark for most everyone it is as you stated - an enhanced fat burn (ketosis?). For some, those benefits will have begun to accrue after the 6 hour mark, but 12 hours seems to be the "magic" number where pretty much everyone can expect to be in that state.

Also, I drink coffee with low fat creamer and Splenda in the mornings and it doesn't seem to have had a negative effect on my results.

I'm down right at 20 lbs. since I began IF in mid-August, and if anything, my workouts have improved. I do "16:8" most days, but usually have 1 or 2 "18:6" or even "20:4" days per week, plus 1 minor "cheat" day per week and it seems that about every 3rd or 4th week I'll splurge with an "anything goes" day.

On the "16:8" days, I have no problem doing my first workout fasted, but if my fast goes beyond 16 hrs. I need to get a few calories in before I work out.

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Happy trails,
Chris

N=1

Did intermittent fasting for 5 years 18:6. 1 weak cup of Black coffee with stevia in AM

Did 2 olympics while fasted felt fine no issues

No longer do any fasting. Can’t really remember why I stopped. I’m actually leaner, but could be from other things most likely

now but if I go a couple hours, without eating I don’t feel as good. Wake up very hungry