How Intermittent Fasting Affects Your Body’s Response To Exercise
Intermittent fasting allows individuals to cycle between varying periods of eating and fasting. Unlike specific diets, this process doesn’t limit you on the foods you should and shouldn’t eat. However, you also need to consider when you should eat. For example, you can skip breakfast, so your first meal of the day becomes your lunch.
Now, you might be wondering about the effects of this eating schedule on your body’s response to exercise. Continue reading to find out.
Achieve Autophagy
Once you start intermittent fasting, your body starts to undergo a metabolic state called ketosis. Ketosis breaks and burns the body’s fat, and this event happens in about 12 hours of not eating.
Then, the body enters “fat-burning mode,” which takes place in about 18 hours of intermittent fasting. When your body is in this state, your system is generating a significant amount of ketones. These chemicals help produce insulin in the liver to turn glucose into energy.
After 24 hours of fasting, your cells begin to recycle old components to prevent health issues like Alzheimer’s disease. The name of this instance is autophagy, and it’s an essential procedure for cellular and tissue rejuvenation.
If the body cannot achieve autophagy, then adverse effects can happen. For example, you can acquire neurodegenerative diseases. So, intermittent fasting helps protect your brain and other parts of the body from specific disorders.
Your body on autophagy can improve your efforts in achieving a leaner, fitter body from your exercise routines. The additional fat-burning benefits of intermittent fasting can speed up your body’s metabolism to shed the extra layers of fat. You might even find losing those dreaded “love handles” soon.
Improve Weight Loss Efforts
Overeating can lead to obesity and other health issues. But, it’s not too late to start a fit and healthy lifestyle. You can start your healthy journey with intermittent fasting.
Following a strict eating plan can help you lose weight and stubborn belly fat. An intermittent fasting schedule will help you eat fewer meals in a day. But, you should remember that you shouldn’t eat more calories in your next eating schedule just because you skipped a meal.
For example, you eat 300 calories more during lunch because you skipped breakfast. If so, then you’re not taking full advantage of an intermittent eating plan.
Intermittent fasting while maintaining a caloric deficit and regular exercise routine will help enhance the body’s production of hormones that facilitate weight loss. Even if you do short-term fasting, your body will increase its metabolic rate to help you burn calories.
Alternating your eating and fasting schedules can help the body burn the extra pounds. Thus, intermittent fasting can be an ideal choice for overweight people.
Cleanse the Body
Accompanying your intermittent eating schedule with healthy food consumption will help improve the function of your body’s cells and tissues. In return, your system will help cleanse the body from toxins left by eating unhealthy foods or practicing harmful habits.
The introduction of a suitable amount of glucose will help stimulate the release of substances to improve insulin production. Moreover, intermittent fasting can help increase the body’s insulin sensitivity. This entire process will help enhance cognitive health and boost cellular stress resistance.
Also, take note that you can’t achieve your dream beach body if you can’t incorporate a healthy diet with regular exercise. You can lift heavy weights all day or do 100 crunches, but those 6-pack abs won’t appear if you still follow an unhealthy diet. Toxin removal is critical to have a fit physique.
So, fill your plate with vegetables, plant fats, and plant fibers. Additionally, make sure your meals and snacks have healthy proteins, legumes, or whole grains. The nutrients in these food options should improve the benefits you can gain from intermittent fasting.
Risks of Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting might be among the rising trends in healthy living as of late. But, this eating schedule isn’t without risks.
First, there’s a risk of indulging in unhealthy foods during non-fasting days. Many people tend to reward themselves from the hard work they did. Resist the temptation to eat an entire pizza pie or five slices of cake after fasting successfully. Otherwise, you’ll regain the lost calories, and perhaps even add more calories to encourage weight gain.
Next, there’s a risk of eating disorders to surface. For instance, you might encounter symptoms related to orthorexia, which is an obsession for proper or “healthy” eating. A couple of signs that you have this disorder is the need to talk about your diet constantly, and getting preoccupied with your next meal or snack.
Other risks of intermittent fasting include disturbed sleep and decreased focus. Therefore, it’s essential to talk to your doctor before attempting to change your eating habits. Otherwise, you won’t get the positive results you want, even with a regular workout routine.
Conclusion
The four things listed above can happen to your body when you start an intermittent eating schedule. But, make sure to consult your doctor before you attempt to begin intermittent fasting. Some individuals might gain adverse effects if you start this eating plan abruptly. Consult the advice of a health professional to lower the risk of acquiring these harmful effects.