Intermittent Fasting Guide

Have you ever tried, considered, or wondered about intermittent fasting (IF) for your health or performance?

My guess is yes.

This is a highly polarized question, and I have a LOT to say about it–especially for endurance athletes.

Too often experts (and influencers) get caught up in polarized science findings and absolute science. My perspective is that there is some truth to it all. The question is: Is [insert science finding] true for YOU right now?

Tons of science supports IF for health, and even newer research concludes that IF provides benefits in body composition without reducing physical performance, maintenance of lean mass, and improvements in maximum power.

But…hold up!

There is WAY more context that needs to be discussed, and it needs to be discussed around YOU–not your spouse, training partner, friend, sibling, or influencer.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself (before meeting with a dietitian!):

1. What training season am I in? Is my training load high? Am I including high intensity interval sessions? Am I gearing up for a key race?
2. How is my sleep? Consider quality of sleep, not just quantity.
3. What is my life stress load right now? Kids, work demands, travel, training–all of these things impact stress load.
4. Have I suffered an injury or illness recently or in the past?
5. How old am I?
6. Do I have a history of an eating disorder or restrictive eating?
7. Females: Do I have a regular menstrual cycle?
8. Females: What life phase am I in? Am I approaching menopause? Am I in menopause? Am I pregnant or nursing?
9. Females: What phase of my menstrual cycle am I in? Follicular? Luteal?
10. What does IF mean to me? Skipping one meal? Delaying breakfast? Not eating after a specific time of day? Every day of the week? On rest days only?
11. What is my eating plan during my eating window? Do I have an eating plan for my eating window?

This guide is a general informational guide about IF intended to prompt more questions for you to ask your dietitian during a consultation.

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