Case Study: Intermittent Fasting

INTERMITTENT FASTING

Calvin Pihoc

Kinesiology 2252

Section 001

Dr. Harry Lendvoy

Langara College

July 28, 2015 Throughout the course of human evolution, fasting has been part of the human lifestyle. Whether it is for religious purposes, weight loss, or as a diet to look good on the beach it has been around for quite some time now. Intermittent fasting (IF) have been defined by fitness enthusiasts as a “schedule” when to consume and when not to consume food regardless of what an individual is eating rather than a traditional form of diet [1]. Tons of research have been done regarding this new dietary intervention and all showed promising results. But because of the known fact that the body is deprived of nutrition during the

1. The Periodic Fast – is one form of intermittent fasting where an individual fast for 24 hours once or twice a week to accelerate weight loss [2].

2. Lean Gains – is a method when an individual fast for 16 hours while the remaining 8 hours called the “eating window” is allocated for all the essential nutrients the body needs for the day. This method also recommends consuming 10 grams of highly branched amino acids (BCAAs) before a workout to halt muscle breakdown (M. Berkham). However, to this date there is no scientific research to back up this claim [2].

3. Warrior Diet – is a method where an individual typically consume one healthy meal per day usually (dinner) rather than eating three meals per day. Studies have shown that this method significantly reduces weight and increase lean mass [3].

4. Alternate day fasting – is when food is consumed normally for 24 hours and is restricted for the next 24 hours since the last meal for every two day cycle. Studies have shown that this method is an effective way to reduce body weight and fat mass

Bigard AX, Boussif M, Chalabi H, Gue´zennec CY. 1998. Alterations in muscular performance and orthostatic tolerance during Ramadan. Aviat Space Environ Med. 69:341–346

11. Chaouachi, A, J B Leiper, N Souissi, A J Coutts, and K Chamari. 2009. “Effects of Ramadan Intermittent Fasting on Sports Performance and Training: A Review.” International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance 4 (4) (December): 419–434.

12. Frost G, Pirani S. 1987. Meal frequency and nutritional intake during Ramadan: a pilot study. Hum Nutr Appl Nutr. 41:47–50.

13. Febbraio, M A, A Chiu, D J Angus, M J Arkinstall, and J A Hawley. 2000. “Effects of Carbohydrate Ingestion before and during Exercise on Glucose Kinetics and Performance.” Journal of Applied Physiology 89 (6) (December): 2220–2226. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11090571.

14. Lemon, P W, and J P Mullin. 1980. “Effect of Initial Muscle Glycogen Levels on Protein Catabolism during Exercise.” Journal of Applied Physiology 48 (4) (April): 624–629. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7380688.

15. Loy, S F, R K Conlee, W W Winder, A G Nelson, D A Arnall, and A G Fisher. 1986. “Effects of 24-Hour at Two Different Fast on Cycling Endurance Time Intensities.” Journal of Applied Physiology 61 (2):