The intermittent fasting is a slimming practice, which has recently been widely used. Notwithstanding the fact that the consultation of a competent doctor for any type of diet remains necessary, this is what this regimen consists of. The conceptual core of intermittent fasting lies in creating a time frame in which no type of food is taken, in order to have an important impact on the calorie balance overall and on hormonal metabolism.
In these conditions of very tiring food abstinence, a total flattening of insulin levels and an increase in the hormone IGF-1 or somatomedin are associated. Unlike insulin, the latter promotes lipolysis, a function necessary for weight loss.
Furthermore, body builders have always periodized diet and training, carrying out first one and then the other separately. This is because intermittent fasting promotes an improvement in body composition on two levels: the increase in muscle mass and the weight loss itself.
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The fasting diet, also known as the “mimic fasting” diet, provides for the controlled intake of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, with a total caloric reduction between 34 and 54 percent, compared to the traditional intake. Two types of subsets of this diet can be distinguished: the diet 5:2 provides that for five days a week any food can be ingested without exception and for 2 days (not consecutive) to assume exclusively 500 or 600 kilocalories, or a quarter of the usual supply.
Another scheme can be the 16:8 which consists of fasting for 16 hours and then eating the remaining 8 hours. It is recommended to follow this regimen for 3 to 5 days. Before the start of the day and after the last meal, even the smallest snack is avoided, in order to accustom the body to live and work in conditions of reduced satiety.
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The benefits of this calorie restriction are summarized in Rafael de Caboof the translational gerontology laboratory of the National Institute of Aging in Baltimore e Mark Mattson, of the neuroscience department of Johns Hopkins University. Both claim that intermittent fasting diets improve the health of cells, thanks to the depletion of glucose reserves and the consequent use of fat as an energy source.
This improves blood sugar regulation and reduces the body’s inflammatory response. It also appears that intermittent fasting also reduced blood pressure, blood lipid levels and heart rate. (Elizabeth Prunas)