Continuing Tyler’s work on Intermittent Fasting (InFa)
Some people may assume that fasting and Intermittent Fasting are one in the same. There are many different variations to fasting, with intermittent fasting (IF), also referred to as TRF, being a subcategory.
Complete Alternate Day Fasting |
These regimens involve alternating fasting days (no energy-containing foods or beverages consumed) with eating days (foods and beverages consumed ad-libitum). |
Modified Fasting Regimens |
Modified regimens allow for the consumption of 20–25% of energy needs on scheduled fasting days. This regimen is the basis for the popular 5:2 diet, which involves severe energy restriction for 2 non-consecutive days a week and ad libitum eating the other 5 days. |
Time-Restricted Feeding |
These protocols allow individuals to consume ad libitum energy intake within specific windows, which induces fasting periods on a routine basis. Studies of ❤ meals per day are indirect examinations of a prolonged daily or nightly fasting periods. |
What should be acknowledged is that many exposed and highlighted benefits of fasting, particularly InFa in mainstream media, are taken from rodent studies. Furthermore, those rodent studies often are performing interventions that impose Complete Alternate Day Fasting (ADF) on the animal. This form of fasting is less popular with fasting followers and is less publicized. When was the last time you felt you could go 24hrs without eating? Let alone a few hours… It’s less convenient; however, there are enthusiastic people out there that can go the mile and fast for 24hrs, potentially longer.
The conclusions to offer for humans, should be research done on humans. This certainly has its own barriers …small sample sizes, conflicts in demographics (obese/non-obese, active vs non-active, etc), the trivial quantity of evidence available.
We will look at the results on the minimally covered human studies tomorrow, as their results should not go unrecognized.
