Well, those trainerroad guys say it’s not as hard getting back those highers levels if you’ve been there before right? 
I guess the coach was worth something then! If you plan on on documenting your progress, I’ll be looking forward to it. You posted so much good info that we can all learn from. Keep up the good work!
Update 14 November: Weight 75.9kg, bf% skinfold: 13.5%, FTP 286W
Right, I’m starting to think there may be something to the IF. I resumed my normal eating habits, 3 meals a day and a pre- and post- workout snack, 400 kcal/day deficit, and my weight is just bombing down:
I think IF helped me to deal with hunger better - I’m not getting hungry as often, don’t have those massive cravings after a workout, I’m actually having to work pretty hard to hit my calorie goal each day. 3 more weeks of reduced training volume and caloric deficit, then I’ll start rebuilding my FTP - the plan is to be at 74 kg in December, that’s 2 kg above my racing weight.
I’ll report back how it goes, but right now it seems that IF did help me to break through the weight loss plateau, I’m now 3 kg lighter then same time last year.
My weight is optimal right now, I’m as lean as I think I can be but I can’t help wondering if I could lose another kg or two. My normal plant-based diet and km’s have pretty much maxed out my weight loss potential so I’m not curious to try IF to see if I can lose the 2-3kg while still increasing (or maintaining) my peak racing FTP. Riding / training fasted is not new to me, I often ride in the early AM for 90-120 mins w/o eating, but I’m curious how not eating for the longer stretches will go. Always interested in feedback from someone whom used IF just to stretch the weight loss potential a little more.
Lots of reference cited in “The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance” by Jeff S. Volek & Stephen D. Phinney. Book is not exactly IF assuming your definition of IF is 1-3 days of fasting. Shorter fasting window followed by feasting within a one day period is time restricted eating (TRE). “The Obesity Code” by Dr. Jason Fung cites some longer term, extended fasting (EF) or >3 days, results.
That’s what interested me think weekend after reading this article:
So many times I don’t feel hungry when on a diet, but I’ll grab something small to snack on because I’m on a huge cal deficit, and then massive hunger hits me right after. Would have been better just not eating anything.
IF seems to need 16 hours, and live glycogen will be depleted then. I’m not sure how fueling works or how to handle a proper training plan. Imagine you had a big sweet spot workout in the morning. I’m guessing you’d blow any remaining glycogen by the end of the workout. Then you still can’t eat until noon?
Seems to be against the main principles we’re supposed to follow, ie. eat carbs right after a workout…
I feel so far it is the best way to loose weight quickly. practice it 3 times in a week and you will surely get result.
I agree with a lot of other replies.
I found it useful for managing hunger, which helps maintain a calorie defecit if I’m trying to lose weight. It’s also really useful for long slow miles so that you don’t have to be eating all the time.
However, I make sure that, if I’m doing it during a TR plan, that I still fuel the workouts accordingly. I don’t think any amount of fat adaptation is going to allow you to do much intensity without proper fuel.
this has been a really interesting thread. i am trying to consolidate a few bits of info in IF. i have found somre really interesting information on IF from the Longevity Diet and currently reading Lifespan both talk about the longevity benefits of IF and that just about any IF protocol has some long-term health benefits. having been inspired by the Longevity Diet, I did the 5 day fasting mimicking diet at the end of my season last year. As i had never done a long ‘fast’ like that before, I didn’t do any exercise over the period, but got back into training with no problems after breaking the fast.
Adding to this is Racing Weight which I am thinking provides some of the contextual glue in the IF discussion. I guess it comes down to what you are using IF to achieve. I cant see IF being a performance enhancer outside of achieving body composition goals. in which case, as Matt Fitzgerald says, doing a ‘fast start’ should be the main goal of the training block - aim is to drop body fat over increasing performance. In this way, more regular IF and even a 5 day FMD may help speed that up. When chasing performance goals, fueling workouts will superseded IF. While fasted training appears very ‘sexy’ at the moment, its not going to raise my absolute FTP, but fueling well and crushing my intervals most definitely will!
Heavy training helps support Calorie Restriction (CR) on an on-going basis and IF can then also support longevity goals and building a robust health-span. with this as my goal I plan to use IF a few times per month generally leading into a rest/recovery day and doing the 5 day FMD during the season shoulders when recovery is the main focus.
I have been doing IF for a couple of years and kept it up while going through SSBHV1 and 2, which i just completed. I do weekday workouts after work, so this falls naturally into my eating window (12pm-8pm). On weekends i like to do the workouts earlier so i go ahead and have an early breakfast on those days. The only problem i have had with this is getting all of the calories i need into basically 2 meals and some snacks. Big lunch at noon, hit the workout immediately after work, around 5:15, then a big dinner immediately after the workout with a protein shake dessert. I often feel bloated after these big meals.
I usually fast and train like this:
My age and body composition:
I feel this regime is great because i work regular office hours I normally eat at restaurants during lunch and cook my dinner at home.
Somewhat in that boat now, as I’m lean, got to a low level (also plant based) and wondering if I can crank it a bit more. Putting me off is the fact I did IF before I got to this level, which resulted simply from eating lots of whole foods (this has made me my leanest ever). Perhaps now it would work better, but to reflect on an early comment: if you are working hard you will want to eat and imo you should refuel when you are hungry, whatever the time (if you are training a decent volume that is). I guess IF helps most people since, as Racing Weight said, most are out of tune wtih their hunger. I guess that is the crux of this tbh.
I think what you are describing is insulin resistance… That’s the biggest thing I’ve noticed since starting IF (plus some weight loss). No crazy craving, sluggishness 1-2 hours after lunch, etc…
I’m also coming off of a respiratory thing (bronchitis into Cx Nats), then a minor procedure (off the bike, 2 weeks), and now dead of the PNW winter. I only commute fasted, 8-12 miles, in the morning 2-3 times/ week. No issues there. Looking to start TR in mid-Feb…
All,
What is your opinion on intermittent fasting and becoming a faster cyclist with a medium Training regime on TR
I want to lose weight and gain fitness! Could this be possible?
Yep, I did this over the last 3-4 years with 5-8 hours per week of riding. 90% of my rides are fasted (16-18 hours). I went from a 222w FTP to a 390w FTP. Once your body is fat adapted your workouts will get easier and the weight drops off quite nicely. As long as you’re eating healthy most of the time and not overdoing the carbs. 
To date all the scientific evidence regarding intermittent fasting is that it has no measurable benefit over any other calorie-matched nutritional protocol.
In other words, there is nothing special or magical about fasting compared to eating an identical number of calories spread more traditionally throughout the day (or week).
The only demonstrated mechanism that intermittent fasting aids in weight loss is in the degree to which it aides individuals in adhering to their caloric targets. But by the same token, there is no indication that intermittent fasting universally improves diet compliance; it is simply another technique that some people find useful for managing caloric intake while others don’t.
With regard to endurance athletes (or any athletic performance for that matter), there has likewise been no conclusive evidence showing preferential results with an intermittent fasting regimen for either body composition or athletic performance.
Here are some resources where they discuss (scientifically or reviewing scientific research) intermittent fasting:
I did IF and lost some weight, but riding ca 15 hours per week, am hungry a lot of the time. There are uses, but IMO not when the volume goes up. I am leaner now than ever by the way - by focusing on healthy carbs and listening to when I am actually hungry.
Most here going for how long of a fast? 16 hours?
