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The Pros and Cons of Fasted Workouts for Men
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Read Time 5 min
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Fasted workouts are a popular way to get in shape quickly. They’re great for burning fat and can increase your focus in the gym—but they’re also taxing on your body and may limit your performance, depending on the kind of workout you do.
Here’s a quick look at the pros and cons of fasted workouts for men, and at how you can maximize the benefits of fasted exercise while minimizing the drawbacks.
What Is Fasted Exercise?
Fasted exercise is simple: you work out in the middle of an intermittent fast, which is when you go 14+ hours without food.
Intermittent fasting is a great tool for weight loss, increased focus, and more, and when you combine it with exercise you unlock a couple additional benefits you might not get otherwise.
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Fasted Workouts Increase Fat Burning
A 2016 meta-analysis in the British Journal Of Nutrition found that fasted exercise causes your body to burn more fat . [ * ]
When you go a few hours without food, your body starts burning stored carbohydrates for fuel. Once those carbs are depleted, you switch into ketosis —that’s when you burn body fat as your main energy source.
Ketosis is great for you in several ways. Burning fat for fuel suppresses hunger, which can make long-term weight loss easier, [ * ] and it also enhances brain function, [ * ] lowers inflammation, [ * ] and more.
So if you want to enter ketosis quickly and enjoy its benefits, a fasted workout is a great addition to your daily routine.
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Fasted Exercise May Impair Performance
While fasted exercise is great for getting into ketosis, it may decrease your overall strength and endurance.
When you’re in a fed state your carb stores are full, which gives you quick access to a lot of fuel. If you’re doing an intense workout, your body can break down those carbs almost instantly and convert them to ATP, the energy source that keeps your muscle cells functioning.
But if you’re working out fasted, your carb stores are empty, and you’re instead running on fat. Fat is a good source of energy but you can’t burn it as quickly as you can carbs—so if you’re doing something that requires sudden, explosive power output, like weightlifting or sprinting, a fasted workout may not give you fuel as quickly as you need it.
A 2019 review notes that exercising in a fat-burning state significantly decreased physical performance in both sprinters and cyclists doing a high-intensity workout. CrossFitters also saw a 5-10% decrease in performance while burning fat for fuel instead of carbs. [ * ] During long-distance running and cycling, however, athletes did just fine .
In other words, fasted exercise may not be great for high-intensity workouts —but it seems to be okay for cardio or endurance training. [ * ]
Fasted Workouts Can Deplete Your Mineral Stores
Fasted exercise also depletes minerals more than a normal workout would.
Both fasting and exercise increase your body’s mineral demands.
- Fasting causes your kidneys to excrete electrolytes at a higher rate than usual. [ * ]
- Both exercise and fasting increase mineral use in your muscles—you need minerals to power your mitochondria and sustain intense physical activity. [ * ][ * ][ * ]
If you don’t replace the minerals you lose during fasted exercise you can end up in a deficit, which causes headaches, food cravings, fatigue, muscle cramps, and overall decreased performance.
You need to fuel properly for fasted exercise . When you don’t have any food in your system, you want to be sure you have plenty of minerals to feed your mitochondria and muscle tissue—otherwise a fasted workout will take a major toll on your body.
Improve Fasted Exercise With Minerals
A good mineral supplement can help you get the benefits of fasted exercise without the depletion and fatigue.
We recommend taking BEAM Minerals before every fasted workout. Our liquid supplements provide every essential mineral your body needs, in the right ratios, with rapid absorption.
All you do is take a 1-oz shot of liquid an hour before the gym. It tastes like water and replenishes all your minerals at once, ensuring your body has what it needs to perform at a high level.
And because BEAM contains no fillers, sweeteners, preservatives, or other added ingredients, it won’t affect your fast—making it perfect for fasted exercise.
If you’re going to work out fasted, make sure you’re fueling properly. Give BEAM Minerals a try and feel the difference for yourself.
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FAQs
Can I take BEAM Minerals with my other supplements?
Yes, in fact, BEAM Minerals will enhance the bioavailability of all your other supplements.
What is the difference between Micro-BOOST™ and Electrolyze™?
Electrolyze™ is primarily composed of Fulvic Mineral Complexes . Fulvic complexes are small molecules that provide inter-cellular transport for nutritional elements into the cells and carry bio-waste out of the cells. Fulvic complexes are flavonoids , which provide many benefits in the body.
Micro-BOOST™ is primarily composed of the Humic Mineral Complexes . Humic complexes are large molecules that are extra-cellular, meaning they do not enter the cells but stay outside the cells. They are highly-charged molecules that attract, through their electrical charge, bio-waste, free radicals and heavy metals. They ultimately carry bio-waste out of the body. Thus, we call them “Nature’s Janitor”.
How many milligrams (mg) of an electrolyte (Potassium, Magnesium, Sodium, Calcium, etc.) is there in BEAM Minerals?
The quantities of each element in BEAM Minerals products are measured in “parts per million” (ppm), rather than the “milligrams” (mg). Here is the information which usually helps to understand the difference:
Milligrams (mg) vs parts per million (ppm)
In comparing our products to other supplements, people want to know how much of an electrolyte is in our products (like potassium, magnesium, sodium, calcium). Usually they are looking for an amount in milligrams (mg).
We have a hard time answering that question, because the electrolytes (and other elements) in BEAM Minerals products are measured in parts per million (ppm). So how can consumers compare?
The answer is a little complex, but here’s the high points.
The electrolytes in BEAM Minerals products are provided in “trace” amounts that are completely dissolved and thus 100% bio-available, immediately introduced into your circulation when you consumed them and will produce and active effect.
When you take a 320mg pill of magnesium, your body is only able utilize about 12-20% of it as it takes some time because your body has to digest it first. Whatever is not dissolved gets processed out of your body.
When you take a capful of liquid Electrolyze™ and/or Micro-BOOST™, you receive approximately 5.22 ppm of magnesium in which 100% of the magnesium is immediately available to your body. In addition, an important to know is that the magnesium in BEAM Minerals products stay in your system much longer building up healthy levels as you continue to take it daily.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. This content should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition or health issue. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.
