Why fasting helps you live longer, helps build more muscle. and my prolong fast LOG

[stevesmi]

*the log starts on page 7

So I wanted to start up a thread on fasting that is based on science and not bro science and present some interesting information on studies that showed how effective fasting is. Obviously Rick and I have put up a lot of content on the podcast on it and of all the things we talk about the #1 questions we get is about steroid use of course but the 2nd is Fasting. this has been somthing that has been growing ever since Big Ramy and the other middle east bloc of bodybuilders who have been dominating the sport and will continue dominating have implemented fasting in their protocols. We all know they spend a month out of the year fasting but they also all do fasted workouts and fasted cardio.

I'm going to be posting info and studies and guiding you through the benefits and why it happens. this is going to be Fasting 101 class and not a thread of #Trustmebro. I'm also going to be doing a Mon-Friday fast during this thread

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Here is a really good study on why fasting helps you live longer

https://gero.usc.edu/2019/04/18/eat-...and-longevity/

the study was done on both rodents AND humans found:

fasting for two days protected healthy cells against the toxicity of chemotherapy, while the cancer cells stayed sensitive. These results opened the door to a new way of thinking about cancer treatments — one that shields healthy cells to allow for a more powerful assault on cancerous ones. They also led to the creation of the first fasting-mimicking diet, which Longo developed as a way to put patients with cancer, or mice in the lab, in a fasting state while still allowing them to eat.

[stevesmi]

this next chart I am posting is very important.

it shows that protein is not a storage form of energy at all. it simply isn't how mother nature works! if it did then humans would not have 7B today, we would have gone exctinct a long time ago. same goes for in nature.

as you can see by the chart the oxidation rates of carbs plunges into a fast while the fat+ketones surges. but protein goes up slightly at the start then drops and flatlines. hmmmm.. flies in the face of the people who think you need to eat a meal right after a workout or ones who think you have to eat every 2 hours or you die.

more to come and link to study. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4915800/

[stevesmi]

the next benefit of fasting I wanted to post is about cancer

we all have been effected by cancer with family members and friends and we all know someone right now fighting cancer.

2 out of the past 3 years the Nobel Prize in medicine which is the most prestigious award in science was given to scientists who found how effective fasting was for fighting cancer.

https://www.cell.com/cancer-cell/ful...108(16)30265-3
https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism...131(15)00224-7

these 2 studies are interesting because they showed how effective fasting is for helping fight cancer. there are 3 main reasons.

1. autophagy where cancer cells get destroyed
2. autophagy where our old cells get replaced with new ones
3. the immune system boost

now you can try this at home. do a 5 day fast and get bloodwork. you will see on day 5 your white blood cell count drops in the bloodwork. now to someone who doesn't understand our body this might seem like a bad thing. but it isn't. this is the recyling of bad cells in the body happening and its right there in black and white. once you come out of the fast new troops are created, this is autophagy at work.

it is why people who fast report better skin, better eye sight, anti-aging and better overall health and way better immune boosting.

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/me.../ohsumi/facts/ if you want to learn more about Yoshinori Ohsumi and his Nobel Prize findings you can check out that link.

his research showed fasting reversed Parkinson's, dementia, inflammatory diseases,etc. i will post more stuff about autophagy but it does not start generally for atleast 20 hours so you won't get anywhere just fasting half a day. you gotta tap more into it.

[stevesmi]

Blue zones and fasting

Now one of the interesting things about fasting and blue zones which i have discussed many times is the correlations between them. blue zones are parts of the world where people for whatever reason live the longest vs. their surroundings. there are also dead zones where people live very short lives vs. their surroundings. now with dead zones alcoholism and drug use and crime are the culprits. this is why Native reservations out west and parts of Appalachia have this issue and it is very sad. who would have though abusing your body would result in a poor life expectancy?

on the flip side in blue zones people live the longest. the interesting thing is these people aren't wealthy, they don't have access to the best medicine in the world, and they don't follow the exact same diets. example the blue zones in the meditarrean follow a classic med-diet while people in Okinawa eat tons of sweet potatoes. now there is a correlation here in that they all eat a majority of their diet those pesky fruits and veggies that we don't get enough of but even with that some eat beans/peas and some eat more potatoes, etc. the main common denonimator is they all fast.

so these people live to 100 and they all fast. In Ikaria for example they fast 6 months out of the year! this could mean 1 week of fasting, 1 week of feeding, or 2 days and 2 days etc. it isn't 6 months straight but over the course of the year it adds up to 6 months. in their case they follow a strict religious style of circadiam fasting where they eat in a window. many of us refer to this as 'time restricted eating' or 'intermittent fasting'

you can read more about this here> https://www.bluezones.com/2021/06/ci...mood-and-life/

[nelson montana]

Yeah, I hate bro-science too.

And for the record, I'm all for intermittent fasting. I think the big discourse is how long is a beneficial fast and when dos it become detrimental. And we can only speculate on that. Making one point here and there does make an entire argument correct. In this case, it isn't an exact science. And on that note, I'd like to mention one of the key figures in the theory of fasting. Many may not have heard of him. It's Doctor Clive McKay.

McCAy was one of the forerunners of the benefis of calorie restriction and fasting. He conducted numerous tests that showed animals on a restricted calorie diet lived up to TWICE AS LONG as those on a normal diet. His work received awards and honors and he becamse a respected spokesman at medical universities throughout the world. He went on to do the TV talk show circut and his books on fasting and calorie restriction became best sellers.

He dropped dead at age 69 -- 10 years short of an an "average " lifespan.

Now, Im not claiming he died BECAUSE of fasting...but it didn't save him either.

Of course as bodybuilders, we want to make the most of growing muscle. I think it's funny when guys want to know what drugs they should take to get mass and people that advcocate fasting are recommending drol and deca. My advice? More food!

Bottom line: there are certain benefits to occasional fasting but there is such as thing as "too much of a good thing." WHere that "too much" is depends on a host of factors. Personally, I think more than a 24 hour fast has dubious benefits and is extremely unpleasant and isn't worth it. Some people like it.

To each his own.

[zaccass1]

You made a beleiver out of me intermittent fasting was a game changer for me and yet we have educated dietitians saying it is bad.Facts don't lie.Keep up the great work it is much appreciated.

[nelson montana]

Two things brought up in Steves post that are very important, and a point I've been making for years, is the belief of doing cardio in the morning burns fat because you don't have available carbs in the morning on an empty stomach. That's nonsense. You still have available carbs up to 36 hours without eating. And you wouldn't burn fat anyway. You'll use protein for fuel.

Another good point is the need to eat immediately after a workout -- as if that's when your muscles are demanding nutrients. Nope. Your body is smarter than that. It'll use what it has.

Most people simply eat too much. But again, as bodybuilders, if you're looking for hyperthrophy, protein must be available. No protein = no growth.

[TheChad]

I like to use intermittent fasting as a tool, a way to keep total food in check on a weekly basis. If I have friends and family getting together on the weekend coming up, I will use intermittent fasting to restrict calories during the week because I know I’m going to over indulge on the weekend.

[Mobster]

Two things brought up in Steves post that are very important, and a point I've been making for years, is the belief of doing cardio in the morning burns fat because you don't have available carbs in the morning on an empty stomach. That's nonsense. You still have available carbs up to 36 hours without eating. And you wouldn't burn fat anyway. You'll use protein for fuel.

Another good point is the need to eat immediately after a workout -- as if that's when your muscles are demanding nutrients. Nope. Your body is smarter than that. It'll use what it has.

Most people simply eat too much. But again, as bodybuilders, if you're looking for hyperthrophy, protein must be available. No protein = no growth.

I've done the usual debates. When, how much, what quality etc. A great many, esp those new to the sport, will think (outside of PEDs) that this is one of those great secrets. If you have typical genetics you'll have a typical response. These things make, at best, 1% difference. That difference, such as it is, is one you'll only see over time.

Now where Bodybuilders/strength athletes differ from most people studied is we do these things all the time in an ideal situation. Issues / points of interest including the responses you mention are that we, as a species, are incredibly adaptive. We're also back to the primitive response. We imagine we're 'evolved' when in fact how we adapt is barely different from a million years ago.

It does mean, as you say, that missing out on that post workout meal makes little to no difference. However, to do so again and again for months or years will. Let's throw in what many think of themselves as Hardgainers. True Hardgainers are rare. Just as rare, or almost as rare, as the genetic freaks. Ditto the 'I've tried everything to lose weight' fat fucks.

When you have those fretting over the 'window of opportunity' aka a post workout meal vs a hardgainer having two meals a day and vastly underestimating their intake. Most Hardgainers are gonna say they train hard and eat right - it's BS. Their mental style is to argue about the speed of a rep when they ought to be eating a fkin extra sandwich.

I suspect we argue about detail in the freaks when we're dealing with averages. I've been around many a 350-400lb strength athlete and yeah they'll eat after a workout. But whether it's just 'another meal' or considered post workout... meh. And there's an awful lot of weight lost in those fasted cardio workouts... but maybe as much in those with a little carb too. It's cumulative (those little things over time adding up).

It's the probably 'wanting it all asap' thing again. Whereas I found out a long time ago that small gains (or losses) over a LONG ass time add up very nicely.

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I like to use intermittent fasting as a tool, a way to keep total food in check on a weekly basis. If I have friends and family getting together on the weekend coming up, I will use intermittent fasting to restrict calories during the week because I know I’m going to over indulge on the weekend.

As you infer that's really a week long version of calories in vs calories out. Eat less Monday cos I'm gonna eat cake Tuesday. Whereas this debate is 'fasting is special' lol

[Eddie Haskell]

Steve I completely agree with you on fasting. I use fasting to keep lean and gain muscle mass.

It works 1st hand experience, MORE muscles and healthier and less bodyfat.

Can't argue with results.