Will Fasted Training Make You Faster? The Science

Will fasted training actually improve your endurance performance? I dive into the science on fasted training as well as touching on high fat diets, and training the gut to better handle carbs. Thanks for watching and be sure to like and subscribe!
Videos on why carbs are important:
• Could Emily Batty's Di...
• What to Eat After a Ri...
• Will the Ketogenic Die...
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The studies I used in this video:
link.springer.com/article/10....
www.thieme-connect.com/produc...
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
www.physiology.org/doi/full/1...
www.physiology.org/doi/full/1...
link.springer.com/article/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/a...
link.springer.com/article/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/1...
www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/8/12/7...
The views and opinions expressed in this video are my own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Carmichael Training Systems, Inc, their sponsors, and/or partners.

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Have you ever tried fasted training and do you think it helped your performance?

[@aakashs1806]

I never eat before cycling, I eat during ride

[@sadaffurqanfurqan8621]

I need to eat before

[@jamesdadula4416]

I fast during weekdays when training 1-2hrs per day. I eat before training/racing on weekends.

[@sadaffurqanfurqan8621]

Aakash S really? What do you eat and how often

[@SpininStyle]

For most of my cycling life (40yrs) I trained early in the morning, and always never ate before riding. I guess this is "fasted training" but my feeling was that food in my gut made me sluggish while riding. Of course, 99% of my riding/racing was done with absolutely no idea of science or training ideals.

[@poochie8208]

I'm accepting backwards hat Dylan's taco bell challenge, 12 tacos followed by hill intervals

[@davidking3699]

Maybe front hat Dylan's advice backwards... big ride, then 12 tacos... Oh, wait, normal routine... beers are carbs too, right? ;)

[@kargs5krun]

You'll be sniffing his "dust," post Tacos? (esp on "down-winds," so to speak) #notagoodlook 😬😂

[@tehArcher]

I don't ever get hungry until midday so i stopped having breakfast. Helped me lose weight and my top end seemingly hasn't gone down

[@Matthew25405]

Great video as always Dylan!

[@daviddesimone6537]

You just answered so many of the questions that I've long been pondering and wishing studies existed for. Great video.

[@kakarot2430]

Agree, he is the Life Saver. I really confused before finding this channel. I'm quite motivated rider but have no coach or anyone to consult. I watch GCN regularly, and their training video set me up to the wrong path. I've always doing hard session every Ride, gather all interval training they've presented and tried them. Even I mixed an endurance ride with 35 minutes Climbing TT, several Z5 KOM attempts. That's absolutely barbaric 😅

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Great video Dylan. Yes I have found that after riding fasted on long steady state zone 2 rides my endurance improves but not my "speed" or high intensity. I would never fast on an intense day. Also, carbs are king. Plant based complex carbs have been a game changer for me. Thanks for the awesome videos!

[@WowRixter]

Love the reference to science. Great video Dylan

[@briankeller5267]

Awesome as always Dylan. Keep up the great work.

[@Dlopez10g]

Bro, your videos are crazy! I found this channel 1 month ago and I think I've learned more here than in 3 years on the bike. You're all about facts and I appreciate that a lot. Also back cap Dylan is kind of cool

[@roivosemraiva]

Excellent work ; You did all the hard work . You brought science to this perplexing question.

[@hebrews11vs5]

This video really nails it: has the courage to tell the keto folks straight up that it's not the best for endurance athletes (trainer road agreed), yet you are on to something getting some mid length runs first thing in the morning done fastest. I think the fact that when me or whoever, in an unfit state, tries to go say 1.5 hrs (presumably during training) and the body starts whining about needing sugar, well, it goes to show your body needs to be disciplined a bit to pull into fat or glycogen. Also, this thing of always needing to be loaded up on sugar (when not exercising) is obviously not healthy, like pre diabetes or something. So go crazy on the carbs in a competition, otherwise take just enough for your vo2 max / intervals and if you have long slow distance, then do that on minimal carbs, at least occasionally . Also, then how else will you lose weight? If you aren't going into a calorie deficit.

[@frosty8218]

Thanks for all your time hard work with your videos a real education ,, really appreciate it mate ..👍🏼👍🏼

[@bender4077]

Hey man, glad I came across your channel. Good stuff. Keep it up.

[@mikehammersley3489]

Great info as always!

[@melenriquez8985]

Let me share my experience with running decadese ago, where the training science in endurance was still young. I wanted to be a miler, but the only long runs by a large group was Sundays. So, I joined it, even if the runs were slow. I didn't know it then, but the slow runs were the building blocks for endurance. I just wanted to do long 2 hour runs. Yes, it was easy, as I was trained to run fast. But the first time I did 2:11 hours, I was really spent. Now, where is the diet or fasting is in here? Well, I used to have no breakfast in the morning. I didn't have the appetite, but I never grew dizzy or weak even by lunch time. So, in the morning, I'll probably just have tea with some sugar. That's it. Sometimes, it's just water (1-2 glasses). Then I'd do that 1:40-2:00 plus slow runs. I did that for several months. The result? My endurance improved. No, I didn't do fasting on my interval or tempo days. Besides, I couldn't do that as they were usually done in the afternoons or evening. Regardless, the hard workouts were always done late. I think as far as endurance goes, this "fasting" is good if you do easy workouts in it. Slogging reallly slow runs (or LSD as they call it on those days), is ok. But you have to know your body. And you don't do fasting on your hard days. Some may say long rides or runs are still hard. Well, not if you are on zone 2, or 1. AT least that's what it is for me. IF you want to try it, just do a long ride/run for a fraction of that (75-80 min for runs, maybe 1:30-1:45 for rides). Then slowly increase the time or distance. I'd like to go for time, because as you get fit you get faster and cover more distance. Besides, the body does not understand km or distance. It understands time working and the effort of working. So, go for time and stick to zone 2. Now, doing it this way is not for everyone. If one wants to try it, fine, but don't do a 2-2:30 long run, or half a day bike ride on empty. Because of arthritis, I couldn't run long anymore. It hurts. But I went for cycling. As I am older now, I now eat before a ride, even if light. But as my fitness grows, I can now go 3 hours or maybe even 3.5 hours on a bike without eating. Just water. But this is for endurance or base work. Again, zone 2. Maybe I have to go zone 3 for some segments due to some mild hills or I have to move out of traffic quickly or overtake some vehicles on the road, but that is not going to last 5 min. Then at 3-3+ hours, that's the time I eat. I find that this works for me. I have tried it in the Audax and it helps that I can go 2-2.5 hours on tempo pace and not bonk out. That's probably zone 3-4 speeds. Though I am on zone 2 on training, that has helped in the endurance. Running on empty has made me utilize my fat better. Of course, running at zone 3-4 per segment for 2-2.5 hours is not the proper way to give your body nutrition. I try to eat or take something every 30min, no more than 45min. But knowing I can go 2-2:30 on a fast clip without food (only water) helps. And it happened many times in the Audax. We were on a 600km and on the way back at the 450km point, it was early morning, and the stores and eateries were still closed so very early at 3-5am. My companions bonked out as there were no food. I was still ok. Mind you, there were no 7-11's or convenient stores to fuel up in our part of the country. So, what's my take on fasting? Yes, do it, but do it on easy days or non interval or hard workout days. You need carbs for those if you want performance. But I found out if the goal is fat burning, you can train yourself to do that if you get out empty (or close to empty) and do a 2-3 hour stretch at zone 2 steady with only water for hydration. Also, don't try to do 3 hours on the fist go. Build it. Normally 1:40-45 hours should be a good starting point. Then work to 2 hours. 2:15, 2:30, 2:45, then 3 hours. I haven't tried going more than 3:30 hours, but I think it's too much already. I think 2:30-3 hours on water only is just fine. Finally, if you are on a tempo or long lactate threshold session like a 60min at zone 4ish, I also don't take anything. This burns out the carbs and you run on fat eventually. I try to go 1:15-1:30ish if I can. I usually don't go further than that. But then again, I don't think you should. The goal is to manage lactate on more effort and make fat burning as an alternate fuel once you are almost empty on carbs. It will be hard, but then again, that's the reason you train for this. I suppose this is the reason why I can go for 2:30 hours on zone 3 without fueling. But as a caution again, don't do this asap. Train for it. And don't get discouraged if you can't do it. We are all different. Just go see how far you can go. And like any training, build on it. Don't rush it. Endurance and the ability to hold a fast pace or higher zones (4 or maybe even 5) requires patience and step-by-step calculated buildup. As I write this, I will be going on my 3 hour no food, water only long ride for the week. It will be done on relatively flat grounds (around 85m elevation on the highest segments). I'll eat at 3 hours and rest for 30-45min (hearty meal here). And ride back home for 3 hours or 3:15 for a total of over 100km (104km or so, depending if I do some side trips). Then I eat. In each 3 hour segment, I can stop and rest for maybe 20 seconds tops, just to drink or check something on my bike or computer. I may have to stop in some sub segments anyway, as there are traffic lights and I am on a stop. AT most that is 1 min. So, I do get some in-between breaks. But once I am out of the city, it's usually cruising at 20kph, 22-25kph on open segments and 18kph on some segments. A good zone 2 workout with some zone 3 interspersed, but not too long (maybe 1-2 min). This is how I build my base. As I grow stronger, I extend it then pull back a bit the next week to recover. And as I gain more endurance, I slowly introduce some hills in the non-endurance long ride days of the week. Then I slowly do zone 3-4 in some of them to get to ride fast, but not far or long (1-1:20 hours). It's not steady, but spurts. That's when I know when my endurance work the past 2 months is working as I don't get tired easily and I even go on 2nd wind fast and love the speed of the workout. I hope this helps. this is not a controlled scientific program, but it has worked for me. I believed in Periodization and building a solid base before attempting VO2 max or LT workouts. That's the carry-over from my running days. Arthur Lydiard, the NZ coach was the exponent of this in the 1950-60's. And no matter the advances in science, equipment, the basic principles of progressive loading, periodization, base build-up is still the same. The only things that change are mixing and matching of the workouts and finding out what works for you. So, experiment. :)

[@weisscoaching]

Wow a great comment and an anecdote. I think what you are describing is in line with science. For example, fasted easy run add a layer of stress on mitochondria making them more efficient. The same thing as you would achieve with a normal low intensity training but being fasted shortens the time. So as you've put it, fasted training can be used but the more overall training you are doing, the less fasted workouts one should do due to higher recovery needs. That's my take on it.

[@melenriquez8985]

Tio@@weisscoaching as a caution, and it bears repeating, experiment. And ease into it gradually. Don't fast immediately or do long rides on empty or near empty. Right now, I can go on normal fast, no exercising for 17-18 hourse without adverse effect. Maybe I can go 20 hours, but most likely I have to really slow down or do no work. Maybe just lie down or be sitting. I'd be drained by then. But I got to this duration slowly. Months to get there. I didn't rush it. I'd do a 1x week fast. Started with 14 hours. Maybe extend the time by 30 min after 2 weeks of the same duration. This is to get the body used to low sugar then just extend it slowly. I believe static long fasting and dating while training can go hand in hand. Just don't do them consecutive days. Maybe a 3 day non fasting or normal days to sandwich them between fasts. Again do the exercise and fasting on your zone 2 days. And try not to measure distance but time. I think 2.5 to 3 hours of water only should be the eventual target. The limit is really not on the lack of fat to burn. I think it's because you are already running low on glycogen when you hit 2.5 hours up. You need to eat some carbs to get it up again. Then you can continue to ride again for another 2 hours or more on zone 2 to continue with the fat burning. Just take a 20-30 min break after eating to allow for the glycogen to go up again in your you dobtbody. Maybe go on Zone 1 instead if you don't want to stop and just take a gel or two while riding. Bilut give your body time to process what you just took. Then go back to zone 2.

[@weisscoaching]

@@melenriquez8985 no worries about me . I used to do 30k runs fasted, which I would not do nowadays anymore. Sometimes I do Z2 runs early in the morning but usually below 60minutes 👌💪

[@AbeShredz]

Liked and subscribed. Great info man thank you

[@Rocketogre]

"I must say, thatt is very dissapointing" I'm still laughing at that.

[@BananaChipzzz]

Great video!

[@AlexRochette]

@ 10:00 - That's by far the fastest I have seen someone guzzle liquids at an aid station! :-O You should do a video on fueling during a day-long race (on the bike & off the bike).

[@weisscoaching]

I like your comment. I think you grasped the main points. Outside of training we don't require that many carbs (unless recovering from workouts and races). However, that does not mean we should not have them. Smart carbs (whole food sources like whole grains, legumes, ) provide you with carbs that are released slowly and provide sustainable energy. As for your comment on weight-loss, one can lose weight with eating predominantly carbs, just like on hight fat diet. It even seems that diets favouring carbohydrates are better for health, performance and weight management. But we are really splitting hair here, adherence to a diet is the most important.

[@topcat304]

I've been learning a lot from your channel combined with other podcasts and personal experience. I am a middle-aged Endurance MTB racer. One idea for fasted type training is to put in extra time at lower intensity after a higher intensity workout as you are moving into a fasted state. Trouble is, riding fasted is painful ( relatively) to the leg muscles and maybe mentally tough too. Most good training points that we learn are only useful in periodized program of training. Im going into my fourth Season of a Personal Training program. This year, im just starting look at aerobic decoupling stats in my best trained state and my current base phase. Thanks for the great videos on training, keeps me motivated!

[@davidbentley4731]

This has to be one of the best training blogs on the internet. It not only presents the underlying science, but also critiques some of the studies and applies the studies to more real-world applications. For instance, when I was training for Ironman, fasted training once or twice a week were key workouts. You can't/shouldn't do them every session, bu it is important (essential in Ironman) to train your body for fat metabolism, since it's impossible to take in enough calories during the race. Great work Dylan.

[@twowheelslater7112]

I played with this last year and found it to be useful. I honestly just felt better fasting often also. I kind of would just go longer and longer without fueling and finally got to where I could do a pretty hard 2 hour workout and really only suffer the last 15 min or so. Most of my workouts were 2 hours. If I knew I was going to be longer then I still made sure to eat at the one hour to hour 15min mark. I'll likely do this again this off season because I kind of over shot my calorie intake this year. I'm also going to incorporate a lot more weight training because I feel if nothing else It just releases some good stuff and keeps your testosterone and HGC higher.

[@JakeBamforth]

G.O.A.T..... Amazing content as always

[@caperider1160]

Very thorough and based on scientific findings. 👍

[@goaskdra]

Great info and thank you for sharing. I'd really appreciate your thoughts and a possible vid on muscle cramps and muscle tears - what's the difference and how to recover from each ?

[@ondrastehlikll.1948]

Topic for the future video: mental toughness (maybe not as important for pros who are already near their physiological limit, but for us humans with pain receptors, bcs we have still a long way to go to reach our physiological limit).

[@hardleesoft5919]

Fasted or low glycogen/lowcarb training is great for this. Also daily meditation has been by far one the most influental things on pain tolerance in my experience. Definitely worth looking into.

[@random_vid_tt]

superb! Thanks

[@andrewroche2815]

Still the best KZbinr for this type of subject 👍

[@SlowtwitchDe]

Well said. What you state at 06:32 is what I am doing - well/full fed 1h intense training (TTT) in the EVENING then sleep (no food) followed by a fasted ride or run in the morning (60-90 min) an the fuel very well after that!

[@raviboppudi]

I am amature cyclists and always do my rides in fasted state. The biggest ride I have done is 65 mile ride. By end of ride I was 23 he fasted. I only consumed salt water and a cup of coffee. On keto diet reduced my weight from 123+ kgs to 82 kgs now. Cycling speed increased from 9 to 15 miles per hour. Love your videos Dylan.

[@XX-is7ps]

I think this is now the best cycling channel on youtube, maybe best source of solid training advice on the web full-stop. Bite-size, understandable and well researched summaries of the state of the current understanding in key areas of sports science. Don't need a hoodie but going to have to put my money where my mouth is and buy me a hoodie just to support the channel! Random scattergun branindump for some possible future topics - (1) best ways of reducing RPE during training, (2) most beneficial distribution of training during a week when hours, intensity and TSS are matched between different splits, (3) any risks from cycling training, low heart rate etc? (4) injury prevention and muscle imbalances in cyclists? (5) Training impact on sleep and strategies to minimise (6) Any need for supplementation of iron or other vitamins etc when training intensively?

[@observethemfdynamic]

Thanks for quashing the bro science with showing the papers you pull from!

[@josh5596]

Im pretty new to riding, and learn most of what I know based on watching ur videos..Thanks so much for your content! I get dropped from the group often but Know more than ur average bear thanks to you 😂

[@moshaheen7905]

stay without soon you ll keep up and drop a few yourself

[@Tim9666]

During off season I do a lot of easy rides/runs in a fasted state. For me personally the biggest benefit is that especially when running I just feel very light with nothing in the stomach, and my heart rate is usually a tiny bit lower during these runs. It makes Z1 running more enjoyable for me. That is by far the biggest benefit of fasted training for me.

[@dcmsr5141]

I continue to have much success with fasted rides, some days are better than others, I use time ETA as an algorithm because I don't have a heart monitor nor a power meter not that I compete, But I have moved the scale in the right direction.

[@metamurph]

I "intermittent" fast, I do train in low-intensity mode fasted sometimes. There are other values people are finding in intermittent fasting dealing with recovery/repair/genetic cleanup and the roles these play in longevity...now that I am an "old man" at 58. I am not training for ultraevents...or events in general other than to grab some koms from other old dudes here in AZ retirement ville. I do train to bring my weight back in line, decrease my potential for heart disease and because I enjoy it and enjoy being outside. And it means I can eat more tasty foods :-)

[@BikeRacingWithoutMercy]

I personally think training fasted first thing in the morning, is effective PROVIDED you are well hydrated and have a black coffee before and PROVIDED you eat plenty of low fat carbs after and during the rest of the day. It is also a good strategy to consume some amino acids before training in order to preserve muscle. I eat plenty of carbs during each day, including a little meal pre bed (and consume relatively low fat). As such the muscles have plenty of stored glycogen BECAUSE I train first thing in the morning. I believe that you have to build up to fasted training, and I would not complete much more than 45-60mins of high intensity efforts on the bike (e.g. at threshold or undertaking sprint intervals). In my experience this does create fat loss, indicating that the body is converting fat into glycogen (which is a much harder process for the body than burning only glycogen). Definitely for intense efforts over 1 hour, or a race - I’ll eat a bowl of oats and dried fruit a couple fo hours before. As ever an amazing video, thanks Dylan 👊

[@Cookefan59]

I recently had a great ride using a mixture of freshly juiced apples and carrots mixed in with my Gatorade so I got the fructose (apples) sucrose (carrots) and glucose (Gatorade) along with the electrolytes sodium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus from the Gatorade. It seems like it’s worked out extremely well along with hydrating with water. This is my new race mixture. Thanks Dylan for all of your hard work and dedication.

[@Svartez]

Thanks for the great videos, been watching you alot recently. There is 2 topics id like to suggest: 1. Carb loading or general pre workout food 2.Can yoga reduce muscle tightness and what are the best ways to reduce muscle tightness to prevent overuse/imbalance injuries such as runners knee, it band syndrome and tendinitis etc

[@simonsimon8213]

2. No it cant best way to do it is strengthen the tight muscle if its for example Trapezius but if they are tight/sore from exercise then just recover normally

[@edwardo123]

I'm excited to start alternate day fasting. I'm going to approach it as a simple approach. whole healthy foods on my eating days, and keeping my low intensity workouts to fasted days. then if I'm getting ready for a hard ride or a race, ill just fuel as normal. but really the main benefit for me is just going to be losing weight, in addition to the insulin sensitivity and preservation of muscle mass.

[@stuartshine7823]

Thank you.

[@catbroh]

Lol @ "Sounds how I finish every ride"

[@FreemanBR]

I laughed for real there hahah

[@smarti773]

I hope people understand what a meal is. A great example of a protein/carb balanced MEAL is a yogurt and a banana. Eating anything around 600cal in one sitting would be considered loading. And it is extremely easy to do. Considering one Jimmy John's sandwich, a bag of chips, and a medium drink is near 1000cal. Fasted usually means minimum of 4 hours before the work. But it is usually how long it takes for a fit body to digest food. The term fasted is subjective to the individual. But God damn it have a banana or two before your 4-6hr ride 👊🏻 or a slice of banana bread with peanut butter and honey with a coffee like I did yesterday for my metric. Cheers Dylan! I'll be reaching out to you soon. - smarti773

[@jasonosunkoya]

Speak for yourself. If I ate 600 kcal meals x 3 a day I'd be in serious trouble considering most days I burn 4000+. I'm not sold on fasted training though for trying to do any threshold and up work. (That being said, I commute fasted). Happy to see though that I'm doing pretty much exactly what is expected. It works for me though because I'm USED to intermittent fasting anyway. I used to do my weight lifting first thing in the morning BEFORE eating.

[@smarti773]

@@jasonosunkoya for sure I'm just putting what a meal is into perspective. I eat 4000 a day to keep myself in a deficit even still because I train a full program and work as an auto mechanic. But I'm sharing what a meal is in calories. I eat more than 3 times a day. 👊🏻

[@DmitryPAP]

Hi Dylan! Very nice video as usual! Let me share my experience. I train fat oxidation to cut my in-race fueling (I do iron distances) to void GI problems and as weight management. You can''t eat 70-90 g of carbs (maybe someone can but not me) every hour cause you simple will be too busy consuming all that gels and bars:) Cutting all carbs after 18:00 the day before and to have recovery/LI training (running or cycling but not for swimming) in the morning works great for me. If I have HI training in the morning (not very often more in the evening) the picture is different. I get up 30 min earlier and eat bananas or some shakes with carbs. Otherwise HI workout will move to zone 3 automatically. Thanks!

[@thakoharris]

I'm digging these videos and am actively looking at nutrition post watching Game Changers on Netflix. At minute 8:33 you mention fruit consumption accelerates gastric emptying of fructose but not glucose. Can you share some real world examples of how to take advantage of this while on a long (100 miler) gravel type race? Assuming GU and the like have a mix already of Fructose and Glucose(?). Thanks. Appreciate the amazing amount of work and dedication!

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Yes GU has fructose and glucose but not all gels do. You can consume more fructose and glucose per hour by training the gut. In a 100 mile race 240 calories of drink mix in a bottle and a gel per hour both with a 2:1 glucose to fructose ratio would be close to that max, just as an example.

[@karsbakker3682]

I had my quickest 2,5 hour ride ever in a 52 hour fasted state, cause my body felt amazing using only fats and oxygen. The moment you need to climb and put out energy you feel trash though.. So use fasted rides for non climbing endurance training and eat carbs before climbing and HIIT

[@Se0what]

Surprise surprise the body stores roughly 2k calories worth for glycogen in the muscles less as you get older and a couple hundred more in the liver 4-6 hours post meal. The factor for carb or oxygen oxidation for fuel is intensity aka %vo2max, %HRmax, %ftp. Look up RER it's a ratio of oxygen and co2 from exhaled air to see fuel utilization. Oh and you do you! Looks like it's working!

[@jbo2607]

I do all my rides in a fasted state. I just finished a Century ride fasting for 21 hours. I did have a green drink prior to the ride with 80 calories and only 14 grams of sugar. Nothing else but water. 😉

[@paolocapozzi927]

I’ve always been an advocate of fasted training. And have trained like this for lots of long but easy rides. In summer I did an ultra fondo with 280km and 6000hm. Had diarrea after only 4 hours and ended up doing 2/3 of the ride basically only on pure water. I’m pretty stubborn so that helps as well…but for ultra endurance I believe this kind of fasted training has for sure his benefits

[@peterwilson1831]

@6:17 in the video, those cyclists are beyond elite, according to the graphs Y axis label they were knocking out a 20 km TT in 33 seconds :o :D

[@evanmacdougall9715]

I've been waking up to run at 4-4:30am for a number of years (since 2010) and the hardest thing to do has been to wake up in time to eat before I run. This means that I've done the vast majority of my runs fasted long before this became the recent fad. This means I've done almost all my interval and tempo runs fasted as well. Because of this, I've been able to easily complete half marathons without taking a single gel without bonking at the end, and even running negative splits. However, it would likely also explain why I haven't seen some of the improvements I've hoped for in my overall speed with my PR coming right at 2 hours. In the past two years as I've gotten into triathlon and done a lot more cycling, I've been hearing more and more about doing hard workouts after eating and doing my lower intensity recovery and/or endurance workouts fasted, and then also adding in nutritional training. I can definitely tell a difference in the effort I can put in to my higher intensity workouts. I'm very happy to see this video showing the science behind the theory. Thank you for all your great videos!

[@ricodelta1]

I'm not keto, but I'm definitely lower carb than I was before. Even when training, I was carrying a bit of fat around my gut and sides. I then cut out all breads and pastas, and lowered my fruit intake. I replaced those carbs with proteins and fats. Ive mixed up my training between fasted and fed states, and I'm 14 percent body fat all year around and my training hasn't suffered. Just my 2 cents.

[@williambuckley6128]

God damm it. So many different studies. That's why I tested it myself. I found fasting before and during 98 mile 6k feet of climbing and speeds as high as 36mph has to be followed immediately with a boat load of protein fat and carbs. When I didn't, it took me a week to recover. When I did, I felt great the following day.

[@coachNewman17]

My plan of action for 2024 is to ride fasted on my zone 2 trainer rides when I wake up. 3 times a week. THe other two will be after work and I will try and eat 3 hours before and see how that goes. I want to do this mainly for body fat loss.

[@amygwynnmorrison4463]

This whole video I was getting ready to ask you about female metabolic differences and then you did mention it near the end! There does seem to be growing evidence that female metabolic processes naturally preserve carbohydrate stores in favor of fat during extreme endurance events. I'm hoping this leads to greater understanding of female nutrition and we can see some amazing lady athletes set some records.

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Definitely!

[@mrnobody9821]

My personal experience: 1)Eating before cycling makes me bloat and makes me throw up in my mouth. 2)Cycling fasted only drinking water during the ride, feels good but forget sustained endurance/power effort. 3) Having a carb and meat rich meal the night before a ride has proven effective consistently to allow me to set PR’s and allowed me to endure longer harder efforts compared to fasted/water only. Training fasted is causing me to lose weight very fast. I have had to have a suit altered 3 times in the last two months because fat is falling off me. Then again I have a lot of excess weight so if you’re already in a bike fit state this might not happen to you.

[@superstrada6847]

Replying in order of your statements 1,2,3. 1) Your pre-race/ride meal should be consumed 3-4 hrs prior. On high intensity training days try a gel every 20 min. This will avoid vomiting that ham & eggs you had just before training. 2) Fasted rides should last only 90-120min and only in zone 1-2. Eat on the ride after that. 3) Of course. Why would anyone try high intensity efforts fasted. No brainer.

[@jonathanbenn2241]

2 hours before riding is good. 1 hour ok, right before is a no go. That said when riding a loaded touring bike 8 hours a day, I eat all the time!

[@gregorbabic7756]

I started doing fasted runs during last winter, I did one fasted exercise per week. At first it was just a short 1h Z2 hike/run, then I slowly progressed into longer runs up to 2h. It helped me loose about 6kg of weight in 3 months down to 80kg. I also did a few fasted rides on a trainer in the morning, but I never did any serious bike work fasted (Z3 or higher). After winter I replaced fasted runs with fasted longer rides, also Z2 mostly during weekend. I could easily do 3 or 4h Z2 bike rides fasted without any food, just some water. If I go for a really long ride, like 5+h, I usually start fasted, but then I start eating some carbs (30-40g/h) after 1-2h, no issues even with longer periods into Z3 and Z4. But would not go for a serious Z5 interval workout without some food :) Does it help me? No idea, but I keep doing it because it feels "right". Currently at 78kg and 330W FTP. BTW love your videos!

[@dermotdoherty2960]

Thats what I was thinking. This must burn fat.

[@ReverzEffect]

Congrats on losing the weight, but have you considered that it might not be just the fasted runs doing the trick but other changes in lifestyle? Such as making your runs longer for example. I rarely do fasted state rides, the only exception would be a very very easy 30min recovery ride the morning after a hard day, yet I also lost around 6-7kg last winter, mostly just because I've been spending a lot more hours on my bike...

[@gregorbabic7756]

​@@ReverzEffect Sure, don't expect that you will loose fat just because you do a few fasted exercises, if your diet is not optimized. But it can make a difference in the "big picture".

[@SingleTrackMindState]

Thanks

[@larrytanzo4761]

Thanks for the great info! This keto craze is getting on my nerves. I’ve been laughing at fellow cyclists trying or considering it.

[@superstrada6847]

Excellent, accurate. Sorry to those keto-training fashionistas. Listen to Dylan, he is delivering proper training advice.

[@superstrada6847]

@Progression Junkie Hi. yes agree. I am a cardiologist and actually treat patients with a form of ketosis; diabetic keto-acidosis. It is the ultimate in ketosis. Ketosis is a pre-starvation last ditch attempt for the organism to stay alive. Ketosis is not a diet nor a treatment for anything. It is a state of metabolism naturally avoided at all costs by the body (thats why is nearly impossible for a human to voluntarily enter ketosis). Thanks for your reply. 👍🏼

[@vaughanc4919]

@@superstrada6847 I'm glad you aren't my cardiologist, I'd prefer a medical specialist who is up to date with his science!

[@pirminborer625]

Yes, did that during years with cross country skiing, but fasted you really have to stay in endurance zone and still take a bar or gel with you in case of bonking. Now I cycle a lot and see the benefits of carb loading on performance. Only problem is now I'm constantly craving for sugar, especially in the evening and morning. Put on a lot of muscle mass but same time there's also some fat that goes along with muscle buildup. I will try to fast for low intensity rides, carb load for interval training and more focus on protein and veggies on low intensity days. Got still some excess fat to burn and hope this mix will get me to a leaner state without decreasing muscle.

[@kpsig]

I had the same issue with craving for sugar… I fight that with honey and a little more meat/cheese intake.

[@mattsmith800]

Great information! Wish we could afford a coach. We’d pick you.

[@user-lq6vp9el6l]

I do real fasted riding during Ramadan and it is rough. They key is to keep the ride short and know you’ll eat soon after the ride. I also often do my morning rides on an empty stomach and feel fine. It makes you more use to suffering, but not sure if it necessarily adds to fitness.

[@mrpunchy100]

Hello Dylan, love the substance in your videos. Since the goal of fasted rides is to help the body become more fat adapted, was wondering whether unfasted long zone 2 rides is perhaps less effective than fasted long zone 2 rides?

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Some would argue that yes it is less effective but you have to put it in context of a whole training plan and what you’re trying to achieve.

[@MrKadillak]

One cannot just jump into fasted training wo 1st becoming fat adapted. I used to bonk on long rides, but after switching to eating one meal a day (evening) w no snacking do all my rides and indoor training fasted. Ive done 200km rides fasted w plenty of climbing w only water and I never bonk nor even feel hungry. Im not a racer and fasted riding/training works for me. When I do eat I do have my share of carbs. Intermittent fasting and Keto diet have a similar effect. Save loads of money on gels, bars, sports drinks etc.

[@jacco2952]

Tried it, and although it works for low intensity workouts (especially runs) and it helped me in cycling against hitting the wall (I think), it definitely does not work for high intensity training for me. Also, I love "all you keto people who are drinking butter in your coffee and avoiding the fruit section of the grocery store like it's the plague"! I've heard about buttered coffee; it's just a sin!

[@hitthetrail817]

I laughed because I do all those things. It helped me lose weight, but Dylan’s channel has helped me mix carbs back in and become a better athlete.

[@adonispouchful]

I never eat pre-ride, always waiting until at least 1000 kJ output to begin fueling, unless it’s at a low intensity whereby I push it to 1500 kJ. From then on, I consume carbohydrate at 30-70 g/hr and as either gel/gummy or mix, depending on intensity. I notice that I have better endurance than nearly all my cycling peers. Also, no meat or dairy consumption, but high protein, and carbohydrate level is dependent on energy output for the day. Also note that I’m only 59-60 kg, so 1000 kJ comes at 75 min of more intense riding, or up to 3 hrs to hit 1500 kJ if riding recovery.

[@ttoussaint]

Man! I would love to see a 'best of the reversed hat douchebag'. You're awesome buddy!

[@andrewrivera4029]

Great job! The primary objective of a ketogenic diet and fasting is driving blood glucose and insulin to baseline for the therapeutic and longevity effects as well as weight loss. By attaining metabolic flexibility a top notch athlete also may save themselves down the road as the excessive carbohydrate intake as well as chronically high insulin will speed aging internally and externally.

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

That’s why you consume carbohydrates from whole foods not processed ones. Live long and ride fast, best of both worlds. The research on this is overwhelming.

[@jobacuda4472]

@@DylanJohnsonCycling Sugar is sugar. The vitamins and fiber are good for you and as long as you always train a lot, you are OK. As you get older and slower, the carbs start appearing around your waist.

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

@@jobacuda4472 studies have shown that on average people on a whole food, high carb diet have a lower BMI.

[@jobacuda4472]

@@DylanJohnsonCycling Than whom?

[@bradleycollinsbc]

@@jobacuda4472 than everyone else.

[@fatbikejamie]

Here's what I know from my own personal experience of cycling while fat-adapted eating a strict Keto diet: I recently rode a fatbike on a loop of what is known as the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, NS Canada. 300km over three days with 4100 meters of climbing. I did all three days riding FASTED. I ate 1 meal a day each day at supper for a total of about 1000 calories each of the two nights on the road. No bonking. To be fair I wasnt racing but that said - as long as I stay below anaerobic level (for me 180-190 bpm) i have endless energy. Slam low carb all you want but i was the only one of 28 in the group who wasn't loading up on food... just to make it to the next snack stop. Lol

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

I’m certainly not denying that you can go all day without food on a high fat diet, that’s very evident. If that’s your goal then go right ahead. I’m just saying that it’s not the fastest way to do it and based on the research we have it’s really hard to deny that.

[@raphaeltiziani7476]

Physiologies are often different. One thing might work for you and for thousands others dont. Science tells us what the tendency is and what we can expect but there can always be something "different", especcially when genetics play such a huge role.

[@krane15]

So you maintained stability by becoming less efficient? What is the point in that?

[@fatbikejamie]

@@krane15 not sure how i was less efficient, nor am i sure what i was less efficient at? Certainly not less efficient at burning fat as an energy source! I'm not a racer: in fact nearly 100% of my riding is commuting 16km each way. Longest ride this year before my 300km, 3-day, ride was 40km. 3, 100km days, with 4100m of climbing, while fasted with no training... I think that shows a certain level of efficiency. Maybe i missed the point you may have been trying to make?

[@krane15]

@@fatbikejamie Efficiency = maximum explosive power output. You will NEVER reach that burning fats as your primary source of fuel. Not even close.

[@cagedwolf]

I raced a 6 hour time trial (fixed gear) in a fasted state and set the all time course record. (6-12-24 Hour Worlds in Borego Springs, where I've also been 3rd and 4th overall men in the 12 hour race) I train fasted all the time. It's the best way [for me] to drop the dead weight without compromising lean muscle. According to my opinion, you are topping off an already full tank if you eat a breakfast. Upon waking, your blood sugar is completely normalized, it's exactly what you want it to be, not jacked up with sugars (and insulin). If we're planning to do z5-z6 intervals- no problem, muscles are stocked with 90-120 minutes of fuel for intense efforts. I'm not saying the quality of that workout is not impacted, I'm saying you can do it. If I'm doing a criterium, I will eat beforehand, but not a feast, mostly protein, and no oatmeal (can we agree that stuff is disgusting peasant food?) Also, wait until you are 40 or 50 years old and losing a single pound is a total knife fight. You will embrace fasted training with open arms. As an ultra endurance athlete, fasted training is an advantage. The probability of bonking is nil. In a 12 hour time trial, you are somewhere between z2 and z3 most of the time, which is perfect for ketogenic burn. Also, too much intake can make your pits turn into nature breaks. My two cents.

[@somewhatfrog]

11:12 "that's it, there, i'm out" LOL

[@Gubsminator]

Could you do a video on endurance training for diabetics. Would love to understand how to thing about adding insulin to move sugar into the bloodstream

[@slowerandolder]

Let's everybody keep in mind: racing & training vs all the other kinds of riding; 1 hr vs 3-6 hr vs 12-24+ hr events; general health now vs after; results measured in 6 weeks vs 6 months. It's not surprising that results vary and credit for those results is scattershot.

[@ninamachina5446]

I got an unskippable Zwift ad before the vid... Guess they didn't get the memo

[@ChrisCapoccia]

Haven't tried fasted, but I have tried Tour de Donut bicycle race where you get time subtracted for every donut you eat during the ride (have to keep them down). Definitely the opposite of low-carb

[@christophe3358]

@dylanjohnson what if you do a fasted hour in the morning then eat and do a group ride later in the day of 2-1/2 hours? .... i do this twice a week but haven't tried the fasted morning.

[@jevandezande]

At 6:28 you highlight improved supra-maximal cycling to exhaustion, but that appears to have a p = 0.06, which typically is not enough to reject the null hypothesis (usually alpha ≤ 0.05).

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Great point

[@keviny1498]

Hi Dylan, i read training fasted during low intensity rides in fact increases lactate threshold. It forces the body to produce energy more aerobically than anaerobically and since glycolysis is what produces lactate during anaerobic activity, less lactate for a given power output the higher the lactate threshold? What are your thoughts? thanks and great vid!

[@Cruzzazzerardo]

One question regarding the concept of training high-sleeping low and training low the day after: what do you suggest eating after the hard ride? I guess that to really do a glycogen depleted ride the day after the hard, one should not consume lot of carbs right after the hard training but privilege proteins and good fat. However, I am afraid that this could impair recovery and leave you with heavy legs for 2-3 days. What do you think about that?

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

I wouldn’t avoid carbs all together but I’d keep consumption to a minimum.

[@browar2008]

Hi, since I train early in the morning I can't eat much and then wait 3 hours to digest. Is there any good advice for that? Loading carbs evening day before? Thanks!

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

I'd eat something small and easily digestible like a banana.

[@lmergenti]

Thanks, Dylan. Lots of great info. Question: The studies (from 2010 and 2011) that you cite at the beginning of this video that tested high-fat dieters vs. high-carb dieters used high-fat test subjects who had been on a high-fat diet for only 6 days before testing. But from what I understand from my keto friends, fat adaptation takes anywhere from 30 to 90 days to kick in. Are you aware of any updated studies where the high-fat test subjects have been on high fat diets for at least 90 days before the testing? This seems to be the number one objection I hear about those earlier studies. In doing my own research I did find plenty of studies and research backing the idea that fat adaptation does take that long.

[@4gtg4]

mmm, this is my experience. After being 72 h fasted, ketos are already present in my urine. Indicating that 30 - 90 days is little off.

[@anykarthik]

Do you know if fasted training is a good substitute for base volume training if weekly hours are limited?

[@LukeGJPotter]

Already on my way to Taco Bell 🌮 WWBHDD? What Would Backwards Hat Dylan Do?

[@donmacneil8373]

Tried the fasting and training last weekend. No food for 24 hours then a 40 mile ride. Not very hard riding but plenty of hills. Felt like crap at the end of the ride and did not feel well the rest of the day. Also, did not feel like riding the next day. So I would say its a fail. I have no idea if I taught my body to burn fat. My guess is not with one effort.

[@stevia13]

Hi Dylan. Thanks for this wisdom. I'm an endurance cyclist, but after COVID, injury, age etc, I've found myself trying to lose about 6kg (13 pounds) in weight. I've been 20:4 fasting for about 2 weeks now and, with regular bike / swim sessions, I'm losing about 1kg a week. BUT, I'm worried about effects of muscle wastage, and inability to process carbs of I stay on this fast for too long. Do you have any words of wisdom? Many thanks, Steve A, Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@garthly]

Regular fasted zone 2 training combined with 8/16 intermittent fasting is supposed to reduce body fat. Does it work though?

[@oreallous]

Great videos. What is your opinion of elliptical chain rings

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Planning on doing a video on that soon. Stay tuned.

[@red00tl]

I’ve been doing a lot of fasted training having fasted the night before, mainly for weight control rather than performance enhancement. I otherwise do not follow keto diet; I eat all the regular stuff, just less of it. It seems the main benefit of fasted training is in ultra endurance riding 100+km distance. I’ve heard of stories that the real power of fat(!) kicks in AFTER 100km; the first 100km is reportedly just a warm up, lol. I myself haven’t done anything beyond 100km, so no true power of fat for me, but I’ve done many 80-100km ridings drinking only water and, while I couldn’t lead the group in terms of performance, I felt fine after 100km when everyone else in the group had been busy drinking coke and sucking on gels. I also dropped a lot of weight in the process. I won’t recommend it for pro-athletes, but fasted training does seem to have uses.

[@alexeyalexandrov7583]

Is fasted ride (< 50% FTP, 60 min) considered as recovery or a quality? In other words: if I already do 4 quality workouts per week can I add a fasted ride as the 5th or should I replace one of those 4?

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

The intensity you’re describing is recovery pace so that’d be recovery. An endurance paced fasted ride would replace another endurance paced ride in the schedule.

[@SeraStaplz]

Have you seen any studies that study how long fasted training sessions needs to be to get these effects? As part of weight loss, I have been lead to believe that what you're after is to do a quick workout before you have your first meal of the day because you set your metabolism at the beginning of the day (endo-ecto therm elements aside). This little workout doesn't need to be more than 20min, but it gets you set for most of the day in a burn mode. This is advice I've garnered from my body building friend. Could this strategy be used not compromise your ability to use carbs, but also encourage your body to burn storage weight? Are there any studies that target this variable?

[@carlosgomezzzzzzz]

I do it only because I dont get hungry in the mornings, I was doing it before this was a trend, a nutritionist friend of mine told me to start skipping dinner every now and then, and thats how I got rid of my belly... But I didn't found it to make me faster, its more like an spiritual thing, I feel a lot better doing short rides on an empty stomach, may be a placebo effect, I don't know...

[@fhowland]

I never eat breakfast before my morning ride, which is usually 3-4 hours.

[@lukasttmaster]

How about increased mitochondrial genesis after fasted slow rides? Any science on that?

[@paulz3002]

Great video Dylan. Isn't there a difference between keto diets and fasting? Keto diets require the body to adapt over a period of time to low carbohydrate conditions, whereas fasting is training in an energy depleted state. They may be undertaken for different scenarios or objectives. Personally I am too hungry in the morning to head out the door for a ride without eating something beforehand.

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Yup, you're spot on. I'm also very hungry in the morning, it makes fasted training more difficult.

[@richjlaw]

I think that the most high-profile proponents of keto diets (like Tim Noakes), despite really going against the science in terms of performance, are mainly arguing actually that being a high carb athlete, despite burning that carb and having good bouts of insulin knock-down, still puts you at serious risk of developing T2 diabetes later in life - I think through their personal experience (see Steve Redgrave for an example). Perhaps something to consider once you've been a high-carb athlete for 20-30 years!

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Yeah I’ve definitely seen them make this argument. The rebuttal is simple, consume carbs from whole foods. The research couldn’t be more clear that a whole food diet increases health and life span even when it’s high carb. Ride fast and live long, best of both worlds.

[@richjlaw]

@@DylanJohnsonCycling That's the dream! (Cycling speed record for a 120 yr old here I come! (in 80 yrs time so it's a long training plan))

[@daoodabujacoob3476]

Curious if you’ve ever had a request for an athlete who fasts the month of Ramadan? Every year millions of people abstain from water and food during daylight hours. I’ve always struggled to adjust my program to this practice. Thoughts?

[@6SpeedTA95]

What are your thoughts on 3 training sessions in a 24 hour period? For example, 1 hr on Friday morning, say 6a to 7a, another session mid afternoon like 2-4pm, then Saturday morning another 60 to 90 minutes from 630 to 8 or similar? My thoughts are Friday morning maybe some intervals, then mostly zone 2 work in the afternoon with a bit of zone 3. Then more zone 2 on sat morning.

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Sounds great. This is pretty common in other endurance sports were they’ll often do multiple workouts a day. I’d be interested to see if there is any research on it.

[@CallMeJack08]

So I'm finding my self at a cross roads for next; I just moved to a new area and dont really know what kind of racing I'm going to be doing. Would it be a reasonable idea to do some fasted rides to simply become a more well rounded cyclist, even if I end up just racing XCOs and short course?

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

I don’t think it would hurt especially in the offseason.

[@cfisher642]

I don't see where you have covered the science of blood lactate threshold testing, along with the development of a training plan centering around that number, and its relevance or lack thereof?

[@shewh0rn]

Might be a good topic for another video but what are your thoughts on intermittent fasting? I've been giving the 16/8 protocol a try out of curiosity. I was mainly interested in cognitive and sleep benefits, not so much in losing weight (sounded like woo at first with some of the claims being made but there's some peer-reviewed research to support it). Well... zero cognitive or sleep benefits (a change in the feeding window might be needed to see sleep benefits) after a few months BUT... I'm losing weight... and I'm setting PRs early in the season on my little climb and TT benchmarks. There's a lot of variability to account for there, but weight certainly plays into it and as I was watching (and also having just watched the video on climbing faster) I thought that from that angle, it may be beneficial. This is the lightest I've been since my early twenties. 175 lbs has been this barrier that was impossible for me to break though and boom... no problem with IF. I'm now in the high 160s, and I'm still way below the volume of riding I do in June/July/August. I'm thinking the low 160s, or high 150s might happen. I'm not actually going to deliberately try for it but I've been slowly and steadily losing weight and I don't see why that would be impossible, especially given my activity level is going to gradually ramp up. I'm familiar with the research on caloric restriction that leaves you feeling hungry all the time... it just doesn't work, and you will gain it back! Eating whatever (healthy) food I want, and as much food as I want during an 8 hour window... let's chat in a few years, but it seems sustainable to me, and I have no problem breaking it if I need more fuel for a 60 to 100 mile ride (I think anyone who has bonked, makes that mistake once, and then tries to do anything they can from having it happen again). Anyhow... food for thought. Okay... www.sadtrombone.com