Fasting for non-religious causes – and whether or not it’s good or unhealthy for you – has turn out to be a scorching subject within the well being and health area. Everybody has an opinion they usually appear to be getting an increasing number of obsessed with it by the day.
Leap into the feedback part of an Instagram publish of fasting and also you’ll see what I imply.
Personally, I get up HUNGRY.
My sister can’t take a look at meals earlier than midday.
I really feel like crap if I don’t eat earlier than understanding.
My good friend Jules appears like crap if she does eat earlier than understanding.
Way back to 2019, “intermittent fasting” was one of the vital searched diet-related phrases on Google and the subject solely appears to have heated up since then.
With all of the hype round fasting, particularly for girls, it’s straightforward to get caught up within the development. However right here’s the factor: fasting for girls isn’t so simple as it might appear.
After diving into the analysis, my largest takeaway is that this: Regardless of your opinion on fasting, you’ll probably discover analysis to assist your standpoint. However relating to fasting for girls, we have to think about some necessary components, from the analysis gaps to how fasting impacts energetic ladies’s wants for power, muscle restoration, and hormonal steadiness. Right here’s what it’s best to know.
What Is Fasting, Actually?
Fasting merely means taking a break from consuming (and generally ingesting) for a set time frame.
Technically, all of us quick in a single day whereas we sleep—and that fasting window is definitely necessary! It offers our our bodies time to relaxation, restore, and faucet into saved power as an alternative of regularly processing new meals. And breakfast is actually the meal once we break the in a single day quick.
This pure “pause” requires that our our bodies burn up glucose and fatty acids circulating in our blood and faucet into power shops. It trains our our bodies to get higher at processing power.
However What About Longer Fasts?
Some individuals deliberately stretch that in a single day quick into an extended break, a apply generally known as intermittent fasting (IF). Some of the in style variations is known as time-restricted consuming (TRE), the place you restrict your consuming to a selected window – usually round 8 hours (or much less) – and quick the opposite 16 hours of the day.
For instance, you may eat dinner at 6 p.m. after which not have any extra energy till 10 a.m. the subsequent day—so that you just’re fasting during times of low or diminished exercise.
There’s a Lack of Analysis on Fasting for Girls
Many of the analysis on fasting has been executed on males and lots of have solely been executed on animals. Individuals who assist fasting usually make the leap that findings of these research apply to ladies as nicely, however that’s a fairly large leap as a result of ladies’s our bodies reply otherwise than males’s (or mice)—particularly relating to diminished calorie consumption, our hormonal cycles, and train.
The huge majority of research on fasting for girls deal with sedentary ladies and people think abouted obese or overweight. However with small pattern sizes it’s arduous to generalize the findings to energetic ladies and people who should not thought-about obese or overweight.
We do see that for many who are inactive or sedentary, research have proven fasting generally is a useful stressor on the system that helps enhance insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism, amongst different issues.
However in case you are an exerciser or an energetic ladies or in perimenopause, there’s a main hole within the analysis that makes it even tougher to use the present fasting analysis to your life—particularly relating to understanding how fasting impacts train efficiency and restoration.
Fasting for Weight Loss
The analysis on fasting and weight reduction is kind of clear: on the finish of the day, relating to weight reduction, fasting is basically only a methodology of calorie restriction. Whereas proponents declare fasting has particular metabolic advantages, there’s no strong proof exhibiting that it’s any simpler than different types of calorie management, like portion management, monitoring your meals consumption, or balanced consuming.
Fasting is only a methodology of decreasing your calorie consumption through the use of the clock to restrict your consumption. And when calorie consumption is managed for, fasting isn’t higher than different “diets” for attaining long-term weight reduction or well being enhancements.
Fasting and Train
Combining fasting and train is the place it will get tough—particularly for girls. Primarily, it is because fasting and train do comparable issues—they each lower your blood glucose and different necessary molecules circulating in your blood.
So once you mix them and train whereas fasted, you may find yourself with some points.
First, for each women and men, exercising fasted might make your blood sugar ranges go too low and depart you attempting to actually run on an empty tank. No gasoline makes it actually arduous to work out or work out arduous sufficient to get the outcomes you’re after. It might additionally make you dizzy and cross out.
Second, fasted train is related to decreased efficiency, elevated fatigue, diminished talent, impaired focus, and an elevated notion of effort (so train feels tougher than it ought to). This makes it much less probably that you just’ll have good coaching periods and even wish to work out.
Moreover, muscle preservation is crucial for total well being and metabolism, and fasting alone might not do the job in addition to different consuming methods that prioritize protein and carbohydrates for muscle restoration and progress.
For ladies who do select to quick or exercise fasted, it’s necessary that they proceed to deal with consuming sufficient meals – particularly protein and carbs – all through the day throughout their feeding window to attenuate the danger of low power availability and stop muscle breakdown and loss.
Self-Consciousness: The Key to Making Good Fueling Selections
Whether or not you’re fasting or following one other consuming plan, self-awareness is vital. Everybody’s physique is completely different, and which means tuning into your private wants and the way your weight loss plan (and train) impacts your power, temper, and efficiency.
And context issues—so keep in mind that it’s not nearly skipping that one meal, it’s about the way you’re balancing your wants throughout the day as nicely. So what works for one individual, might not give you the results you want. And what used to give you the results you want, might in the future not be acceptable or efficient.
Some ladies thrive on fasting, however many others discover that under-eating or fasting interferes with their exercises and restoration.
Everybody’s physique has distinctive wants, and there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy.
After I introduced up the subject of fasting to my colleague, Jules Mitchell, writer of Yoga Biomechanics: Stretching Redefined, she shared how difficult it may be for individuals who weren’t athletes rising as much as acknowledge their physique’s alerts.
“The older I get, the extra privileged I really feel for having performed sports activities as a child and spent my childhood operating races. At eight years previous, I realized {that a} half banana earlier than a 10k would make me sick. I’ve been taking note of my physique’s alerts my complete life. However in the event you’re simply now in perimenopause and moving into train, all of the blended messaging should be so complicated.”
Her expertise reminds us that self-awareness isn’t nearly noticing what we really feel immediately—it’s about understanding how our our bodies reply over time, by way of completely different phases of life and exercise.
In the event you’re consistently feeling drained, weak, or sluggish throughout your exercises, it could be an indication that you just’re not fueling your physique correctly.
Self-awareness is about listening to your physique and making changes based mostly on how you’re feeling, not simply following the most recent development.
Many Energetic Girls Are Usually Beneath-fueled
One of many key factors that usually will get neglected relating to fasting for girls is the difficulty of under-fueling.
Many energetic ladies underestimate their whole every day power expenditure (due to all these foolish 1200-1500 calorie weight loss plan suggestions that we grew up with) and find yourself consuming too little to fulfill their power calls for. That is very true for girls who do common power coaching, high-intensity exercises, or endurance coaching.
A 2016 research performed on 109 feminine leisure exercisers discovered that 45% had been in danger for low power availability – that’s practically half of the ladies recruited from native gyms and health facilities had been in danger as a consequence of under-fueling.
So under-fueling and low power availability aren’t only a concern for “high-level” athletes, any exercising lady will be in danger.
Beneath-fueling can result in poor restoration, decreased efficiency, and even hormonal imbalances. Girls who prepare arduous want to make sure they’re consuming sufficient carbohydrates and protein to gas their exercises and recuperate successfully. With out the right vitamins, your physique can’t rebuild muscle, and you could expertise fatigue, temper swings, and hormonal disruptions.
In my work as a private coach serving to ladies with osteoporosis construct and preserve bone mass, most of my discussions with purchasers encompass consuming extra, not much less.
Dietary Therapist Michaela Smith agrees. She shared her ideas with me:
“The overwhelming majority of girls I work with are under-fueling already, even those that wish to shed pounds! Beneath-eating is a big stressor that may manifest into hormonal imbalance, weight modifications, and even cognitive modifications.”
In her apply, she typically doesn’t advocate intermittent fasting for girls. Right here’s why:
- Many ladies are already under-eating, which may contribute to nervousness, mind fog, overwhelm, and hormonal imbalances.
- Fasting can negatively have an effect on blood sugar, resulting in:
- Drops in blood glucose
- Launch of stress hormones
- A rebound spike in blood sugar
- A “blood sugar curler coaster” that leaves ladies feeling off steadiness when it comes to power and meals cravings
- There may be restricted analysis on the consequences of fasting on ladies, making lengthy fasts a questionable technique.
As an alternative, Michaela recommends the next strategy to assist regular power and hormonal well being:
- Eat a balanced breakfast inside 30–60 minutes of waking.
- Gasoline persistently all through the day with common meals and snacks.
- End dinner early sufficient to permit time to digest and profit from a delicate in a single day quick.
- Intention for a 12-hour window between dinner and breakfast—this helps power metabolism and intestine well being with out over stressing the physique.
“The long-term outcomes I see with the ladies I work with are extra even power, fewer jittery emotions, improved blood sugar response, and extra steady weight. All wins in my e book!”
When You Eat Issues, However So Does What You Eat
Whereas timing your meals or solely consuming inside a selected window might sound stylish, it’s extra necessary to deal with what you eat and whether or not it meets your physique’s wants. Whether or not you’re consuming earlier than or after your exercise, be sure to’re getting sufficient carbohydrates to gas your train and protein to recuperate.
Carbohydrates are your physique’s important supply of gas for train, and it’s essential to replenish glycogen shops after exercises. The amino acids in protein are the constructing blocks for all tissue and helps rebuild muscle, preserve bone, and assist restoration.
For energetic ladies, this steadiness is essential—regardless of once you eat. It’s all about giving your physique the vitamins it must recuperate and carry out at its greatest.
In the event you’re not used to consuming earlier than you’re employed out, however you wish to attempt it, begin small with simply 100 energy of easily-digestible, low-fiber carbs or a sports activities drink to keep away from GI misery. Then, over time step by step enhance the energy to coach your system to tolerate meals at the moment of day.
Fasting and Hormonal Well being: A Complicated Relationship
For ladies with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), intermittent fasting has proven some promising advantages in bettering insulin sensitivity, regulating blood sugar ranges, and selling hormonal steadiness. A number of research have recommended that fasting can scale back insulin spikes, a key subject in PCOS, and will assist alleviate signs like irregular menstrual cycles, weight achieve, and pimples.
Nonetheless, it’s necessary to notice that the majority of the analysis on fasting for PCOS has been performed on obese or overweight premenopausal ladies and the findings are nonetheless rising. Whereas the outcomes are encouraging, extra analysis is required to grasp how intermittent fasting impacts ladies with completely different physique sorts and at numerous levels of life, together with those that are energetic and in perimenopause or past.
For energetic ladies, particularly these in perimenopause, fasting can influence hormonal steadiness in ways in which might not be instantly obvious. Low power consumption, particularly when mixed with numerous train, can result in low power availability and/or in the end Relative Power Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), a situation that impacts reproductive, metabolic, and bone well being. Indicators of RED-S can embody menstrual irregularities, fatigue, decreased bone density, and poor restoration.
And right here’s the kicker: throughout perimenopause, distinguishing between anticipated hormonal modifications and the indicators of RED-S will be tough.
In the event you’re experiencing fatigue, poor restoration, or irregular durations (which many ladies gained’t even be capable of inform in the event that they’re utilizing contraception that alters their interval), it could possibly be an indication that you just’re not fueling sufficient to assist your exercises and total well being.
Enough fueling, particularly with carbohydrates, is very necessary in midlife to assist each coaching and hormonal well being.
Conclusion: Fasting for Girls—A Personalised Method
Fasting may match for some ladies, nevertheless it’s necessary to keep in mind that, relating to weight reduction, it’s only one methodology of calorie restriction and it hasn’t been confirmed to be simpler than different dietary methods.
For energetic ladies, self-awareness and taking note of how you’re feeling throughout exercises and restoration are essential. Earlier than contemplating a fasting routine, be certain your physique is well-fueled.
A balanced consumption of carbohydrates and protein is crucial—particularly to assist your exercises, restoration, and total well-being. Beneath-eating could make fasting counterproductive—growing stress on the physique somewhat than supporting well being.
And in the event you’re very energetic or an athlete with objectives—working towards a PR in your lifts or coaching for a contest or race—you could wish to depart fasting within the mud as it will possibly lower your efficiency and inhibit your restoration.
There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy. The very best technique is well-thought-out and helps your power, efficiency, and long-term well being—not one which leaves you depleted.
And remember that there’s a rising variety of “docs” and specialists on the market who’re talking about fasting (and taking advantage of it) despite the fact that it is extremely a lot out of their very own scope of apply. So earlier than diving in head first, ensure you verify what sort of physician they’re and confirm that you just solely take recommendation from certified diet specialists.
In the event you’re not sure the place to begin, think about getting assist from a registered dietitian or nutritionist who concentrate on working with ladies in your particular inhabitants (energetic, endurance athletes, and/or perimenopausal ladies) to assist tailor a plan that works for you. —Karin
References
- Vitality Professional. (2019). “Intermittent Fasting: A Search Development.” Vitality Professional Vitamin Statistics. Hyperlink
- Cienfuegos, S., et al. (2022). “Intermittent Fasting and Reproductive Well being: The Potential Results.” Vitamins.
- Correia, M., et al. (2020). “Intermittent Fasting and Cardio Efficiency.” Journal of Sports activities Sciences.
- Batitucci, G., et al. (2022). “The Impression of Fasting on Muscle Mass and Physique Composition.” Frontiers in Vitamin.
- Zouhal, H., et al. (2020). “Results of Fasting on Train Efficiency: A Evaluation.” Sports activities Drugs.
- Mellin, A. (2025). “Carbohydrate Availability and Menstrual Well being in Energetic Girls.” Journal of Sport Vitamin and Train Metabolism.
- Aird, L., et al. (2018). “Fasted vs Fed Train: The Impression on Fats Metabolism and Efficiency.” Worldwide Journal of Sports activities Physiology and Efficiency.
- Slater, J., et al. (2016). “Feminine Leisure Exercisers at Danger for Low Power Availability.” Worldwide Journal of Sport Vitamin and Train Metabolism.