By taroIntermittent Carbing
Intermittent Fasting for athletes
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Cycle Everything!
Intermittent Carbing and other powerful cycles.
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Modified Intermittent Fasting II
Intermittent Fasting for athletes and muscle/strength enthusiasts.
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Modified Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting (IF) is a popular method of dietary regulation. Its most common form features a fasting period of sixteen hours alternated with a feeding period of eight hours. From a physiological perspective, IF causes weight loss with the associated health benefits. From a behavioural perspective, IF is easy to sustain as it requires minimal calorie counting and food restriction. Most importantly, unlike other diet plans, IF results in daily fullness (since a whole day of eating is crammed into an eight hour period). Unfortunately, IF is a poor choice of dietary regulation for serious anaerobic athletes as fasting periods interfere with maximal muscle protein synthesis (MMPS). MMPS (the greatest rate of muscle development) is necessary for maximal performance, recovery and definition. It requires a total protein intake of 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram body weight¹ spread evenly (in doses ranging from 4 to .55 grams per kg body weight¹) throughout the day. Can the benefits of IF be combined with the requirements of MMPS?
Proponents of strict fasting argue the practice improves insulin efficiency, maintains daytime energy levels and allows fat loss (amongst other things). A modified version of IF would involve substituting strict fasting periods with protein periods to accommodate MMPS. Although sacrilegious to fasting fanatics, protein periods (featuring low or no carbohydrates) would still improve insulin function, maintain alertness and allow fat loss to occur (especially if the usual eight hour feeding period were reduced). Protein does not result in significant changes in blood sugar and is associated with improved insulin sensitivity. Besides, our bodies are store houses of readily accessible protein, carbs, fats and toxins – does a truly fasted state (as espoused by strict fasting zealots) really exist? In addition to those benefits already mentioned in regard to MMPS, a higher protein intake would also result in greater feelings of satiety and provide more protein derived nutrients (such as creatine, carnitine, carnosine, heme iron, immunoglobulins, dha/epa, K2, D3 etc.). I have been using a modified version of intermittent fasting (MIF) ever since Ori Hofmekler disclosed the concept of the Warrior Diet. Both simple and advanced renditions of MIF have resulted in dramatic AND sustainable changes in myself as well as clients. Below is an outline of a MIF plan without specific food or supplement recommendations (suitable for a 175 lb individual).
Modified Intermittent Fasting Protocol
Breakfast
30 grams protein
Three hours later
30 grams protein
Three hours later
30 grams protein
Three hours later
30 grams protein
Three hours later
6 hour “open” feeding period
(including 55 grams of protein to meet the day’s total protein requirement )
***make sure you consult with a registered dietician before starting or changing a diet plan***
A compromise between MMPS and intermittent fasting is possible. MIF retains much of the flexibility, convenience and satisfaction of the most popular mode of IF and includes the result boosting power of MMPS. For serious anaerobic athletes there exists no other way!
- Brad Jon Schoenfeld and Alan Albert Aragon, “How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution,” International Journal of Sports Nutrition, 2018, 15:10.
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The heat is here. The desire to get in shape, buried deep within our unconscious mind, is suddenly uncovered by a lack of clothing. In the excitement, fat-loss folklore and marketing hype claim many victims. In brief, reject immediately any program which mentions “low-fat”, “aerobics”, “take three pills a day”, “fifty exercises in one machine” or “twenty easy minutes three times a week”. Continue Reading
The Best Muscle Building Foods
The following is a quick and dirty countdown of common whole foods which provide outstanding muscle building nutrition. Hopefully this short article is thought provoking and inspires further research.
6. Carbohydrate dominant food (potatoes, rice, flour etc.)
It is hard to build substantial muscle without foods which strongly stimulate insulin. Choose your carbodhydrate sources based on digestibiliy and titrate your dose according to your activity levels and metabolism. Limit carb sources which contain signigicant levels of anti-nutrients or phytoestrogens (brown rice, legumes, seeds etc.).
5. Whole Eggs
Super high-quality protein, abundant levels of antioxidants (lutein, zeaxanthin) and nutrients (omega 3s, choline) which support nervous system and metabolic function. Eggs produced from truly free-range hens are infinitely superior to common, commercial varities.
4. Whole Milk, Greek Yogurt and Ricotta Cheese
The mother of muscle foods, milk and milk products contain high-quality protein (whey and casein), heathlful fats (CLA, omega 3s) and a multitude of vitamins (K2) and minerals (calcium, electrolytes). Fermented dairy foods (containing probiotics) also bolster the immune and digestive systems. Whole fat, organic products are best for dedicated mass phases.
3. Offal
Less common in Canadian and American diets, animal products such as liver and chicken hearts are very potent muscle building foods. They are a mega source of vitamins, minerals, and protein. Novel (to the general public) bodybuilding compounds such as arachidonic acid and phosphatidylserine are also found in high levels in offal.
2. Seafood (herring, sardines, halibut, shellfish, salmon etc.)
The very best sources of minerals and fats herald from the sea. Testosterone and imumune supporting zinc, magnesium and vitamin D in highly absorbable form. Little fishes pack big levels of creatine.
1. Red Meat (Beef, Bison, Wild Game etc.)
Eat muscle to grow muscle. No other food can beat red meat for its combination of protein, creatine, CLA (including vaccenic acid) carnosine, carnitine and omega 3’s. Female athletes especially should recognize the value of heme iron and its ummatched hemoglobin boosting effects. Choose beasts which have grown on natural feed.
Don’t underestimate the power of your food choices. Nutrition is the primary influence over how you look, feel and perform. In your quest for the ultimate high-performance diet be wary of the possibility of creating a specific nutrient deficiency or (vice versa) toxic overload. Always consult with a registered dietitian before making changes to your diet. Eat smart and Eat Strong!
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Eat Strong
Traditional weight-loss diets (TWLD) weaken people. Counting calories, eliminating carbohydrates, removing meats, avoiding fats and deprivation all contribute to irritated, constipated and impotent individuals. Here’s why:
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