Fat Loss and Fasted Workouts, The Hormones Speak
Here is a quick video from Brad Pilon (the author of the Eat Stop Eat Intermittent Fasting ebook series) about how food and insulin relate. It has some interesting observations when concerning protein and carbohydrate intake.
If for some reason you can not see the video (RSS/Email), you can also see it directly on YouTube here.
What do we already know about fat loss and hormones? Well the fat cells are like “storage” tanks that store fats until the body signals to “release” those fats to be used a fuel/energy (aka burned). One of the biggest hormones that we have control over with our eating habits is insulin. This is important to know because of the relationship it has with other important hormones involved in helping us to burn fat, namely glucagon and growth hormone. Insulin when released in large quantities is telling the body to “get ready to store some fuel in the tanks”, as it is increased with large meals (or large bursts of sugar into the bloodstream). Glucagon and Growth Hormone are 2 important hormones used in lipolysis (the process of breaking down and releasing stored fats inside the “tanks”).
Here’s the key, when insulin goes up….then glucagon and growth hormone will lower, and when insulin is low then glucagon and growth hormone can elevate. What does this have to do with working out? Well if your goal is to “burn” up stored fat, then you want an environment that allows and promotes fat to be released right? Having high insulin levels during a workout will not be an optimal environment for the hormones most responsible for freeing up fat from storage. So what is the solution?
Well looking at the video you can see that insulin can remain elevated for 2-3 hours after large enough meals. Ideally you want to go into a fat burning based workout in a more “fasted” state, not “fed” (one in which you want to spike those GH levels with some intensity and burn that fat as fuel for your activity). This can be done first thing in the morning when insulin should be at it’s lowest (and you are fasted from overnight) or if later in the day then you should be waiting 2-3 hours after your last meal. Remember, you don’t need to eat to workout as you should have enough fuel as stored glycogen in your muscles, liver….and oh yeah, you want to burn fat remember?!
The best kinds of workouts can be in the AM (or later) and will start off with more intensity (intervals, sprinting, explosive lifting, heavy lifting) to get those GH levels spiked…and then trail off into slower paced activity to burn that fat (what I like to call “lifestyle” cardio). Remember, short intensity based activity first….then the slower enjoyable stuff….go ride a bike, play tennis, whatever you enjoy. Once you tell the body to free up the fat…and they are floating around waiting to be burned…then you still need to go do something to burn it! (otherwise it just gets stored back into the “tanks”).
photo by hrtmnstrf
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I’m still not completely sold on IF. How do you respond to the rather mixed results of studies of it in humans?
http://www.alanaragon.com/an-objective-look-at-intermittent-fasting.html – has a good referenced summary of a number of studies.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m pretty sold on the paleo approach, and intrigued by IF, but I’m not convinced just yet.
Chris – IF is just a tool (if you want to think of it that way), not a set diet. There are good ways to go about “using” IF…and ways that will not work. Most studies done on test trials for IF are usually so badly done in my opinion and hardly cover all the individual parameters for eating out there (much like eating all day long). Those studies usually allow for eating a boat load of calories and usually have little to no focus on macronutrient ratios (heavy in the carb department especially). There is also little control on what people eat, so don’t expect the same results with a person eating meat and veggies, vs a person eating cakes and cookies. In simple terms, IF is just a condensed eating window that allows the body to increase things like GH and insulin sensitivity. If one fears loss of muscle (bodybuilding paranoia) or loss of metabolism….then there are other studies to prove otherwise. Again IF used wisely and with the right eating and exercise plan can get tremendous results (and a life back that used to be obsessed with eating). Weight loss is about calories and controlling hunger and cravings (as you will overeat). You can use IF 1-2x a week, or more. It’s up to you….but there are plenty of people with much success because they know how to use it properly, those that abuse it will not find the same success. The true power is in just finding a way that works for you, your activity needs and goals. Thinking there is only one way to IF, is not what it is really all about.
Alan is a very smart guy and I think that article has been around for a while (year or more), but even he might tell you nowadays that he has found with some of his clients (experimenting) that IF can work when done correctly (especially when not using it as an excuse to IFOC, IF on Crap as I call it). Weight loss is a calorie game at the heart of it, still have to follow those rules for anything to work.
Thanks for the response,
I agree that I think there might be something to it. I’m pretty close to just playing with it myself to see what kind of results I get. As I said, I’m not anti-IF by any means, I’m just trying to be critical and evaluate the evidence on both sides.
I’ve been really impressed with some of the results (and blood work) Rob Wolf has reported with it.
Just curious if you were aware of any (good) studies supporting it. I’ll do my own digging though, don’t spend a bunch of time on it or anything.
Chris – There are plenty of good studies out there in regards to insulin sensitivity, GH response, neuroprotective benefits, etc. See below. IF + Paleo can have some amazing results….IF + Cotton Candy, not so much. I think the best part is just not worrying about food, thinking we have to eat all day….and as long as you can still get the calories in and keep the foods of good quality, then good things can happen. Plus I have more energy all day long and just don’t get tired….which is something I always experienced when I used to eat all day (esp a big breakfast). Just try it out and see what happens a couple times a week….as that is how we all start out. Watch out….you may just like it!
A sample of IF studies (Word): http://theiflife.com/fitness/ifstudies.doc
Brad is also a really great resource if you are wanting details on studies as well, the basic ESE has some for FFAs and GH mostly (beginner stuff if you are new to IF), but the advanced materials cover alot more including insulin sensitivity and metabolism.
These articles break down this stuff so simply that it really makes the “science” easy to understand. I love fasted work outs, the majority of mine are always done in fasted state and the results speak for themselves.
MOD, not only does working out in a fasted state boost those GH levels but fasting allows better protein utilization (synthesis?) which will go a long way towards building muscle right?
Lifestyle cardio – I like that. Can’t wait for spring to come so I can get back to my pickup basketball games.
Yavor
Chris – You may also find this thread interesting (although probably extremely painful to go through the whole 100+ pages of rants and drivel to find the 1% of gold worth reading)…but look about half way down and see the response by Alan Aragon (the person who’s article you linked me to above).
“I’ll go on record & say that I’ve tried Martin’s approach on clients who travel a lot (or drive around a lot during the day), and the results have been very positive. Seeing it work in the field has shifted my perspective of the whole IF thing, particularly the way Martin lays it out. And, having communicated w/him off the boards, I can attest that he’s very reasonable/objective in his thought process. Instead of taking stabs at him in this thread, people would be better off either picking his brain or challenging him on a non-ad hominem level.”
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=3587831&page=103
Very interesting. Martin’s blog at http://www.leangains.com is also an excellent resource for IF talk (and I can’t wait till his new ebook comes out).
Kevin – life and results should be simple.
Fasting will allow for an improvement in insulin sensitivity, better digestion/gut health….all which relate to an improvement in protein utlization. So you can make gains while eating less (than if you had insulin resistance and a messed up digestive system). There is also the whole high/low cycling aspect…as with low levels of protein and then supercompensation with higher, the body can use more (some call this protein pulsing too). The main message being….doing the same thing all the time is never optimal, the body adapts.
Yavor – sounds like a plan! It’s amazing how easy it is to be fit when you just do stuff you enjoy! Fitness should not be a prison sentence to keep you chained to a treadmill and staring at neon lights…..get outside and just play!
My schedule still does not allow for me to play too much with fasted workouts. I do try to workout with a 3 hour window since my last meal though. Seems to work pretty well for me.
The SoG
SOG – sounds like you are doing it right though….the main purpose in trying to keep insulin low during the workout to optimize fat releasing hormones at work (like GH). Doesn’t have to be 100% fasted afterall to see the benefits. (esp if you workout at later times in the day)
I tried getting a free copy of the ebook – but was unable to. Any suggestions?
Patrik – The Protein Book is free only with the purchase of Eat Stop Eat if that is what you are referring too. After Wed Brad is selling the book at cost individually….so only for now you can get a 2 for 1 deal.
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I think the evidence on IF will accumulate even further with time. I can say that my own body character has undergone a rapid change after I started IF. That said, I can’t share the ‘freedom from food’ that many IF advocates claim. I feel hungry and thirsty quite a number of times. If it is a busy day for me, IF for 24 hours (which is what I have been talking about) is easier. Otherwise, I feel like eating past 18 hours. It kinda gets distracting, and I am consciously flexing my will power by not eating. It doesn’t feel ‘natural’ in that sense, meaning I can’t keep watching TV and not feel hungry!
IF+ Paleo= irresistible results in strength gain and fat loss!
Rambodoc – My freedom came long ago from always shoving food in my mouth (thinking I needed to eat 6x a day and carry around supplement bars and shake). My freedom is eating 2-3x a day and just enjoying food….it’s no longer a task that I dread….I actually enjoy it! IF + Paleo is potentially the most powerful combination for real health, fat loss, muscle and everything else out there….that and you will never have to count calories again!
[...] “Fat loss and fasted workouts, the hormones speak“, Brad Pilon from “Eat Stop, [...]
Hi Mike,
I enjoy reading your blog. Is there a post in future for exercised that a female with no upper body strength can do? I love Barry’s bootcamp for example.
P – not a post yet, but the best (most bang for your buck/effort) overall exercise is of course the “pushup” that requires no equipment and just your own bodyweight. Works the chest/shoulders and arms…the whole upper body (and even the “core” muscles as you have to stabilize your body as you do it….closer the feet are, the more you need to stabilize) You can modify to do it at angles (like leaning against the edge of a sofa, or up some stairs). Build up the strength until you are on the floor horizontal. Remember…most of us hate exercises that we are not “good at”…master pushups little by little and then you will love them!
Thanks I will try that. Yes, I do hate upper body exercises. I am also afraid that that they will give me muscular sloping shoulders ( the kind that slope from neck to tip of shoulder like a wing) that bodybuilders have. I simply hate them on a woman.
I hope you are thinking about a women specific workout routine post soon.
P – those are your traps, and unless you are doing some heavy pulling exercises like deadlifts and cleans, you have nothing to worry about. Pushups are the best exercise for women too, and don’t worry…you can’t bulk up like a man. Like I said above too…most people hate something that is a weakness…become better with pushups and you may just become addicted! Lunges are probably my #1 lower-body exercise for women to do also. So you can do 20 lunges, 10 pushups and repeat 5-10 times. Enjoy!
This is my second month on IF with decent results. I notice a strength increase, mostly in deep atg squats and bench press. I’ve worked out fasted only twice, and felt just fine.
Usually I’ll train in a semi-fasted state (if that makes sense), meaning I’ll eat my first meal at about noon, and won’t eat again until after I train, which is about 5pm.
IF + Paleo seems like a winner. I’m getting into just eating pure, wholesome foods. I find myself frequenting Trader Joe’s more often, although it’s more expensive.
Off topic: Is the organic section at your local supermarket chain (i.e. Safeway, Raley’s, Nugget) reliable? I seem to trust these supermarkets for some reason.
Angel – alot of people notice strength increases with fasted workouts, almost like their CNS is firing on all cylinders. A fasted state can be well after you ate later on in the day as well, allowing your insulin to lower and digestion to slow down. Digestion sucks up alot of energy, hence why you will want to puke if you try and workout too close after eating….your body will only send energy and blood flow to the muscles or gut….your choice. Eating healthy is more expensive…but then again I can’t think of a better investment as being sick can be even more expensive. Organic can vary by supermarket as you don’t know where it came from and how long it took to get there, best bet for freshness is a local farmers market or other place where you know it is locally grown. Bigger places may just get large deals from national suppliers and then divide up by store.
Mike – I might be missing something obvious here, but I can’t quite put the pieces together. Brad says that you want GH to be high and insulin to be low. Being in a fasted state generally results in lowered insulin levels. I have read on numerous blogs though that people have tested their blood glucose levels before a fasted workout (nice and low) and after a fasted workout (dramatically higher). Wouldn’t this higher level of blood glucose require an insulin response, meaning that the GH is being lowered at the same time?
Bill – do you have the links to those stories so I can try and look at it in more details. Otherwise I’m not sure…..but doing too much can certainly elevate cortisol and create an increase in blood glucose as a result, depending on the workout and duration. Depending on the intensity of the workout, your body should have enough stored glycogen to get through while also increasing FFAs (free fatty acids) mobilized for fuel. If the workout is too long and too strenuous, it can lead to cortisol increase. Keep in mind that GH is also a blood sugar hormone in that it will elevate glucose through liver glycogen conversion. GH also has the advantage of increased FFAs (which is what we want in a fat loss program). This also can play into the importance of restoring muscle and liver glycogen between intense workouts as well. Many factors involved. Fasted workouts should not be long and strenuous…to the point of not being able to recover, otherwise you will waste muscle in the process and possibly create more insulin resistance. The body has many hormones to increase blood sugar, and just one to lower it. (shows hows the body was not designed for chronic high blood sugar levels) That and insulin’s main job is as a nutrient transporter across cell membranes, not to store fat (although it has taken on that primary role in today’s world unfortunately)
i have been working out at a crossfit affiliate for almost a year [it has changed my life!] but i have only recently started exploring the paleo diet [and our trainers are always raving about it]. of course, with this research i am finding lots of mention of IF and it being used this way and that but i can’t seem to find a simple, introductory article that explains exactly what it is and how to do it. anyone have a good link? IF for dummies?
i always work out first thing in the morning. i never eat before hand. so does this mean i am in a fasted state since i haven’t eaten since the night before? and also, after i work out, i am not usually hungry for 2- 3 hours afterwards [often quite the opposite]. is it okay that i am not eating right away [although i do drink black tea with milk + stevia] after my workouts?
thanks for any advice!
sammylou – For $5 you can purchase a set of articles written by Robb Wolf for the Performance Menu Journal. Here is a link: http://www.performancemenu.com/zen/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_11&products_id=64
Sammy – Yes, I have an IF 101 post here:
http://theiflife.com/health/2008/02/27/intermittent-fasting-101-how-to-start-part-i/
As well there is a whole “intermittent fasting” catagory of articles under the “health spotlight” section of the website:
http://theiflife.com/health/category/intermittent-fasting/
I will also be covering it in more details with my ebook “Break Free”:
http://www.breakfreelife.com/
Plenty of good resources out there.