Little curious to hear from folks here (coach ofc feel free to chime in) - how many perform some sort of intermittent fasting? Or macronturiient timing (fat & protein early in day, carbs later in day) etc.
What have you found to be the most optimal setup for you? A morning fasted training? Afternoon after a few meals? Evening with a big meal aftewards?
And have you found intraworkouts (Bcaa’s, plazma) etc. crucial for your fasted training?
Appreicate the feedback!
Well energy wise i think you should have no problem unless you go very long periods like 20 hours or more but as building muscles go i guess even with an intra workout drink intermittent fasting wouldnt be effective however i remember gaining some good amount of muscle and strength with keeping first few meals protein and fats only and i think it help when it come to control fat gain during higher caloric intake.
I always train fasted, with only a coffee and creatine + BCAA preworkout. I feel very good and my energy levels are high. When I train in the afternoon my lunch is very light and all my carbs are shuttled to the immediate post workout. This is the best setup I have found for me.
Judging by your avatar looks like it’s working! Have you tried pre or intraworkout carbs like Plazma?
I’ve never tried Plazma but I’ve noticed a drop in performances when I have carbs pre or intra workout, with a little bloating and loss of focus. These are the main reasons behind my decision to workout fasted.
Interesting…for me I’ve tried a few combos:
Completely fasted (just some coffee/preworkout): OK but not ideal…definitely when workout was heavier & higher volume. Requires a HUGE meal the night before
BCAA sipping intra: Good stuff. Electroyltes or whatever, maybe placebo effect, really helps performance and workout motivation
Whey protein sipping intra: I want to say it is as good as bcaa (cause thats all i have now) and it shouldn’t make a difference. But for some reason mentally I feel like BCAA is better. I might have to add some electroyltes or salt to the whey.
PLazma: Best lol. But pricey. LIke you - I would feel more “lethargic” when I sip it preworkout. Hence I only sip stuff after I’ve gotten into gym and started my workout.
BCAA are very effective and fast because they go directly into the muscle, whey protein has to pass through digestion; maybe this is the “problem”. I have BCAA even before/during cardio/bike riding, the difference is incredible especially during a caloric restriction phase.