I’m hearing alot of positive stories about intermittent fasting with speed-power athletes. I am interested in giving it a try and would like any advice you guys may have.
Typical workout day:
7 Breakfast: eggs-bacon-shake
9 Snack: shake+fish oil
12: Lunch: Chicken+rice+salad
2: Snack: shake+fish oil
4: Pre-workout fruit+caffeine
7 Postworkout shake
8 Dinner
10 Snack shake+fish oil
Intermittent fasting:
12 lunch
3 Pre-workout meal
8 Post-workout meal
What’s the issue with your current diet?
I think the amount of food required is often over stated and IF has value especially as part of a carb cycling diet which links with high, moderate and low need days.
None, probably will stay with my current diet - can’t afford not having enough energy for my training sessions.
The majority of athletes (and non athletes) eat 3-4 meals a day, why not stick with that?
I don’t think true intermittent fasting is suitable for an athlete, especially a sprinter. Extreme diets that are floating around the internet are directed at bodybuilders or people who need drastic body composition changes and unfortunately people often missinterprit them and apply them to athletes.
Also wasn’t there some discussion before on this forum where it was stated that starving yourself induces a shift in fibre type to slow twitch? I’m not quite sure of the thread but the general consensus was that having plenty of calories was important to maintain the fast fibres.
This diet caught my attention because most of the athletes were speed-power athletes and they all had strength increases while following the diet. In the above plan I would still get 3-4 meals each day if you include the post workout shake follow by a fasting period from 9pm-12pm. One major difference is having a high protein/fat breakfast with little to no carbs - from what I have read this is the best way to go.
I didn’t read your original post properly. So you are eating 3 times a day while doing this intermittent fast, nothing wrong with that. My idea of intermittent fasting is going very long periods without eating, often eating only once per day. Is eating 3 times per day really intermittent fasting?
What you are proposing sounds fine. Sometimes I will have my breakfast after my training if I have to train early in the morning.
http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html
One major difference is having a high protein/fat breakfast with little to no carbs - from what I have read this is the best way to go. This is not part of the IF but what I’m doing now.
Isn’t that a Poliquin idea, going with a high protein breakfast (e.g. meat and nut)? My overall understanding of Poliquin’s ideas is that lot of his work is biased toward strength and power (lifter) types, and thus has to be taken with a grain of salt when applied to sprinters.
Sounds more useful for a Competition day diet.
I would try it on a Speed day before hand to check results.
I have seen people gain as much as 1 - 1-5kg from wake up to night time purely from food intake/discharge.
Being 1kg lighter for a comp “may” make a decent difference.
Eat 3-6 times per day, depending on what you consider to be a between-meals snack. There are 20 other things you could do to improve your performance without fad dieting. Internet is full of crap ideas peddled by people trying to sell something. Stick to a good coach or PT.