December 27, 2018
This podcast is the official recording of a talk on “fasted exercise” I gave at Dr. Dan Pompa's recent “Live It To Lead It” conference in Las Vegas a few weeks ago.
Consider this…
Millions of people around the world don't know what or even when their next meal will be. Because of this uncertainty, they move as little as possible so as to conserve as much energy as they can.
Meanwhile, you and I have the luxury of actually choosing not to eat while food is in abundance. And then actually burning calories while we are in a fasted state.
First-world problem? Perhaps. But if you do have the luxury of choosing to not eat when your primal instincts are screaming at you to eat then you must do so with intention and a proper understanding of how not eating will affect your body in relation to your exercise and daily work regimen.
But before jumping into this episode…
…It’s officially the New Year, a time where most of us are joining new gyms, trying out fad diets, and making plans to “finally get abs”.
Most people love the idea of going into a new year with goals to transform themselves into healthier, happier, and overall better human beings. Sticking to those goals, however, is another story. Joining a group challenge can be a great way to jump into the New Year, stick to your goals, and get support from others doing the same thing.
That’s why my team at Kion and I have put together a 5-day Fasting Challenge from January 7th to January 11th to kick off the New Year.
Here’s what you need to know:
-Anyone can join, no matter your experience with fasting. We’ve got recommendations from beginner to advanced, and everywhere in between.
-Fasting can be confusing, so we’ve broken down all the research for you into an in-depth, comprehensive guide detailing the different types of fasting, what they’re good for, how to do them, and tips and tricks for making your fast easier.
-Best of all, this challenge is completely free. No special supplements, pre-packaged meals, or nasty drink mixes required. It can even *save* you money that you typically spend on your normal groceries.
-If you want to start the new year on the right foot and harness the powerful benefits of fasting, go to getkion.com/fast to join our challenge and get the *free* comprehensive guide, Fasting Decoded
I will also be leading a live Facebook Q&A during the challenge, so be sure to join the Kion Facebook community to get all your fasting questions answered. Team Kion and I will be doing the challenge too, so we hope you’ll join us. You can click here to join for free!
In this episode, you'll learn…
-How I got introduced to the concept of pre and post-workout fasting during my years as a body builder…7:05
- Conventional thought at the time:
- Eat a lot right after workout, to get into the “recovery window”
- Snack and graze
- Explored other options when I got into endurance training
- Discovered “ketosis” in 2013
- Amino acids
- Dominic D'Agostino
-Busting the myth of snacking and pre/post-workout meals…12:45
- Importance of the post-workout meal is vastly decreased if you haven't been fasting prior to the workout.
- Only benefit from a performance standpoint is if you workout again within 8 hours.
- After 24 hours, the body naturally replenishes its glycogen levels.
- If you've eaten prior to a workout, you don't need to replenish aminos, glycogen, etc.
- I bend the rules if I'm working with someone who needs to build body mass.
-What fasted exercise actually is…18:05
- Exercising in a state of glycogen depletion
- A light workout in a fasted state is preferable (in the morning)
- For evening workouts, you'll have not eaten since lunch, then you can eat after working out, but it's not essential to do so immediately.
-The 10 benefits of fasted exercise…25:10
- Burning more fat
- Anti-aging effect
- Better brain function
- Increased growth hormone levels
- Improved insulin sensitivity
- Increased testosterone
- Enhanced fat loss
- Better endurance
- More stable gut during exercise
- Hunger management
-Practical ways to do fasted workouts…41:15
- Exercise before breakfast
- Need to include carbs in breakfast? Only if you're going to work out again within 8 hours.
- Don't eat dinner for an hour or two after late-afternoon or early-evening workout.
- Use supplements
-A few cautions…47:10
- “Bonking”
- Decreased intensity (depending on the scenario)
- Post-workout hypercaloric compensation (stuffing your face)
And much more!
Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.
Resources from this episode:
Myth: You Need To Snack Throughout The Day & Eat A Pre- Or Post-workout Meal
- Study: Increased meal frequency does not promote greater weight loss in subjects who were prescribed an 8-week equi-energetic energy-restricted diet
- Study: Thermogenesis in humans after varying meal time frequency
- Study: The role of diet and exercise for the maintenance of fat-free mass and resting metabolic rate during weight loss
- Ben's meal schedule:
- if breakfast, then between 9:30 and 10:30
- lunch between 1:30 and 2:30
- dinner between 7:30 and 8:30
- Additional meal when training: whey protein, Cocochia, coconut milk
What Is Fasted Exercise?
10 Benefits Of Fasted Exercise
Burn More Fat
- Article: All Hits, No Misses: How Intermittent Fasting and HIIT Workouts Can Help You with Your Fitness Goals
Better Brain Function
- Article: The Exercise Mistake Which Makes You Age Faster
- Article: This Interval Training Infographic Helps You Pick the Right Workout
Increased Growth Hormone Levels
- Study: The exercise-induced growth hormone response in athletes
- Study: Fasting enhances growth hormone secretion and amplifies the complex rhythms of growth hormone secretion in man
- Article: Everything You Need to Know About Human Growth Hormone
Improved Insulin Sensitivity
- Article: WTF Is Insulin and How Does It Affect Our Health and Fat Loss?
- Article: The Muscle-Building Messenger: Your Complete Guide To Insulin
- Article: 5 Ways to Improve Insulin Sensitivity
- Article: Why Fast? Part One – Weight Loss
- Article: Routine periodic fasting is good for your health, and your heart, study suggests
- Article: Phys Ed: The Benefits of Exercising Before Breakfast
Increased Testosterone
- Article: John Romaniello on the Benefits of Saturated Fat, Testosterone for Women, and More (The Greatist Podcast)
- Article: How to Get In Cardio When You Can't Run
- Article: Fasted Training for Superior Insulin Sensitivity and Nutrient Partitioning
Enhanced Fat Loss
- Article: Breakfast Before or After a Workout?
Better Endurance
- Article: Why Fast? Part Five – Exercise
- Article: Fasted training: should you eat before exercise?
- Article: Fasted Training Boosts Endurance and Muscle Glycogen
Stable Gut During Exercise
Hunger Management
- Choose low-calorie drinks to keep appetite satiated, including Pellegrino or Gerolsteiner in glass bottles (I highly recommend adding Omica Organic Butterscotch Toffee Stevia)
- Zevia Soda (click here to listen to my fascinating podcast with the CEO)
- Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar Drinks (*AMAZING* digestifs, but choose versions with no sugar, like Ginger Spice)
- Kevita Coconut Water Kefir (also choose versions with low residual sugar/calories, like Lemon Cayenne)
- Any tea of choice including green tea, black tea, specialty teas or (if organic) decaf coffee.
How To Do It
Exercise Before Breakfast
- Article: Burn Away Fat Cells With Intermittent Fasting
- Article: Top Breakfast Myths Debunked
- Article: Why Exercising at This Time of Day is FAR Better than Any Other Time
- Article: Insulin Resistance Speeds Up Cognitive Decline
Wait After Afternoon/Early Evening Exercise
Use Supplements
- Article: Early Morning Fasted Training
- Kion Lean
- Kion Coffee
- Kion Aminos
- Article: The Lean Gains Guide
- Article: Is Eat Stop Eat A Water Fast?
- Ketone Salts
- KetoneAid, HVMN
Cautions
Bonking
Decreased Intensity
Post-Workout Caloric Hypercompensation
Men vs. Women
- Article: This Is What Happens to Your Body When You Exercise
- Article: Peak Fitness: Reap the Benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training
It Takes Time
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If I’m doing an easy bike ride for my morning fasted workout, should it be in zone 1 or 2? Based on the other suggestions, I’d guess zone 1, but not entirely sure.
Is zone 2 ok? Then I could get some aerobic threshold work in. Or is that too hard?
Superfoods have several benefits including weight loss, promoting brain health, skincare, boosting immunity and improving gut health. The target market includes health-conscious people who are focused on personal well being. But if you ask the industry experts, superfoods are just a marketing term coined for foods with health benefits.Dark-green leafy vegetables, different types of berries, avocados, dark chocolate, green tea, eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds are the most popular inclusions into this category of superfoods. Even seafood that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, sardines, mackerel and certain other fatty fish are considered to fall in the category. They are an excellent source of fibre, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
You need to decide what a guess manner to you. If you need to earn money, you need to understand the game and research all of the nice players in all of the video games taking component in a event. To do that, you need to view the championships, check professional scores. Match statistics, and examine specialised boards. You can find out about second-level teams from qualifications for tournaments.
In your longevity quest Mindvalley, you have told a lot of workouts but not specified which are to be done in a fasted state and which ones in the non-fasted state. Can you specify for all the variants(super slow, foam rolling, isometric, etc) which state is preferred?
I work on an oil rig so my days are pretty long and regimented working 6 to 6. I have been intermittent fasting where I skip breakfast, have a superfood and some supplements at 9am then eat a healthy sized lunch around 11. I will work out around 630-7 for 40-60 min then eat dinner shortly after, a large salad and sometimes some protein. My question is would it be better to workout and skip dinner and stay fasted through the night and start eating breakfast around 6 with lunch as my last meal or continue with the current schedule?
Very interesting article. I am very glad to read this article. Thanks Author
Great article. Thanks, https://bengreenfieldfitness.com
Hi Ben,
Thanks for all your work & content!
Love to hear your views on: are there any gains/benefits (or damage) if I weight-train through a 24-48 hours fast?
I am already following the 16:8 routine & gym 6days a week on Keto diet, however I also like to introduce a couple prolong 24-48hr fasting once a month or so. Can I still train through “fasted” (8pm last meal, 7am training, 8pm or longer, 1st meal) without negative effects to my health/body?
Cheers,
Simon
Thanks for the info I had a quick question regarding afternoon workouts. I have been fasting overnight and doing a fasted 20-30 min yoga session in the morning. After an hour/hour and a half I eat breakfast. My question is with my schedule the best time to workout is around 11-11:30. I am currently on week 7 of your Obstacle Dominator training plan, thanks for that too. Is it ok to workout prior to eating lunch if I add amino’s or MCT oil etc? If so, should I wait an our so after this session before eating lunch. Thanks again for any info.
Great list of references. What do you think about research (I think by Satchin Panda) that says that caffeine terminates an intermittant fast since it starts the circadian rhythm going in the morning, or that even decaf and herbal tea cause the liver to produce enzymes (probably more to that) that undermine the positive benefits of the IF? I’m doing your Kion 2019 Fasting Challenge but not on FB to ask questions there.
Hi Ben,
I know both you and Thomas DeLauer have said that BCAAs will break a fast due the effect of the Leucine (I believe). However, is it ok to have BCAAs before a fasted state workout? Is the workout still then considered to be in a fasted state if you consume BCAAs before and/or during the workout (and no other calories)? Also, I know you recommend taking EAAs versus BCAAs. I do take your Kion EAAs. However, if all of the BCAAs are included in EAAs plus the other EAAs, then how is consuming EAAs any different than BCAAs? Wouldn’t they elicit that same response? Finally, if you take an electrolyte tablet such as Nuun which has about 10 calories and a few grams of sugar either before or during a workout, would that workout also be considered to be not in a fasted state?
Thanks for all the great info.
Maggie
Hi Ben, love your work and your mission!
It would be great if you could answer Maggie’s question regarding whether having EAAs/BCAAs before a workout would technically remove you from a fasted state and therefore negate all the benefits of fasted workouts. Keen to hear your views!
Cheers,
Alex
Thanks for sharing this meal plan with us. I would start this diet plan.
Hi, Ben – Can you provide links to the actual research study you mentioned in your presentation regarding men vs. women and the differences in fat oxidation in the post-workout window? You link to Mercola articles above (neither of which specifically address sex differences). Thank you in advance!
Hi Ben,
I’m looking forward to the Kion Fasting Challenge next week. I’d like to combine options 1 and 3. Is that a safe/good idea? I do daily intermittent fasting already (12-18 hours).
If this is a go, I’m going to load up on organic coconut oil & grass fed butter for my Kion coffee and super green mix for the shakes so I can hit the ground running on Monday.
Thanks!
tried several times to sign up for fasting guide and the 5 day fast but so far been unsuccessful. help pretty please, i want in:)
Thank you for great presentation. I am female on NatureThroid and take first thing in am and then go for my run fasted. Do you know if I take aminos along with thyroid meds, will this affect thyroid med absorption? I’d like to take the aminos to increase performance. I have been running fasted for over 30 years.
Can you please post a link to the source article for your statement that lean women do better eating before exercise and fasting after? I don’t see it in the above links. Thanks!!
This is similar to Sam’s question. I eat at 11:30 AM then workout at 3:15 – 5:00. Normally I come home, drink a shake and eat a sweet potato and then go to bed. I get up at 2:00 AM. I would like to be able to fast through the workout and then not eat anything until like 7:00 AM, but somewhere you said that you would need to eat within 8 hours of your workout. So I probably answered my own question.
Now I am fasting from 5:30 PM until 8:00 AM which is almost 15 hours. Maybe I can stretch it to 9:00 AM.
Cheers!
This recent study shows the opposite (https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-018-0263-6). The authors argue that casein prior to exercise oxidize more fat post exercise when compared to fasted, whey, or maltodextrin. Thoughts?
Hi Ben
I would like to try fasted cardio before breakfast on my elliptical. To maximize fat burning and testosterone how long should i exercise , and how long after exercise should i wait to eat.
thanks
Tim
Hi Kion Team!
I have tried multiply times to sign up for the fasting guide but it has not been sent to my email. Please help!
Thanks,
Pam
Confused on fasting and workouts! I am 45 year old male who likes to lift weights, HIIT exercise, and run (long & speed work) . 90% of my workouts are in the morning between 430am – 8am (depends on schedule) five days a week. I start my fast at 730pm and will break it at 1130am. I want to keep my testosterone up and lose my fat (belly fat)! So do I fast for every workout or should I eat something for other workouts. My schedule: Mon – HIIT w/ weights, Tues – Heavy weights, Wed break, Thurs – run (speed work), Fri – HIIT (kettlebells, push ups, pull ups and jumprope), Sat – Long run 4-6 miles w/ ABS. I have noticed my muscle mass grow, but also my belly as well. I do great lifting heavy, but have noticed fatigue immediately with HIIT and speed work runs! HELP.. any little advice can help, but most articles contradict or are directed at a certain type of athlete. Im just a police officer trying to live long and fit (not fat) for my job, life, and family. TY
Hello! Great episode!
I have a question that I feel has been asked several times, but after seeing many conflicting articles on the subject, I am trying to find a straight forward answer.
In the context of fasting and time restricted feeding, does black coffee (nothing at all in it) reset the clock or break the fast. Dr. Panda believes so and I think Dr. Longo does as well.
What do you think?
Thanks!
hi Ben this is great!
i’ve been following this semi keto diet where i cut out most carbs / sugars and breakfast for almost a year. so i doin’t eat breakfast but i eat large lunch and dinner up until 9pm.
the one issue i have is that i keep losing weight (or that i lost a lot)
im 44, 6’2 and 177 lbs.
i feel good but getting tired of the “dude you lost shitload of weight” greetings from people i have not seen in a while.
not sure if its just about working out more to make up for lost weight with muscle ? right now im on 1-3 days in the gym “routine” with 20-45 min workouts
If my eating window is noon-6pm, and I exercise at 6:30pm, do I need a snack or meal before bedtime? Right now the hunger if I don’t eat gives me trouble sleeping, but will I adjust if I stick with it?
I personally feel of the benefits of being able to sleep because you ate enough food outweigh the benefits you would get from the fasting in that case.