Trying to gain muscle but do I fast while training?

[Jeremiahs40]

God’s blessings to all my ketonian friends. I’m currently at a cross roads with this decision of continuing my extended fasting with integrating it with my weight lifting program to build lean muscle mass. It just seems to me contradictory to fast when I’m putting my body in a place that would seem to me be beneficial to have specific nourishment rather than body fat that could have anything in it. But I’ve heard extended fasting increases HGH. Any suggestions and it direction would be seen as a great blessing.

[jilliangordona]

Just an anecdote… but I workout each morning fasted! I do heavy lifting and have increase my max on all exercises and seen great strength improvement. It takes a bit to get used to, and you really need to be fat adapted to get the fuel from your body that you need.

Plus, I’m bad at explaining science and I am sure someone else will… but working out fasted is NOT a waste! It helps you body focus on JUST muscle repair instead of muscle repair AND digesting food.

[devhammer]

Can only provide my personal n=1.

I have done several workouts (StrongLifts 5x5, so squats, overhead press, bench press, bent row, and/or deadlifts) fully fasted, and I don’t see a big difference in either direction (neither harder nor easier).

Last week I did a 5 day extended water-only fast, and worked out on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th day. I’d normally only have done every other day, but I was sufficiently energetic from the fast that I wanted to add the extra workout. 3rd consecutive day was a little harder, but I would just chalk it up to lack of recovery time.

I don’t have enough data to say with certainty whether fasting has any impact on my progress, but I’ve not yet hit a ceiling on increases in what I’m lifting, even when I’m lifting fasted.

So perhaps you should give it a try and see how it works for you. Worst case is that you find out you prefer lifting without fasting.

[toprate]

Hi I’ve been reading and enjoying the forum so decided to post on this thread - as I am also interested in this topic.

What research I’ve found so far has been mostly around weight training “in the fasted state”, however that means generally one would refeed soon thereafter, supplying your body with protein to rebuild muscle.

I understand HGH spikes during a fast mostly to preserve muscle… So I don’t understand how one could build muscle without some protein intake.

The only other explanation I’ve seen is re: autophagy process while fasting could break down nonessential protein for muscle rebuilding, but no clear articles on that / how autophagy could support muscle building especially if muscle is “torn down” in the midst of an extended fast.

Would really like to know if anybody has found reliable sources detailing how building lean tissue is possible while on an extended fast… or perhaps it only happens once refeeding begins (or: post fasting window)?

Thanks for any help!