Intermittent Fasting More Effective Than Cutting Calories

Done properly, intermittent fasting can be very beneficial for improving health and accelerating fat loss.   There are many different types of fasts, but the most popular and practical is called intermittent fasting.  

Intermittent fasting - aka time-restricted eating – is when you restrict your daily food intake to a specific window of time - typically six to eight-hours per day.  For example, if you skip breakfast and make lunch the first meal of your day, you might restrict your food intake to the hours of Noon and 8:00 p.m. If you are a breakfast lover, your window could be between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Many people point out that fasting only works because people eat less than they burn while doing intermittent fasting.     This is definitely the case, but the entire trick to losing body fat is finding a way to eat less calories than you burn that you can stick with long term.

Intermittent Fasting vs Chronic Calorie Restriction

The more traditional way to lose weight/fat is to restrict your calories throughout the day by making sure you eat fewer total calories but still maintain a more normal eating window of 12 – 14 hours.    There is no question that the calorie restriction works when it is followed. This is very challenging for most people – particularly long-term.

There is also no question that many people find it much easier to eat less than they burn by simply restricting their feeding window to 8 hours per day.   For many who make this simple change they find they spontaneously eat less calories without it feeling hard and find they can maintain this lifestyle long term.   That is the name of the game when it comes to long term weight management and body fat control!

Many studies have shown intermittent fasting to be a highly effective method for losing body fat and keeping it off, and there are other specific benefits to this approach.

Intermittent fasting provides a number of health benefits including:

• Reduced age-related diseases: Fasting reduces the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases; improves insulin sensitivity and overall metabolic health; and lowers cancer incidence.

• Metabolic health: Fasting promotes a shift from glucose metabolism to fat burning, improving so-called metabolic flexibility. It also enhances glucose regulation, improves insulin sensitivity, and promotes ketone body production by the liver.

• Neuroprotection and cognitive function: Fasting increases the production of BDNF, a neuroprotective molecule that aids in neuroplasticity, memory, and learning. The benefits of fasting also extend to protection against neuronal dysfunction and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

• Cancer prevention and treatment: Fasting makes cancer cells more vulnerable to chemotherapy while protecting healthy cells—enhancing cancer treatment efficacy and reducing side effects. It does this by exploiting cancer cells' reduced flexibility that results from mutations in growth signaling pathways.

• Hormesis and cellular adaptation: Fasting activates cellular survival pathways that thrive during intermittent, mild stressors like fasting. This enhances our body's resilience to oxidative damage, metabolic stress, and toxic environmental exposure.

• Renewal and repair: Prolonged fasting triggers autophagy (cellular recycling) and apoptosis, clearing damaged cellular components. There's also an increase in stem cell activity and a regeneration of immune cells after fasting cycles.

Who Can Benefit from Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting can benefit a wide variety of people including certain athletes. A 2016 study that tracked the effects of intermittent fasting on 34 resistance-trained men found that restricting their eating to an eight-hour window positively affected several health-related biomarkers, while decreasing fat mass and maintaining muscle mass.

For eight weeks, the participants divided their daily calorie intake across three meals eaten at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. They fasted the remaining 16 hours of the day and completed three weekly sessions of resistance training on non-consecutive days. Among the biomarkers noted, there was a significant decrease in blood sugar for the intermittent fasting group as compared to the normal diet group.

Potential Pitfalls when Intermittent Fasting

The biggest challenge with intermittent fasting is making sure you get adequate protein.   This is particularly important as you age because once you get on the other side of 45 your body has a harder time digesting and absorbing protein so your need for protein actually goes up.

To make sure you do not fall into this trap check out this previous blogpost that provides suggestions on how to make sure you get enough protein into your diet while intermittent fasting.

Contraindications for Fasting

Although most people can safely benefit from intermittent fasting, it's important to take caution if you have certain health challenges. Do NOT use fasting if any of the following are true:

• You are underweight with a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 or less

• You are malnourished

• Children should NOT fast! They need nutrients for continued growth; if your child is obese, consider cutting him or her back on refined grains and sugar to promote weight loss

• Pregnant and breastfeeding women should NOT fast because a consistent flow of nutrients must be shared with the baby to ensure its well-being.

• Anyone who has or has experienced an eating disorder including anorexia and bulimia needs to stay away from fasting.

• If you take medications that should be taken with food you will need to be very cautious about fasting and consult with your physician first.   This is especially true for diabetics and those with gout.

• You have a medical condition – check with your physician first.

Take Home

Intermittent fasting is not magic and does not work for everyone, but for many it provides a much easier way to keep caloric balance and lose fat!

Post Exercise Sauna for Increased Strength, Muscle Growth, Explosive Power, and Cardio Fitness

You heard that right - post exercise sauna use can improve strength, muscle growth, explosive power, and cardiovascular fitness.

A recent study with female athletes showed that a group doing a 10 minute sauna session after workouts experienced a 25% increase in jump height and 6.8% boost in peak power – outperforming the control group.   Both groups performed the same workouts

Sauna use has also been shown to boost increases in muscular size and strength when performed after strength training workouts.   Sauna use boost levels of Heat Shock Proteins (HSP’s).   HSP’s promote muscle mass by assisting in the repair of cellular damage by attracting amino acids to damaged sites and encouraging them to convert into new muscle fibers.

Post exercise sauna use has also been shown to trigger a large secretion of growth hormone along with improved insulin sensitivity.  Post exercise sauna use activates the mTOR cellular pathway which is responsible for protein synthesis in muscles and reduces muscle protein breakdown by inhibiting the FOXO pathway which increases muscle breakdown.

Research has shown that sauna use reduces muscle soreness and increases muscle strength when done after high intensity training.   In addition, sauna use during periods of inactivity has been proven to help prevent muscle loss.

Sauna Use for Improved Cardiovascular Fitness

Sauna use after a cardio workout can also bring big benefits.   Research has proven that sauna use mimics moderate aerobic activity meaning a sauna session is like a low to moderate intensity cardio workout.

Regular sauna use after workout results in multiple physiological adaptations that benefit cardiovascular fitness including:

Increased plasma volume and blood flow to the heart resulting in increased stroke volume (stroke volume is the amount of blood your heart can pump with each contraction).  When stroke volume goes up heart rate decreases!.

Increased red blood cell count resulting in increased oxygen delivery to muscles. 

Increased blood flow to muscles and other tissues resulting in increased delivery of nutrients and disposal of cellular waste products.

Reduced rate of glycogen depletion which significantly improves endurance exercise performance.  Glycogen is the storage form of blood sugar in your muscles and liver.

 

Lower core body temperature during workouts and heat exposure

A study showed that a 30-minute sauna session two times per week for three weeks done after a run increased run time to exhaustion by 32% in experienced runners.  

How Much Fat Does an Extra Pound of Muscle Burn?

 

Because the muscles function as the engines of our bodies they play a major role in maintaining our metabolic rate. Even at rest, muscles account for almost 30% of the total calories burned because muscles require lots of caloric energy for muscle remodeling which happens 24 hours per day. For those who do not perform resistance training exercise, each pound of their muscle uses approximately 6 calories per day.   However, for those of us who perform resistance exercise regularly each pound of muscle uses approximately 9 calories per day because of higher levels of muscle remodeling and building stimulated by resistance training.

The key take home message is that the resting energy requirements of strength trained muscles is 50% higher than the energy requirements of non-strength trained muscles! In addition stronger muscles allow you to perform physical activity at a higher level which increases the energy demands of exercise as well. Actual overall resting metabolic rate increases approximately 7% for 3 full days following a strength training session! Over the course of a year, this increase can add up to to the energy contained in 10lbs of fat. Put another way, strength trained muscles can help you lose 10lbs of fat over the course of a year!

Strength training is also highly effective for regulating blood sugar. Your muscles are your largest storage depot for sugar, in the form of glycogen, so larger and stronger muscle help pull out more sugar from your blood. Strength training also increases insulin sensitivity and improves glycemic control for enhanced sugar transport from your blood to your muscles.

Resistance training has also been shown to reduce resting blood pressure and decrease LDL (bad) cholesterol. In fact the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association both recommend regular resistance training to combat cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Your Complete Guide to Body Recomp - losing fat while keeping muscle!

 

Although challenging - it is possible to lose body fat while increasing muscle mass. This is called Body Recomposition.  To accomplish this challenging feat – you must have a comprehensive plan and meticulous execution.  

Body recomposition is changing the fat-to-muscle ratio of your body.  The challenge is that fat loss requires a caloric deficit while muscle gain is easiest while consuming a calorie surplus.   The trick is precise nutrition, periodized strength training and strategic supplementation.

Styku Body Scan

The first step is getting a precise measurement of your body including your lean mass, visceral fat, and fat mass, and the easiest and most accurate way to do this without spending a lot of time or money is to get a Styku Body Scan.

Advanced Resistance Training for Body Recomposition

The first pillar of effective body recomposition is a resistance training program to optimize muscle mass during fat loss. There are several key elements for a successful resistance training program.

Periodization for Optimal Progress

Periodization involves using different resistance levels and rep schemes to target the main inputs required for muscle growth: Muscle Tension, Metabolic Stress, and Muscle Damage.  This strategy keeps muscles constantly adapting, preventing stagnation and optimizing recomposition.

• Train each muscle group two to three times per week to maximize muscle protein synthesis while allowing adequate recovery.

• Alternate rep schemes between sessions:

· Day 1 (Strength Focus, 3-6 reps): Heavy compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and presses to build provide high levels of mechanical tension.

· Day 2 (Hypertrophy Focus, 8-12 reps): Moderate loads with controlled tempo to enhance metabolic stress and muscle damage.

· Day 3 (Endurance/Metabolic Focus, 15-20+ reps): Light to moderate loads with short rest intervals to optimize fat oxidation and muscular endurance.

· Mix in strategic use of heavy eccentric loading – this means using advanced techniques that allow for much heavier loading during the eccentric/weight lowering phases of exercises such as leg extensions where you lift the weight up with two legs then slowly lower the weight with one leg or doing the same thing with leg presses or other exercises. This is very taxing on the nervous system and causes a lot of muscle damage so be careful not to do this too often or you will overtrain.

• Exercise Variation: Rotate specific exercises every six to eight weeks to challenge muscles from different angles and prevent adaptation.

Training Volume

Studies indicate that performing 10 to 20 sets per muscle group per week produces the best outcomes for muscle growth and fat loss.

Best Practices:

• New to Resistance Training: if you are just starting out great results can come from just 2 – 3 training sessions per week with just one set to momentary muscular failure for all major muscle groups.   Over time you will notice your progress will begin to stall and it will be necessary to add more volume in the form of more sets.

• Beginners: 10-12 sets per muscle group per week, split into at least two sessions.

• Intermediate: 12-16 sets per muscle group per week, across three to four training days.

• Advanced: 16-20 sets per muscle group per week, across four to six training days.

Prioritize Compound Movements

Isolation exercises like leg extensions and pec flies have their place, but compound lifts provide a superior stimulus for both hypertrophy and fat loss due to their high metabolic demand. Studies indicate that exercises like squats, deadlifts, and presses significantly increase post-exercise energy expenditure and muscle activation.

Best Practices:

• Priority Lifts: Squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, rows, pull-ups

• Accessory Work: Lunges, dips, bicep curls, lateral raises

• Isolation Training: If time allows, you can integrate isolation work to focus on weak links 

Diet

Resistance training is critical, but so is your diet!   To get this right it is essential to weigh and measure your food.   Eyeballing portion size results in big errors and can quickly stall progress.   If you want recomp it is essential to eat precisely  to achieve this challenging goal. 

Using a food scale and prepping your food for the week become really important or you end up missing meals, eating too much or eating the wrong foods which only derail your progress.  There is a reason you see bodybuilders and physique competitors carrying all their meals with them – it works!   There are several keys to optimizing your body recomposition when it comes to diet:

High Protein Intake

Protein is critical for body recomposition.  Research shows that a protein intake of 1 to 1.2 grams per pound of body weight per day is ideal for individuals attempting to build muscle while losing fat.

Best Practices:

• Aim for 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight.

• Spread out your total protein intake over four to five meals.

• Prioritize lean sources like chicken, fish, egg whites, and whey protein isolate or an Essential Amino Acid Supplement.

• For detailed information on protein sources and ideal protein intake check out this previous blogpost which includes information on the most effective (and low calorie) protein supplement available:   https://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-importance-of-protein-during-weight.html

Calorie and Carb Cycling

Deliberately cycling your calorie intake around days you train can enhance fat loss and muscle gain. Taking a similar approach with carbohydrate intake allows you to maintain optimal glycogen stores and performance without overdoing it. (Excess carbohydrates can kill fat loss quickly.)

Best Practices:

• On training days: Be in a slight calorie surplus (200 to 300 calories extra), and a higher amount of carbs (around 1.5 to 2.5 grams of carbohydrates per pound) 

• On rest days: Maintain a caloric deficit (about 200 to 300 below baseline) and lower carb intake (around 0.5 to one gram per pound of body weight, prioritizing fiber-rich vegetables). Increasing protein further can help you achieve the deficit you’re after on these days.

Time Your Carbs Intake

Proper timing of carb intake can optimize energy for training without stalling fat loss.  Consuming most of your carbs pre and post workout is ideal.  Your body handles carbs differently during and after workouts because working out improves insulin sensitivity and pre-workout carbs help maintain energy during your workouts.

Best Practices:

• Consume one-third to half of daily carbs around workouts (pre- and post-training).

• Stick to complex carbs like rice, oats, and sweet potatoes.

Supplements

A proper supplementation plan can enhance muscle growth, fat loss, and recovery, making the recomposition process more efficient. The following science-backed supplements can help optimize your results.

Creatine Monohydrate

In case you have been hiding under a rock – know that creatine works and is one of the most research proven supplements available.   It is also very inexpensive.  Creatine improves strength, power and muscle mass and aids in recovery enabling more effective training sessions.

Dosage: Three to five grams daily, taken at any time

Whey Protein or Optimal Amino - www.optimalamino.com

A fast-digesting protein source that stimulates muscle protein synthesis, whey protein and in particular whey protein isolate helps meet daily protein requirements and supports muscle recovery.  An even more efficient protein source is a properly designed essential amino acid supplement like Optimal Amino.   Less calories for a big increase in muscle protein synthesis. 

Using Optimal Amino is something to consider – particularly if you are over 45 when anabolic resistance begins to take hold.   Anabolic resistance is real and means you become much less efficient at digesting, transporting and using amino acids and less responsive to resistance training as you get older.

Dosage: 20 to 40 grams of whey protein isolate post-workout or two – three scoops of Optimal Amino 2 – 3 times per day depending on your whole food protein intake.

NOTE:  It is best to choose a protein supplement that is NSF certified for sport or Informed Sport certified which ensures you are getting a high quality supplement that does not contain high levels of heavy metals.   Heavy metals are very bad for your health and can present in very high levels in certain protein powders - particularly plant based proteins and chocolate flavor powders because plants (chocolate comes from the cacao plant) absorb heavy metals from the soil they grow in.    Great brands include Momentous, Optimal Amino, Thorne, Transparent Labs, dotFIT, Garden of Life, Klean, and Ladder, etc.    Also organic proteins can still contain high levels of heavy metals because organic certification does NOT address naturally occurring high levels of heavy metals in plants!

Beta-Hydroxy Beta-Methylbutyrate (HMB)

HMB is a metabolite of the highly anabolic amino acid leucine that helps reduce muscle protein breakdown while promoting muscle preservation during caloric restriction.  Research suggests that HMB can be especially useful for preventing muscle loss while dieting.

Dosage: Three grams daily, split into two doses

Caffeine

Simple, inexpensive and a proven ergogenic aid meaning it improves workout performance unless you know you have issues with caffeine.

Dosage: 200 to 400 milligrams 30 to 60 minutes before training

Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplement

Omega-3 Fatty acids support joint health, heart health, insulin sensitivity, and enhance muscle recovery.   Taking a clean, high quality omega-3 fatty acid supplement is a good idea for all these reasons.  A great product that will not break the bank and is available at Costco and Amazon is Sports Research Triple Strength Omega-3 Fish Oil.  1,250mg of Omega 3’s per capsule, no fishy aftertaste and in the preferred Triglyceride form.   

Dosage: one to three grams of EPA/DHA per day.

Summary

Body recomposition requires careful planning and paying attention to the details.   Having a structured resistance training program that includes progressive overload and undulating periodization can keep you making progress.  Ensuring optimal protein intake with calorie cycling can help can effectively manipulate body composition and increase muscle while losing fat.. Finally, incorporating key targeted supplements like creatine, whey protein, and HMB can enhance results.

 

Nutrition Strategies for Spring Allergies

 

Season allergies to pollen and mold seem to get more and more prevalent each year with progressively more severe symptoms in sufferers.    Treating allergies with nutrition and nutrition supplements can have big advantages.    

Allergy medication most commonly comes in the form of Antihistamines, and there are some problems with long-term use of these medications.     It is now known that prolonged use of antihistamines decreases levels of acetylcholine which is a key neurotransmitter involved in memory and other important functions.   In fact, antihistamine use increase the risk of senility, dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.

What are Allergies Anyway?

Allergies are abnormal immune reactions to specific agents (proteins) known as antigens/allergens, which include many substances such as foods, drugs, pollens, dust mites, animal danders, feathers, along with many others.  Allergies may also develop when an otherwise innocent substance has significant contact with an already inflamed surface (known as sensitization).  For example, when sick with a respiratory illness, respiratory surfaces are already inflamed and substances present at this time may be “remembered” as being foreign.  

Since there are multiple pro-inflammatory substances involved with allergies it is rare to obtain adequate control with single products/medications.  The most potent chemical mediators in allergies and asthma are leukotrienes.  Some leukotrienes are one thousand times more potent than histamine as stimulators of bronchial constriction and allergy.  

Interestingly, many medications that reduce one inflammatory pathway actually boost leukotrienes.  For example, Aspirin and other NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs like Ibuprofen) result in the production of excessive levels of leukotrienes in sensitive individuals although they decrease prostaglandins associated with inflammation and thereby relieve pain.  So long term they can create a more severe problem.

Asthma is linked to allergies and can be a severe and life threatening condition.   Do NOT try to self-treat Asthma – see a physician!

Strategies for Allergies

Try to avoid allergens by using air filters, regularly cleaning all surfaces and vacuuming and keeping your air-conditioning system on while regularly changing filters to filter out as many allergens as possible.   Remember your car cabin filter as well, and take showers and wash clothes after being outside for long periods of time.

Change your diet to reduce inflammation.    Dramatically reduce your intake of refined carbohydrate – sugars and starches - which drive insulin which drives inflammation.

Boost your intake of low glycemic, organic fruits and vegetables such as berries, broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, etc.   These plant foods contain polyphenols which are potent antioxidants and help to reduce inflammation and allergies without side effects.

Increase your intake of Omega 3 Fatty Acids from cold water fish such as Alaskan Wild Salmon and/or take an Omega 3 Supplement such as Krill Oil.    Omega 3 fatty acids will always reduce inflammation if taken in sufficient doses so this should be a primary strategy for allergy sufferers because they produce many side benefits.   The only exception is people taking any type of medication to thin blood and reduce clotting like Coumadin.   In this case the combination can be dangerous! 

Nutritional Supplements for Allergies

There are several highly effective nutrition supplements for allergies including some key herbs.

Local Raw Honey – it MUST be local and must be raw because it will contain small amounts of local pollen and works by getting the body used to pollen much like an allergy shot.     A tablespoon a day is as much as you need.   Many people swear by this simple and safe remedy!

Stinging Nettle Extract – this herb has a long history of effective use for allergies and freeze dried preparations seem to work the best and are best taken BEFORE allergy season even begins to put a damper on symptoms before they start – this is true of all nutritional approaches to allergy by the way!

Euphrasia Officianalis – aka “Eyebright” is an herb whose name says it all – it is highly effective for eye allergy symptoms.

Quercetin – is a flavonoid contained in high amounts in apples, peppers, red wine, dark cherries and berries, tomatoes, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and sprouts, and raw red onions.   To treat allergies, taking supplemental quercetin is the way to go.   However standard quercetin supplements are not very bioavailable, but there is a form of quercetin which are highly bioavailable (10 - 50 times more!).     This form is Quercetin Phytosome.  High quality brands using this form available on Amazon include:  Mercola Quercetin,  Natural Factors, Now, and Thorne.

This form of quercetin really works and not just for allergies - quercetin is proven to prevent and mitigate just about every virus out there.   It helps prevent viruses from entering the cell and replicating and also acts as a zinc ionophore meaning it helps shuttle zinc into cells where zinc can help defeat viruses.     At the first sign of symptoms double or triple the dose for allergies - it works for colds and flu as well.

To get a sense of just how powerful quercetin can be for prevention and mitigation of viral illness check out these previous blogpost:  http://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2020/04/quercetin-for-allergies-and-inhibition.html 

Boswellia Extract – Boswellia aka Frankincense (yes the herb mentioned in the bible!) can be highly effective for allergies and other forms of inflammation including arthritis because it blocks the formation of leukotrienes!    To get the benefits you must take 5-loxin which is a specific extract.   Note that in some individuals 5-loxin can cause or exacerbate heart burn so it is not for everyone, but when it works it can be highly effective!

Butterbur Extract – this plant extract can be highly effective for inhibiting leukotrienes and allergy symptoms or side effects.   You need to take a standardized extract with standardized levels of Petasin and Isopetasin) and free of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids aka PA.  High quality brands include Life Extension, Swanson, and Enzymatic Therapy to name a few.   This product can also help many migraine sufferers and is a well-researched, proven treatment. 

NAC – N-Acetyl Cysteine - helps thin mucus naturally and boost levels of the body’s most important antioxidant Glutathione – every allergy sufferer should be taking 600 – 1,200mg per day!

You will also find combination of these ingredients in particular products, and it is worth experimenting a bit because if you find the right product or combination of natural products you can find relief without sedation and without the side effects associated with antihistamines and more potent drugs like steroid nasal sprays or oral steroids.

As always those on any type of blood thinning medication need to avoid most supplements because many plant chemicals thin the blood slightly as do omega 3 fatty acids.    Combined with blood thinning medication this can cause a serious problem.   It is always best to check with your physician to look up drug nutrient interactions for any medications you are taking to avoid the small chance of issues with a nutrition supplement.