Intermittent Fasting and Muscle Retention: Friends or Foes?

Intermittent fasting (IF) is a method of feeding that alternates between fasting and eating intervals. It does not tell you which meals to eat, but rather when you should eat them. It can be traditionally described as an eating habit rather than a diet.

Evidence have pointed out that both sleep duration and sleep quality directly relate to improved track performances. Even though the standard sleep recommendation for adults has been somewhere between 7-8 hours studies seem to argue for a larger share of athletes’ time to sleep. They will require around 9-10. hours of sleep to allow an adequate window for recovery between strenuous bouts of exercise.

Humans have practised fasting since ancient times. Before developing Supermarkets and refrigerators, year-round food was not always available. As a result, humans have evolved to function without eating for extended periods. Fasting is, in fact, more instinctual than eating 3 square meals at regular intervals each day. Fasting may also be practised for religious or spiritual purposes or as an activity to promote self-control.

Fasting 16-hour daily or fasting for 24 hours twice a week are two standard intermittent fasting regimens.

What makes intermittent fasting different from other fads that have overtaken popular culture lately? It is said that fasting can result in more fat loss while still maintaining muscle composition. Until 2017, this was just a statement relying on word of mouth. A randomised, controlled trial was conducted by Tinsley et al. to measure nutritional intake, changes in body composition, and muscular strength in young, active males after eight weeks of resistance training (RT) with and without IF. The intermittent fasting regimen was a 20:4 pattern, which required ingesting all calories in four hours, four days a week, with no restrictions on the quantity or types of meals consumed. The RT programme comprised alternating upper and lower body workouts thrice a week.

IF does not appear deleterious to muscular improvements in people starting an RT programme. The degree of progress in muscular strength and endurance was equivalent to or greater than those on a regular diet. While it is probable that IF inhibits the capacity to develop lean tissue during an RT programme, more research into matching protein consumption at optimal amounts for muscular hypertrophy is needed. IF may be a more convenient way of eating for some people than reducing energy consumption at each meal. Personal eating preferences should be considered when choosing an IF programme.

To maximise the benefits of IF, a proper diet is needed to ensure adequate supplementation.