Intermittent fasting and exercise

[tinkertee]

I've just joined the gym with the intention of doing weights / strength training with some cardio.
I also want to start IF again. I did 20:4 three years ago and it worked brilliantly. I fell completely off the wagon about 18m ago. Thanks to a total lack of willpower and menopause, I'm now the heaviest I've ever been :(

IF works best for me when my eating window is late afternoon to early evening. I'm likely to go to the gym earlier in the day so before I've eaten anything.

Does anyone do this and if so how do you find it? I know I'll need to make sure I'm really well hydrated. I'm just not sure how I'll cope with exercising on an empty stomach!

[tinkertee]

Anyone?

[Saraswati]

I always exercise on an empty stomach and I do IF. I find if I'm a little hungry before I exercise I don't feel hungry afterwards. Hydration is key and maybe some hydration salts if you feel a bit woozy. There's lots of research on why fasted exercise is actually really good.

[Unabletomitigate]

I do IF, but never exercie if I can help it, so I have no personal insight on that. However, I have read a fwe books, listened to all the podcasts and I do not recall anyone saying exercise before eating on IF was a bad thing, if anything a good thing becasue it will help use up stored glucose and push you towards ketogenesis.

And if you have the time I can rcommend this podcast about IF and menopause.

Good luck!

[HighQueenOfTheFarRealm]

20hrs works best for me too. I do some weight workouts at home rather than going to the gym.
I'm planning on starting again next week and doing it strictly.

[devildeepbluesea]

I don’t do IF but used to do 5:2 and always exercised on Fast Days and days after. Even now I exercise on an empty stomach. Personally I much prefer it - I tend to get a bit nauseous if I’ve eaten something
before exercise. But it’s horses for courses - my sister needs to eat something, so will have a banana or some oats.

exercise is an appetite suppressant so you won’t feel hungry straight after, but I did find it crept up on me later and loved on coffee!

[JennyHumphrey]

I've done OMAD (currently got a newborn so not atm), eating about 8pm, and much prefer exercising just before my meal. If I'm running after food I feel really sluggish whereas before I feel like I could out run Bolt.

[GrandColombier]

Not sure on more strength based work but certainly from an endurance athlete perspective fasted workouts are not advisable for women.

Below is a good article(with papers linked). Obviously not one size fits all and if you are talking yoga/pilates/more gentle exercise that won't apply.


https://www.drstacysims.com/blog/You_are_an_athlete_and_you_shouldn%E2%80%99t_practice_intermittent_fasting