You can absolutely build muscle while fasting, as long as you are getting in the right amount of macronutrients. while fasting, your body will produce more muscle-building hormones and will not use protein as energy but will use your stores of glucose in the body.
While you can build muscle fasting, just fasting alone will not increase muscle mass. How to build muscle while fasting, you will still need to be doing Progressive overload training. Reason being, you still need to become stronger and add weight to each set during each workout because that is how muscle is built.
Besides Progressive overload, you have to get your nutrition dialed in. this is done by figuring out how many calories you need to build muscle and that is done by adding 500 calories to your daily maintenance. TDDE.com
How can you Build Muscle while Fasting?
You can easily build muscle while fasting, you just need to make sure do your training with Progressive overload training and eating the right amount of calories and not too many. it’s really no different than what you would normally do on a normal eating routine.
reason being, you can build muscle and you won’t lose muscle while fasting is because your body will not burn protein as an energy source. instead, your body will look to burn glucose as an energy source first.
Progressive Overload Training
Can you lose a couple of pounds of muscle while fasting, absolutely? As long as you are using Progressive overload training and trying to become stronger during each workout while eating the right amount of calories it’s highly unlikely but she will lose muscle and not add muscle.
Like I mentioned before it is highly important to make sure you are pushing yourself and challenging yourself during each workout, I cannot stress this enough.
I’ve been there before myself working out doing the same exercises with the same amount of weights which were heavy but I was not increasing them and signaling my muscles to grow.
Increased Human Growth Hormone
One of the best reasons intermittent fasting works so well it’s because when we wake up our bodies are in a natural fat-burning state. This happens because our human growth hormone is on the rise in the mornings. An increase in human growth hormone is obviously going to preserve and help with building muscle.
On the other hand, if you do fast for longer periods of time you will start to lose muscle. It’s been proven that if you fast up to 72 hours this has been shown when muscle loss can happen. This is why intermittent fasting works so well and getting all of the health benefits because you are only using fasting for shorter periods of time.
It’s more of a mental thing because most people feel like fasting is starving themselves and they will automatically start losing a ton of muscle and start going catabolic. This just isn’t true in fact while we are not eating in the mornings our human growth hormone is on the rise this is a great thing.
HGH is thought of as the anti-aging hormone and has many other benefits besides in building muscle. This is one of the proven reasons why doing intermittent fasting like a 16:8 window will help build muscle while fasting.
Why sleep is important
While you can build muscle while fasting one of the most overlooked keys is sleep. By getting enough recovery and rest and between your workouts is crucial because this is when your body is repairing and growing. Our bodies grow outside of the gym while you’re working out, this is why it’s important to be getting at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night.
Ideally, following the circadian rhythm by going to bed when the sun goes down and waking up when the sun comes up. It’s best to be in bed by 10 p.m. and wake up at 6 a.m. because this is when your body repairs itself and produces hormones.
You don’t want to Overtrain
It would sound like pushing yourself like a madman is a good idea? Not really, overtraining with everyday life stresses can tax your Central Nervous System too much and increase too much Cortisol. This could be a reason you are not building muscle while fasting is overtraining, especially if you had a lot of stress going on in your life.
Overtraining will stress your body and not give yourself enough time to grow and repair to recover. if you’re checking all of the boxes, by doing Progressive overload training and eating the right amount of calories needed to build muscle. And……… you’re still not seeing results that you would like it could be from overtraining or too much stress in your life.
If you feel like this is the case you should back off from training so much and doing light exercises like going for walks or using techniques to help de-stress.
If you are feeling run down and it’s your day to workout, it might be best to take that day off and to do some light exercises or to just go for a walk. Sleep and overtraining are often overlooked for natural lifters to build muscle and stay healthy.
Should I Workout while Fasting?
Yes, you can actually work out while being in a fasted state, but it is important to make sure you eat some protein and carbohydrates shortly after. while the Anabolic window has been proven to be a brofessor myth, it is important if you are fasting.
If you are fasting and doing Progressive overload training it is important to make sure you are eating enough protein after your workout. whether that be done by eating protein or just by using a protein shake it needs to be done for optimal protein synthesis reasons.
While you exercise and fast together it can blunt acute oxidative stress within your body, which is good for your muscles. While in a fasted state and exercising your body has no other choice but to burn fat, this is especially true if it is a work out first thing in the morning.
This all happens because of the central nervous system, your central nervous system is triggered by exercise and a lack of food. Possible benefits from working out while fasted increased growth hormone, improved body composition, boost cognitive function, reversing biological clock for your brain and muscle, and increase testosterone.
Downside to Fasted workouts
If you choose to workout while fasting and have not done it before it may be best to do a lighter workout. You could possibly get dizzy or experience other side effects. Most likely, if you don’t ease into it or work with a medical profession or a health coach.
When I preach about Progressive Overload Training and forcing your body to grow, it’s done with food in your system. An example is I won’t eat until 12 pm and will stop at 8 pm, during that eating window is usually when I will workout.
If I’m going to train in a fasted state the intensity won’t be as high. I also currently do not train in a fasted state often. However, I do use fasting focused lifestyle to help build muscle.
Who should not do Intermittent Fasting
- Women who are pregnant or who are breastfeeding
- If you are on certain medications
- If your a Type 1 diabetic
- People with eating disorders