Looking to gain lean muscle mass and shed excess body fat? Then find out why bodybuilders prefer fasting training. Fasting advocates are confident that they can better concentrate on the process itself, and that more fat stores are consumed. Opponents of this approach also have their own reasons. Today we will try to figure out what are the advantages of training on an empty stomach in bodybuilding.
Benefits of Fasting Training
Fasting training is possible in the morning before meals or throughout the day using intermittent fasting. When the body is starving, the glucose concentration decreases. This accelerates the production of endogenous growth hormone. This, in turn, promotes fat burning when using appropriate nutrition programs and enhances the anabolic background.
Today there is a specially developed method of intermittent fasting. It implies a 16 hour hunger and an eight hour food window. Within the specified time periods, you can draw up any nutrition schemes.
The digestion process takes a long time and can last up to six hours. At the same time, food debris can be in the intestinal tract from 15 to 20 hours. Thus, we can say that if you ate food yesterday at 11 pm, then most likely it will not be processed in the morning, and you will receive the necessary nutrients in your workout.
Also, the pluses of "hungry training" include the lack of desire to take a nap, which always occurs after eating. This fact is associated with the beginning of the production of serotonin, which has a relaxing effect on the central nervous system. When the body does not need to process food, then its performance will be higher. On average, food is digested for about 3 hours and after this time, the glucose concentration begins to fall. At this moment, the body is ready to synthesize anabolic hormones, and you can safely go to the gym. It should also be said that if you have not eaten for four hours, then the muscle tissue will not begin to deteriorate.
Note that when using a low-calorie nutrition program, training on an empty stomach stimulates fat burning processes. However, this is only possible if you feel hungry. If you want to exercise on an empty stomach, then you need to maintain the appropriate calorie intake and the correct ratio of nutrients. This will allow you to replenish glycogen stores and exercise effectively.
Possible problems with fasting training
During hunger training, you may feel weak on three occasions:
- The body cannot maintain blood sugar concentration;
- Lack of carbohydrates in the diet;
- Do you want to justify not quality training.
If your body is unable to maintain sugar levels, you should see a healthcare professional. This is a rather serious violation of the body's performance.
Carbohydrates are the fastest and most affordable energy source. However, people often believe that this nutrient is the main cause of weight gain and remove it from the diet. This leads to a decrease in total calories, which is the main tool for weight control.
If the body is low in carbohydrates, then you may experience a breakdown. Eat 50 to 60 percent of your total calories in carbohydrates to maintain adequate glycogen stores.
As you can see, training on an empty stomach has a right to exist and can even bring good results. However, there are some nuances that we have tried to talk about.
More details about fasting training in bodybuilding:
