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Intermittent fasting and nutrition
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I do IF everyday (well, unless my wife makes pancakes on Saturday mornings...) using the 16/8 format. I also find that doing endurance work while fasted works for me. However, I have noticed that since starting, I can't seem to figure out my nutrition whilst running/riding for extended sessions.

I did the first half of a century ride fasted and felt great. I consumed some calories after that because I didn't want to bonk and get stuck in between rest stops. After I ate something, I started feeling lacking in the power and generally energyless. I did the same thing on a 60 mile ride. Same result. Last weekend I did a 45 mile ride and just tried not consuming any calories. Felt great the whole time.

It seems like that after consuming anything, my body can't figure out to shift from fat to glucose and then just craps out.

Anyone have the same experiences? Any advice on how to break it? If you want to let me know that IF is stupid or poo-poo it, then I would prefer you just leave it alone as those posts will just bury the responses I am looking for.

Thanks.
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Re: Intermittent fasting and nutrition [lightning33] [ In reply to ]
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I do 16/8 5 days a week and fuel my long workouts on the weekend.

Most of my weekday workouts are under 1.5 hours and I do them early so I still have glycogen in the system

Yellowfin Endurance Coaching and Bike Fits
USAT Level 1, USAC Level 3
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Re: Intermittent fasting and nutrition [lightning33] [ In reply to ]
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Many many factors

To me it sounds like your limit is 45 to 50 miles

You waited until then to eat in your century. It was too late

Same with your 60
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Re: Intermittent fasting and nutrition [MrTri123] [ In reply to ]
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When I hit those points, I was feeling great. I just have a suspicion that if I kept going fasted, I would have been better off...nothing to back that up at all, just a feeling.

I get what you are saying though. I just don't know how to figure it out. Maybe take on some calories at a much earlier distance.time and see what happens. If I start feeling bad, then maybe it is the nutrition. If I feel fine, then maybe I did wait to long.
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Re: Intermittent fasting and nutrition [lightning33] [ In reply to ]
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I'm very much like you, only I don't really do over 2 hours fasted. My thinking is that I could do 3, but I suppose it would depend on the intensity. I feel great like you with an empty stomach working out, even hard days. I think if I were in your position and knew a big day was ahead, I would eat some breakfast and use gels as needed. I think maybe the problem is the switch in the middle during your long workouts, your body is confused.

So you have a couple options going forward, see if you can ride a 100 miles fasted(maybe use some coke), or eat in the morning on that day. Let us know how it goes, it is uncharted territory for me too..
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Re: Intermittent fasting and nutrition [MrTri123] [ In reply to ]
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MrTri123 wrote:
Many many factors

To me it sounds like your limit is 45 to 50 miles

You waited until then to eat in your century. It was too late

Same with your 60
This. By the time you “needed it” it wasn’t digested and it was too late.

Maybe try earlier like you mentioned. Who knows, maybe going on empty is your thing, but I’d guess it was just not getting it on time.
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Re: Intermittent fasting and nutrition [lightning33] [ In reply to ]
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I think you are on the right lines here. But maybe go further. Choose your most repeatable long ride then try it with the different nutrition strategies. Come up with a few best plans then test those on longer rides.

For instance you can't compare your 45 miles with your 60 and 100. The only conclusion from that is that you are fine up to about 50 miles fasted. You need proper data to draw proper conclusions. I think there is a chance any single ride could lead to the wrong answer.

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I just have a suspicion that if I kept going fasted

Presumably at some point you (and anybody else) would need carbs. The alternative is that you are a perpetual motion machine and no-one is. So then you need to figure out what your fasted limit is and a nutrition strategy for going beyond that limit.
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Re: Intermittent fasting and nutrition [lightning33] [ In reply to ]
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I will just add that when I began triathlon, I had a training partner that would routinely start our 100 mile ride days without food. One time he forgot his bottles and was too lazy to go back and get them. He did the day fasted and without much water. And those rides he and I did, well they were like races. He had a short career, but did Kona once and came off the bike almost 10 minutes ahead of Dave Scott and Scott Tinley. I called him king of the cock roaches, because when we all perished in some flash of whatever, he would survive along with cock roaches. Dude could metabolize and train on anything, usually what was cheapest or free...
Last edited by: monty: Jun 2, 19 11:22
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Re: Intermittent fasting and nutrition [monty] [ In reply to ]
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monty wrote:
I'm very much like you, only I don't really do over 2 hours fasted. My thinking is that I could do 3, but I suppose it would depend on the intensity. I feel great like you with an empty stomach working out, even hard days. I think if I were in your position and knew a big day was ahead, I would eat some breakfast and use gels as needed. I think maybe the problem is the switch in the middle during your long workouts, your body is confused.

So you have a couple options going forward, see if you can ride a 100 miles fasted(maybe use some coke), or eat in the morning on that day. Let us know how it goes, it is uncharted territory for me too..

This might be my best option. I don't go that long/far all that often, but it might be worth the experiment. Go until I NEED something and not necessarily eat something in case I might. I have a 17 mile loop I can do. Maybe do repeats of this until.

I am FOR SURE not a perpetual motion machine. It isn't like I was burning the pace on my rides. I am more of a fitness/enjoyment rider.
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