4 Types Of Fasting
Fasting is a period where no food is eaten. There are different types of fasting and many of them have beneficial health consequences.
The first advantage of these eating protocols is the caloric restriction that accompanies them and, therefore, weight control. But in addition, they produce a series of positive hormonal changes for the prevention of many chronic diseases such as diabetes.
Types of fasting and their characteristics
Fasts can be classified in the first instance as short or long. The shorts are all those less than 3 days. These usually do not present complications or risks for the general healthy population and, often, medical supervision or supplementation is not necessary. There is evidence of its effectiveness for losing weight and preventing metabolic pathologies.
The lengths, however, last several days, even weeks, and are usually accompanied by strict vigilance to avoid dehydration, protein malnutrition and hypovitaminosis.
1. Intermittent fasting
It is probably the most widespread. It consists of fasting for a few hours at a time a day, as stated in a study published in the Journal of Translational Medicine . The most common protocol is 16: 8 (16 hours of fasting) and it is common to skip breakfast in this type of situation. During the fasting period, the intake of water, coffee, tea or caloric beverages is allowed.
It is generally easier to skip breakfast versus dinner due to the circadian cycles of the hormone ghrelin (appetite controller). Normally, the last intake of the day is established around 10 at night, and the first of the following day around 2 in the afternoon.
It is a comfortable method that allows weight loss without being too hungry. As positive aspects it should be noted that it can be done on a daily basis or simply a few weekly fasts.
2. 24-hour fast
A slightly more aggressive method and probably more difficult to follow for those who are not used to these protocols. It consists of fasting for a whole day, usually once a week. There is a protocol that introduces a fasting day after 3 feeding, which would translate into 2 weekly fasts.
As a disadvantage of this method we highlight that some protein catabolism and muscle loss can occur. While with an intermittent fasting exercise can be beneficial, with a 24-hour fast it becomes somewhat more critical due to the lack of glycogen and nutrients at the muscle level.
These fasts considerably reduce the amount of calories ingested on a weekly basis. In this way, they are quite effective when it comes to planning a diet with a weight loss goal. Despite this, they have certain limitations in people with complex pathologies such as a thyroid problem.
3. Protein fasting
It is a modified protocol based on intermittent fasting. It consists of performing a 16: 8 fast with the exception that, during the fasting period, limited intake of mostly protein foods is allowed.
As the main advantage of this method, it is noted that protein catabolism is much lower than in the previous cases. It may be interesting for those sports individuals who intend to carry out a muscle definition phase seeking to maintain their mass.
On the other hand, the possibility of eating certain foods during the fasting period reduces appetite in people for whom the 16: 8 fast is very difficult.
4. Long fasts
Fasts of more than 3 days. They are normally used in cases of morbid obesity and are always supervised by professionals. For longer fasts, some intravenous glucose solutions are given. In addition, the contribution of vitamins and minerals through supplements is essential, as well as the control of hydration. They have been proven effective, but carry certain risks. Professional supervision is required when initiating such a protocol.
These are delicate situations and it is necessary to carefully assess the pros and cons before starting a protocol of this type. Despite this, the results in terms of weight loss are more than remarkable. However, the loss of lean mass is also significant.
Fasting, an effective way to lose weight
There are different types of fasting that have many advantages in terms of improving body composition and preventing diseases. The ideal is to start with a simple protocol such as 16: 8 and, from there, explore the different possibilities.
The combination of intermittent fasting and moderate intensity exercise is interesting when looking for fat loss.
