Fasted Training: Does It Work & Should You Do It?

[@gcn]

Do you ever do fasted rides? 👇

[@wellfan6698]

Frequently

[@chrisstrider]

Nope

[@harmomic1986]

Always.

[@Treker-yv7nz]

Always

[@gregpirtle1109]

Most of my rides are fasted. I go out first thing in the morning and ride without breakfast. I also limit my total daily carbohydrates to around 80g to 100g. I can easily ride 3 - 4 hours without any food. I keep my heart rate low and trade higher top speed for longer endurance. I have trained my body well enough to enjoy long adventures at the expense of top speed and bursts of high intensity.

[@benjohnson3839]

Rode with a guy recently that hardly took a sip of water all ride, only had coffee before heading out & told me he had adapted to fat burning. I became dizzy mid-ride trying to keep up, but literally had to stop, drink & have an oatmeal bar. This guy also said he went out on all day rides, 200km without needing to eat. Absolute freak, worst cafe Ride partner ever you could say. Lol

[@michaeltan511]

Fasted rides are not meant to make you faster, it’s supposed to make you more efficient… It is ideal for morning z2 sessions, but forget it when you have high intensity intervals planned for the day

[@xcast1]

More "efficient" would translate to faster at some sort of distance - and then can be measured reliably by science. So I guess its limited to few individual (sub-competitive) practical scenarios as the presenter mentioned. Similarly the sci experiments with short term keto training for somehow get improved fat burning combined with re-added carbs didn't prove worth the suffering.

[@jonathanlaue3460]

Agree. The purpose of zone two is Oxygen and Fat efficiency. Obviously higher intensity demands Carbohydrates. The video contradicts the purpose it started with!

[@HowToGetMoreMetal]

That’s exactly what i have been doing. I am getting much faster

[@AKiddGDeux]

Poor cyclist here, riding a borrowed gt zr5000 with a crack in the seatpost 😅 I normally ride empty stomach but if I do luck up and grab a breakfast I feel unstoppable! Quad shot of espresso got me 38 miles on a single speed during a group ride

[@alanfunk2592]

It is amazing what the body can adapt to. When I was in my 20s, living in a small town, and few to none cycling mentors (or videos like this) I decided to build up to riding my 1st century/100 mile ride. I didn't know much about nutrition but as I slowly built up my training my body got used to doing longer and longer rides with few additional calories. While I didn't start the ride fasted I eventually completed a hilly 100 mile ride on a cool fall day and it took 5 1/2 hours (total time as I never fully stopped). I consumed only 2 large water bottles with water and a nature valley granola bar.

[@GalymzhanKirbassov]

Depends on the type of training. Low intensity trainings such as long weekend rides or recovery rides are totally doable on empty stomach, I do it all the time. But high intensity trainings such as intervals, thresholds or hill repeats are different. You definitely need carbs to do these trainings and maximize the gains.

[@donwinston]

Yeah it's "doable" but there is no sensible reason to "do" it. (Unless you get uncomfortable exercising with food in your stomach and small intestines)

[@robertp7209]

I do the same on zero calories for at least 18 hrs, but I’m finished in less than 1.5 hrs. I can do what I want and hard, never hungry before or after. I’m totally fat adapted so it works otherwise i would be in trouble. I have to refuel by a few hours, no longer. I’m not on a high carb diet. Longer than that I will eat light before and during, will most likely be very hungry afterwards as my cue to refuel big.

[@Thewolf_365]

Yeah recovery ride fasted wooo haha it’s not recovery if you train fasted but flame me if you wish but I’ll just request your strava & Instagram

[@donwinston]

@@robertp7209 There's no such thing as "fat adapted".

[@robertp7209]

@@donwinston do you know what it means? Ever heard of ketones?

[@joseemata]

I just started cycling 3 weeks ago. I lost 12 pounds in the first 3 rides. I rode on a empty stomach for 12 miles then 20 and 25 miles. I did hit a wall my 3rd time but still made it through a extra 5 miles. Tomorrow I’m gonna take some snacks with me and see what that does to my body. I love this channel. So much knowledge you all give us. Appreciate you all so much!!

[@ZBritt92]

Losing 12 pounds after 3 rides sounds deeply concerning.

[@indiebikes]

I’ve done quite a few fasted morning rides and have found the key to them being beneficial is to ensure a low intensity so that your body is able to fuel the ride on fat reserves (max 60% of max HR). I’ve always done it as a way of targeting a few kilos of fat stored up over winter. Totally get that it doesn’t work for everyone especially if someone isn’t used to skipping breakfast. I always keep the ride under an hour too, and get out for faster rides at evenings or weekend afternoons.

[@gcn]

It sounds like you are approaching fasted training with real caution, this is great! It's not for everyone and shouldn't be taken lightly 🙌

[@potsiecyclist4474]

I typically try to add in 1 fasted training day once a week at base tempo. For my ultra endurance training it’s come in handy sometimes in my races. Has taught my body to pull resources from other areas when I hit points in race when my stomach needs a break.

[@Breesey]

One tip as someone who enjoys fasted riding - it's not much fun in the winter when it's cold and you need to put in effort just to keep warm. A fasted zone 2 ride on a warm summer morning though is a wonderful thing.

[@wyadvd]

I wonder if being low carb (keto adapted) makes faster rides more productive ? About 10 years ago I was into silly long distance audax rides , and I did a 600 km ride in 37 hours entirely fasted from24 hrs before the ride started until the end of the ride . I was strict keto at the time , and suffered no I’ll effects . Started in Margate and rode to Penzance entirely fasted .

[@swissride4k]

Bicycling is a big part of the future. It has to be. There's something wrong with a society that drives a car to workout in a gym.

[@robglysen]

Can you look at the benefits of fasted training for weight loss in overweight people rather than amateur/pro athletes please.

[@mintygreen40]

One thing that needs mentioning is that the body is a very intelligent machine. It can adapt to circumstances you present it with. Switching from high carb to high fat diet takes some time - maybe a couple of months. Generally this I feel is healthier as you avoid insulin spikes. Every time I go on my 20 mile commute into work it is in a fasting state and have not encountered any negative effects.

[@gcn]

Do you find you have more energy on fueled rides?

[@Felipe_Luzuriaga]

@@gcn I'm not Minty but I really do feel "super" when I ride fueled, and most of my training is fasted. It did take more than a month being able to train as hard as before though. I think you can't have any conclusion if fasting works for you until the third month or so

[@percyveer2355]

@@Felipe_Luzuriaga interesting. if i wear a shoe with a stone in it, then remove said stone, no doubt i would feel super. as was mentioned in the video, personal preference is key. most of the studies seem to focus on performance improvement, whereas many just enjoy cycling and fasted or otherwise may not really affect that.

[@Felipe_Luzuriaga]

@@percyveer2355 Good point, but I do really feel (I know, no science on that) better than before IF. Anyway, I agree with you, I'm no pro, if I think it works for me, is fine. My point was that if you asked me in those two first months, I would have answered differently, but now I prefer to train fasted.

[@percyveer2355]

@@Felipe_Luzuriaga :D interesting. aside from feeling better and it now being preference, have you noticed any improvements or is your focus on enjoying the cycling. personally, i watch these videos with a desire to get fitter, stronger etc. however i find the ideal approaches to be less fun, than just riding my bike. i do lots of zwift cycling and zwift racing which doesnt really help me improve but find fun.

[@JDRELGOR]

Living in Spain I don't normally eat my evening meal until 8.30/9 pm, so in the morning it's normal for me to go riding to burn off the night before's dinner.

[@mamoolaki]

I live in California and work East Coast hours. This gives me the opportunity to finish work early and go on long rides at least 4-5 days a week. After work I’m usually too anxious to get on my bike to get the most out of daylight to be able to ride longer. This sometimes comes with a price which is riding on a non well taken care of stomach. Those days I run out of power after about two hours of riding vs the days that I feed properly before a ride. On another note, this video, by far is one of my most favorite ones about fueling. Kudos!!

[@itshighertobeabayer6598]

I guess that's the biggest difference between PRO and Weekend Warrior. The pro can build his day around the training while the rest of us has to do it the other way round (or atleast should imho). For example i'm often doing a morning run/ride fasted before the rest of the family has awakened and am returning to sit down with my loved ones to enjoy a "brunch" and fuel up. Enjoy your life!

[@mskoren1]

Once again the presenters at GCN love their gels and bars. Hopefully, their not being setup for diabetes down the road. They've never miss the chance to push cyclists to down those bars and gels! Good luck with that!

[@C.Medina]

100%

[@ricf9592]

I've done it. It works. 2000 hours in just over two years. Now VO2 Max 80 plus, and 4 Watts/kg in HR Zone 2 for 100 minutes. 5 Watts/kg for over 20 minutes. The trick is to eat well and correctly hours before riding. Get the energy on board and in those muscles and liver first. Train 98% Zone 2. Don't wipe out the glycogen stores. You need those for the 2% overloading required for power adaptation. Takes three days of optimum ingestion to replace them if you do. If you bonk? make that ten days. Sleep on it. Go!

[@gcn]

Woe great tip! Sounds like you've really put the time into your fasted training. Why did you experiment with fasted training in the first place? 👀

[@ronbell7920]

Hard to believe! Impressive numbers for sure. What team do you ride for?

[@mikhailway]

@@ronbell7920 Indeed! 4w/kg in hr 2? Must be Tadej 😂

[@BulletJS]

3 days or more to replenish glycogen stores? how many grams of glycogen do you think the body has?

[@ffskierdune6226]

Are you a pro? and if not, why not? A VO2 Max of 80+. How did you test? Did you do blood lactate testing to get your true zone 2? I ask because the numbers you state are very very close to Pogi's numbers.

[@dsonyay]

I do these 3 or 4 days a week as part of my zone two rides.. 2 to 3 hours each session. No breakfast.. just water until after ride or lunch

[@izi941]

Depends on the person. I figured out that for the races/training before noon, if they are 1h long (like CX), I get the best feeling and result if I’m fasted that day. But that’s me.

[@VictorElGreco]

Spot on! Fasted training is more about *lifestyle* than about *performance* as far as I can tell. I enjoy my easygoing +/- 90 min. predawn rides, followed by a healthy breakfast. I keep feeling perky and invigorated for the rest of the day.

[@lesliesutherland4080]

Suggest you listen to Professor Tim Noakes, he wrote the book on sports nutrition, then tore it up!

[@C.Medina]

I suggest them many times. Seems that they don't want or their sponsors won't allowed.

[@artdonato]

I do my fasted training on my zone 2 ride and long ride. But during interval session. I carb up. It improves my perfomance in cycling a lot.

[@tinus2801]

I noticed a huge downside to my early Sunday morning fasted rides: I'm somewhat starved when I return so I eat to much breakfast...🤔

[@matchinu]

Body could actually be craving salt and/or water instead of food in that instance. They can feel similar to hunger

[@BulletJS]

4:45 it's a fasted endurance ride. you still eat a recovery meal after, and plenty more throughout the rest of the day to meet calorie needs.

[@herculesrockefeller8969]

I did a 40 mile ride fasted, and I survived, but had no power for hills and sprints. Have never done it again.

[@kdogg7882]

I did a 100 mile ride last September having not eaten anything before. Just had some snacks at the rest stops every 25 miles or so.

[@jimmyryan5880]

You did it once. It takes time to adapt

[@Se0what]

I've read countless peer reviewed clinical trial studies on fasted training. Yes you can mobilize and utilize fats for fuel but it comes at the cost of carb burning rates when you need it at high intensities. So if you're a competitive person and are looking for an edge it's simply not worth it. If you're trying to lose weight it stands to reason that it could be used as an option but intensity is paramount. It slightly differs for each person (think bell curve) but once you hit your lactate treashold 1 or 75% vo2max/ftp whatever you want to call it, you start to burn more carbs than fat for fuel. Glycogen in the muscles and liver range from 2000-2500kcal (400 -425g) and it is nearly impossible to revert back to purely fat burning once you cross over said threshold. Read about respiratory expiration ratio (rer) to understand more.

[@ronbell7920]

Great comment!

[@ffskierdune6226]

Fasting is not to be done when racing or for high-intensity training. It does give you some metabolic flexibility. Fasting during endurance exercise has been shown to help lose weight. Once your blood lactate level goes above 2mnol/Lt (zone 2) the body starts to use greater amounts of sugar. It takes the average endurance athlete about 30 minutes to get back down below 2mnol/L. Chris Froome experimented with fasting and keto. Most of his training rides were done in fasted states. However, when the intensities increased, such as during a mountain stage he would take gels. This would act as rocket fuel. Team Sky also experimented with exogenous ketones that were made by a leading scientist at Cambridge. Tasted awful and was very expensive.

[@markdeane8385]

Fasted ride for weight management...sometimes low intensity sometimes high intensity.....its how I feel on the day....but I do a good food recovery after...😎

[@peacay]

Same. I've been doing 40km/day for a few weeks in zone 2 pace/effort. I have a break at 30km and eat a banana then ride home. I feel there's a psychological benefit, not to mention feeling better unbloated by food, that come into the equation too.

[@swazi5]

If your goal is to improve metabolic flexibility, ie burning fat, instead of glucose, it should work well. Good way to lose weight also. Performance output will obviously not be equal to riding fueled but fasted training can have it's uses. Be cautious either way you can easily overdo it.

[@patrickb840]

This is not necessarily true, I’ve found that I perform better on rides under 2 hours when fasted for 10-14 hours leading up to. Obviously longer rides or longer fasting periods leading up can cause issues.

[@patrickb840]

I should add that my anecdote is backed by over a decade of experimenting - it may vary person to person.

[@gcn]

Caution is the way to approach these things! Taking it easy and not pushing too much 🙌

[@ffskierdune6226]

100% Correct.

[@ffskierdune6226]

@@patrickb840 Chart your blood lactate level at different intensities. When your blood lactate level is under 2 mnol/L , the body primarily uses fat, over 2 mnol/L the body begins to prioritize sugar. No exceptions.

[@MOSloan]

I would be interested to see if there are long-term benefits. When I started fasted, Fat Max, training rides a few years ago I managed two and half hours before bonking. Yesterday, I rode for 5.25 hours, 92 miles, while in a fasted state. Interestingly, the day before I rode fasted but did 16 minutes of VO2 at the beginning of the ride and then 30-second efforts during the last hour or so. I got to 3.25 hours and bonked. I had a great Safeway fuel-up stop before riding 45 minutes home. This showed how it's best to ride steadily in a fasted state, any hard efforts will use up glycogen stores and put a strain on the body. I really enjoy riding fasted. It's helping my body work as efficiently as possible. I don't have any scientific proof to back this up but I have seen my body's ability to ride further fasted improve.

[@gcn]

Great that it's working for you 🙌 What would your tips be for someone trying to get into fasted riding?

[@MoonGenesis1]

I love to train fasted and I do great :)

[@geoffreyhoney122]

Fascinating video and thanks for the scientific dive (& not Si this time amazing! ). Whilst I agree about not doing fasted training per se, for all of the very real dangers mentioned, I have had a lot of success with intermittent fasting (without training). I skip a breakfast after an early evening meal the night before and wait till dinner to eat. No riing during this time. Next day, normal eating and riding/training. My meals are Mediterranean diet style, with the carbs being complex carbs. All of this means fewer insulin spikes and decreased insulin resistance. A resting fasting day gives the whole body a break! Super content! Thanks gcn!

[@gcn]

It's not just Si that looks good in a lab coat 🙌 Why do avoid training when fasting?

[@idjles]

I ride to work everyday 23km one way and skip breakfast. No coffee, only a cup of water.

[@robertp7209]

When you are fat adapted and use time restricted eating, you will not be hungry even when exercising. High fat or keto diets work. Your body converts fatty acids to blood sugar no different if you eat fat through your mouth. Water, enzymes, sodium, magnesium etc supplements are needed. When you do get hungry time to eat - refuel and I don’t mean carbs, and soon after exercising sessions is the best time for refueling on a time restricted diet. Many of us eat once a day, say 20 hrs zero carbs, then in 4 hrs eat. No hunger pains nor cravings nor mental dropouts. I fasted once for 3 full days, exercised twice a day either running or walking or biking, 1 hr each time, never hungry not tired lost 11 lbs. Try different diets for at least a month, my life I’ve been high carb, good carbs, many meals more than three times a day including in between fruit and the like, was not the best for me and hunger was on my heals all the time. Dropouts during the day, cravings, Dozing off, mental fog. Didn’t consume coffee but would have been better if I did I see why others need it bad some can’t start their day without it. No need for it now. Also sleep better. I would say on long hard events to eat light before and during and after I was good and hungry upon finishing. I Zwift hard but no more than an hour by midday on no food zero carbs for at least 18 hrs, have no issues with refueling period a few hours away.

[@SeeYouUpTheRoad]

Correct - but sugar burners will never understand that when you don’t eat 6 times a day you’re not hungry

[@robertp7209]

@@SeeYouUpTheRoad I didn’t realize myself until I tried eating different. Good thing I tried it. Been several years now, never going back.

[@SeeYouUpTheRoad]

@@robertp7209 me either! So simple for work as well. I don’t eat all day. I get a hunger pang here and there then it goes away. I see every one having to take breaks for this breaks for that and eating then snacking and I just blow through the day and fat 20 hours eat in a 4 hour window.

[@ffskierdune6226]

The Keto protocol is a short-term (6-12 months) eating program of high fat intake (up to 90%) and very low carbs(-20-50 grams per day). You are supposed to still maintain the same amount of caloric intake. Most people do not, and this is one of the main reasons why people lose weight (caloric deficit). It is used to address weight loss (metabolic functions) and as a treatment option for children with epileptic seizures not controlled by other medicines. I was on a Keto diet for 3+ years. At higher intensities and racing you will need carbs to burn. Chris Froome was on Keto for a while. He was fat-adapted and on mountain stages, he would take gels toward the end of the race to give himself the extra boost. Team Sky was taking exogenous ketone esters produced by Cambridge University. However, there are no scientific studies on the Keto long-term. Show me a place on the planet that has an inordinate amount of centenarians that are healthy that eat Keto. The Inuit have a high-fat diet but have a genetic abnormality that they cannot produce ketones. Look up 4-HNE. This is a fat molecule that accumulates in the body over time and has been shown to be a precursor for cancer.

[@robertp7209]

@@ffskierdune6226 keto is 70% good fats, 20% protein, 5% carbs preferably veggies low carb fruits. No junk or processed food, is ever good, for any diet. Percentage’s of daily caloric intake. Watch out for high carb diets and stay away from sugar, it’s a killer. Type 2 diabetes is entirely self inflicted after years of high carb diets, with the damage to arteries, subsequent amputations and blindness follows. No cure for diabetes. Don’t live a life on drugs for high blood pressure, cholesterol, high blood sugar. Pasta, pizza, and beer diets work too, for some champion marathon runners. To each their own.

[@richcrompton6891]

Almost all of my training is fasted due to time constraints and not eating my main meals late. I rarely ride more than 2 hours though, but I do push it! My take is that I’ve always done this, so maybe we all thrive on different fuelling and exercise regimes?

[@Tangocita444]

Agreed - we all have different physiology and carbohydrate metabolism in our bodies - so what works well for one person might be extremely bad for another.

[@reeltaiwan]

This deserves a qualification. Older riders are cautioned against pushing it on fasted rides. We (yes, I'm one of them) have to fight for every bit of muscle we gain from our workouts, and we're in danger of depleting muscles as a quick source of energy during an intense workout when there's no ready sugar around. The point of intervals is to increase or at least maintain strength, so we're at odds with our goals if we deplete them. I've decided it's worth having brekkie if I'm doing a workout. I only ride or run for recovery fasted--and it's wonderfully efficient!

[@richcrompton6891]

@@reeltaiwan thank you, I need to think about that as I too am getting older! 56 but feel 36!

[@gcn]

It's great that it has worked for you 🙌 Do you find you have more energy when riding with food?

[@PhiyackYuh]

It really comes down to adherence. If its not sustainable then you wont be able to stick to it.

[@larter_larter]

First of all, I really like the science based approach in this video. I was wondering if you may consider making a full video dedicated to relative energy deficiency in sports, mainly focusing on women cyclist? Most video's only list the risks but don't go in depth. Being a women cyclist myself, I know how hard this is and have been struggling with it quite a bit myself.

[@nk-dw2hm]

Fasted training seems like it could be ok for zone 2 rides. Always keep a snack with you just in case though

[@lynskeyti9940]

I started fasting riding about 2 years ago. I used to suffer from hypoglycemia of unknown etiology several times per week. I haven't had an episode since i started riding like that.

[@MTBScotland]

so long as you are staying in a low VO2 low intensity exercise you'll be burning fat primarily. Glucose is metabolised in the cytoplasm while fat is metabolised in the mitochondria. Fast twitch muscles primarily use glycolysis for their energy which is why you get a lactate build up quickly when you sprint compared to going for endurance.

[@rileynicholson2322]

I tend to work out fasted because I get nauseous if I've eaten too recently. I'll bring an apple or a snack on longer rides, but I am not a performance athlete and work a sedentary job. Aside from sleep, recovery is decidedly not an issue for me. For me, a fasted workout simply results in fewer joules in and more joules out and there's really no downside. I have plenty of joules to spare and honestly the biggest benefit to my performance on the bike would likely come from weight loss rather than increased strength if I started training more seriously.

[@woolfel]

If we put this in perspective, 30 years back coaches and trainers thought the same approach works for everyone. Now we know the training has to be tuned for the individual. The key is to listen to your body and adjust your training. The tough part is it takes years of practice to get good at listening to your body. For some people, having a coach helps shorten the learning curve. Research papers are just tools to help people try out different ideas and see what works.

[@igortrajkov2791]

I do it all the time. Usually I have the last meal not later than 3-4PM. In the morning I can easilly do 50-60kms with just one bottle of water with me. Of course no harsh sprints or racing. Works magic for weight (fat) loss, metabolic health, insulin resistance, mood and overall energy throughout the whole day. But this adaptation or change cannot and must not be overnight or the body will just give up on you. I started with keto and intermittent fasting more than year ago and it takes time for the body to adapt to fat burning.

[@DavidFritzIII]

Exactly the same, started with 3 months of a keto diet 2 years ago and since then I have been absolutely fine on any sub 90km rides without food/carbs

[@davidwitham303]

Agree with Igor and David. He problem with most of the studies is they take carb fuelled athletes and test them fasted when metabolically they can't efficiently burn fat. If you're fully fat adapted on a keto diet that's a totally different scenario and from where I sit works brilliantly with no downside.

[@fabianyee]

I have been on low carb diet since 2015. So i can say I'm fat adapted. I can go on empty stomach for 3 hours of moderate to high intensity ride.... I don't carbo load anymore. Doesn't need to. But u don't go from carb burning to fat burning overnight... Realistically, will need 3 months for the body to get fully adapted...

[@joegamas1194]

This definitely answered something that I’ve been struggling with !!! I’ve tried the empty stomach rides several of times and it has never worked for me, I feel weak, hangry, unmotivated, slower and always ended up with a headache, this video definitely helped me understand it’s not just me, I always thought it was just being too negative towards the idea and I wasn’t putting enough effort or been more consistent with it , it definitely doesn’t work for me, thank you Connor for shining some light into a controversial topic, well controversial for me at least…lol…because I always tried to improve myself and do or follow what riders with more experience do, but I knew from the beginning that it was doing more harm than good to my system so I decided to stop doing it and this video helped to reaffirm that I made the best decision for myself, thank you again 🙏🙏🙏

[@richardmiddleton7770]

This just shows that you are metabolically inefficient and too reliant on exogenous carbohydrates. If you keep going down that path you could end up pre-diabetic.

[@erinerin1231]

My friend fainted and fell off the bike during cycling class the other day. The first thing our trainer asked. Did you have breakfast ？ This has happened on different people so many times ! Our trainer will ask the people without breakfast to leave the classroom in the future.

[@kwtay1746]

That's because these guys were NOT fat adapted. It may take a few months to get fat adapted if properly trained

[@johnwilson1321]

Definitely hard training whilst fasted without the time given for energy adaptations will cause problems. Personally I have now trained fasted for over 18 months and have no problems with either intense or long duration training sessions. The key is definitely allowing for energy adaptation to kick in that can take months of fasting

[@ronbell7920]

I have never seen a "sprint" class were the instructor wasn't bats#@t crazy! It is definitely a high intensity workout, my wife loves them!

[@MauriceWijma]

As a diabetic, I have a very hard time with my training. I always have to get some fast working carbohydrates in to prevent my body from breaking down my own reserves. This might sound very nice if you try to loose weight, but for me it means feeling bad for at least half a day. When I don't fuel up before a ride, it is sometimes like eating half a cake, not just a piece, spread over a long period. I can actually stop that process by eating something. Weird, isn't it? I know my situation is (gladly) not the norm, but it might be interesting to hear how professional cyclists with diabetes handle things like fueling. They are very "hands-on" with many processes in their body. And cycling is a very good sport for those who suffer from diabetes, especially because one can choose between aerobic and anaerobic training, which both have very pronounced effects that they can measure. I would be very interested in a video like that, and I am sure many people who want to know more about their body will value it as well.

[@SignorLuigi]

Great comment. There is a whole spectrum of folks whose ability to process fuel lies outside the norms. They would certainly profit from more (some...any!!!) attention given to best training practices for them.

[@ffskierdune6226]

type 1 or type 2? Dr. Jason Fung wrote a great book on Type 2

[@aceleaf]

Fasted training has its advantages. Especially improving the viability of body mass. And usage of efficient and lasting fuel has positive affect over body performance.

[@MrVindler]

Maybe it should be viewed situationally. If you feel fine before the ride and it's going to be short, then go for it. If on the other hand you're shaky or if it's a going to be a longer ride, then fuel first and delay the ride.

[@glennhinrichsen5999]

From an article years ago, before it had a name. If I am going out for a 1 1/2 ride, I don't eat. Over the time limit I eat. Works great for me.

[@kevin._.farren]

Fasted…sort of, but not bc of advertised benefits. I prefer to ride when my stomach feels less full. I feel lighter, fitter, and mentally more ready to workout in said state. I don’t keep track of when I last ate but rather I just make sure not to eat much several hours before riding.

[@Tom-cp7hc]

I recently rode the 110 mile Dartmoor Classic in a fasted state. It’s amazing what you can do once you are fat adapted and free from the cult of energy bars and gels. Just drank water with some sea salt in for electrolytes.

[@oldanslo]

'Sea' salt is just marketing.

[@elkellenhabla]

That’s a good ride. What your moving time and elapsed time?

[@Tom-cp7hc]

@@elkellenhabla 8 hours 35 minutes. Average speed 12.7 miles per hour. I rode with my 16 year old daughter who is a bit slower than me so I would have been faster on my own.

[@johnwilson1321]

Totally agree once you have adapted to fasting i find you can ride for hours including hard efforts . Feel most people do not fast long enough to allow for the adaptation of bodies energy systems.

[@gcn]

How did you do? Do you think you would have preformed better when carbed up? 👀

[@luzzyrogue]

I appreciate you guys the way get out video contents from a single video interview. Since Inigoo San Millan's interview about zone 2 and such, 4 videos have came out of it. He talked about fast training and stated for 2 hours riding in zone 2 is better to go empty stomach with a bottle of water for your maximising mitochondrial efficiency. But not more or less than that. His riders go along and do 4 hours while fasting. The rest of this video.....leave it to the viewers to call it.

[@benlangleben8266]

Thanks Conor. Really useful. I commute to work by bike and often don’t feel like eating so early so tend to have breakfast in the office. But I hadn’t been sure if that was actually detrimental, especially in terms of metabolism. I cycle for practical and environmental reasons and because I love it, not for performance as such. Losing a few pounds is likely to be my best route to improving my speed, especially now GCN has taught me how to care for my bike and ride clipless.

[@joestorey3210]

It's totally natural. Wake up, do your excersise (hunting), reap the awards (get to eat)

[@chrisridesbicycles]

I did some but it‘s not the right thing for me. The key to burning as much fat as possible is duration at a low enough intensity. What really helps me is planing the average power target and sticking to it as close as possible. It also helps to plan with only 90% of the power your zones might suggest, so you will be safely within the desired range.

[@Mystore123]

I currently had a big crashed, Am not able to ride hard or long. Cuz my hips hurts bad. That's why I started do fasted training to get me the same effects as a long ride.

[@stujm8376]

I have wondered about this for some time, excellent information as usual. As a mountain biker I find these videos are indispensable.

[@gcn]

Glad we could help! Will you now be taking on fasted training? 👀

[@davidferris4299]

I do 1-2 fasted rides a week, 20-25mi at Zone2. I have found a real benefit on Sunday club rides, when you’re all out Zone3/4. My energy levels remain higher for longer before I need to grab a gel.

[@alydude2011]

Yes I ride In a 100% fasted state always. Works for me . I’ll occasionally eat first but no matter how long I wait to digest , even if only a small amount of food , it comes back up on me. Fasted for me.

[@Markhypnosis1]

I regularly do fasted training, but all zone 2. However I have done some more intense tempo outdoor rides while fasted with no lack of energy. Not long ago I fasted for 3 days, and on tjr second day I did a 40 mile ride. Mostly zone 2, but I did do one huge 750 watt 40 second sprint where I got a KOM. Then carried on riding for 30 miles, and fasting right through for another day.

[@barlitone]

The idea of fasted cardio isn't new; I was reading about getting a treadmill run in before eating years and years ago. The context wasn't long-term changes to your metabolism, though. The idea was that by doing this before breakfast, you were forcing your body to burn more fat during the workout than it would if you ran later in the day when you'd eaten one or more meals. It's easy to overdo this though--last year, I did two 40-50+ mile rides with minimal food, and boy were those ever mistakes. I was so pale and nauseous after one of them that it took a couple of hours before I could eat anything.

[@gcn]

Take it easy, fasted training is best practiced on shorter and lower intensity rides. Are you now doing longer rides with fuel or still experimenting with fasted rides?

[@barlitone]

@Global Cycling Network DEFINITELY fueling now! After that 56-mile ride that left me feeling sick, I sought some advice and got schooled. When I did a 65-mile ride later, I brought plenty of food, and I felt great after the ride. Nothing fancy, either: fruit, granola, and Uncrustables (a frozen, prepared peanut butter & jelly sandwich that thaws out by lunch time). Totally different experience.

[@SonnyDarvish]

3:16 that study involved carbs. fasted rides + ketosis is the fastest way for fat loss and great for endurance rides. Basically Z2 burns the most fat and it doesn't need carbs. if sprinting or race is involved, of course bonk says hi at minute 1.

[@richardmiddleton7770]

You still have glycogen stores on a ketogenic diet for higher intensities, it just takes days rather than minutes/hours to replenish.

[@ajc_7]

My dearest mother (a biology teacher at high school) goes mad eveytime I have gcn does science on. She says, to quote: "Mitochondria are the site of respiration and release energy (as energy can be neither created or destroyed)." 😂😂😂

[@zethjugos1250]

This is what i do when i'm shedding lbs. water intake only. I normally go for about 50kms before i feel my body needing hydration. Its good for building endurance, but no power gains. I do think this is dangerous for people who like to push their limits and havent hit it yet.

[@Zone2Cycling]

Been doing fasted riding for a while now. So far so good. All my rides are mostly less than 2.5 hours... 50 miles at the most on flats. If I have to do bigger rides and or hills, I do eat.

[@gcn]

Any bigger it would be safe to fuel 🙌 Do you find your better on those fueled rides than fasted?

[@Zone2Cycling]

I feel the same when I eat. It's just that I don't get hungry faster.

[@michaelmappin4425]

Bottom line, do what's right for you. How did I know it would come down to this? Anyhow, I often ride empty if I'm planning 30 miles or less. Above that, I ride best on 2 eggs, 1 slice of plain wheat toast.

[@kenvysmiguel8817]

I am always on fasted training low or high intensity doesnt feel anything bad even cycling for more than 2hrs. What i have during ride is my DIY hydration wc contains honey bcaa ORS top up with sports drink

[@shyamfootprints972]

I only ride on a fasted stomach. I am not doing it for performance but since I bike early mornings always I invariably do it on a fasted stomach. I find it better to bike first and have my breakfast after the ride on my usual rides that are 40-50kms on average.

[@xGshikamaru]

Honestly, while I can see one do a morning run in a fasted state, for cycling I think it's really dangerous because lack of lucidity could really put you in a bad situation. I would avoid it altogether. If you're interested in getting more efficient at "burning fat" then just ride below your first lactate threshold for days on end, and if you're after weight loss count your calories and build a modest daily deficit. Do yourself a favor, don't bury yourself into a hole, your health is more important than eeking out a little bit more fitness short term

[@chrisbaca278]

I ride 7 miles as fast as I can to work fasting 3 to 4 times a week for over 3 year. It just works for me. My times to work have improved over the years as a result. As well as, my longer rides.

[@belgravedave]

Love your channel but for the first time ever I have given a dislike. So many ultra endurance athletes train and compete near zero carb. The studies you quote are very vague (for instance, no mention of fat adaption and if the athletes in the Meta study were already adapted) and how many were sponsored by sports drinks companies? Then the mention of disordered eating, carb addiction is one of the main drivers. Please get an unbiased top tier expert on to allow a more detailed explanation of the mechanics, preferably Professor Tim Noakes. It would greatly redeem your fine channel or maybe pull the programme and reformulate it, leaving out the sweeping statements?

[@SeeYouUpTheRoad]

Tim Noakes!!! Here here! These are all young kids on this channel and some are former pros. They’ve been sugar burners their entire career. Fat adaptation takes time many of these studies are a week long or silly time frame without having real fat adapted athletes. Dr Stephen Phinney is another one to invite to the show. But they won’t and they will lose credibility with people like me that do 6 hour training rides zone 2 zero calories and 2 water bottles. The body can do a amazing things just stop feeding it sugar.

[@belgravedave]

Dr Phinney, good call, big respect for him. It’s a shame they put this programme out as it makes you question their other opinions. Saying that I still love GCN and the presenters. That’s probably why this oversight has disappointed me so much.

[@SeeYouUpTheRoad]

@@belgravedave I speak anecdotally about fasted training on my channel and post it as titles of my rides. I might have to do a reaction video of this video on my channel

[@belgravedave]

@@SeeYouUpTheRoad Will check it out.

[@SeeYouUpTheRoad]

@@belgravedave did a 3 hour fasted ride today 42 miles 3300 feet and one 4 w/kg 5 min interval and one 4.5 w/kg 2 min interval and on 6 w/kg 1 min interval as leg openers for tomorrow’s 200km event (125 miles 7800 feet) all fasted and no water either. Last meal was 15 hour prior by the time I did the 3 intervals

[@stevegillette9800]

SR did a vid recently all about zone 2 fasted rides improving your mitochondria, works for me being a diabetic on low carb/sugar diet . I'm 61 , 70kg & regularly use intermittent fasting. Podgecar's doc/coach suggests 80% zone 2 !

[@billmccaffrey1977]

A few years (or more) back, I had let myself get out of shape due to living at work on intense projects. I decided to make a change and started running every morning fasted and after the run I fueled on a high protein, high fat, and very low carb diet. I added biking & kayaking on the weekends and keep my diet. This was all just before my 47th birthday and for my birthday I ran 6 6 minute miles in the hills above the river and Kayaked 21 miles in the same day. I had lost 30 lbs and was hard as a rock. I think for this type of fasted training to really work, it has to be a long lifestyle change. I think it can be very harmful to randomly jerk your diet around while training.

[@kpblasko]

Agreed, much easier to get away with jerking it around when you're hard as a rock.

[@stew2742]

I do fasted rides when commuting to work as it's a 45-50 minutes window for me to get work. And then I just wait to eat till it lunch. I feel pretty good doing it that way but I'll never fast if I'm planning on a big day out on the bike.

[@devilsboxcar3925]

#gcn video suggestion……. detrimental effects of endurance training on ‘power athletes’ eg track sprinters

[@Doniyorbek_Turgunov]

Intermittent fasting and keto diet will boost the performance. But will take time the body to adopt, approx 2-3 weeks. Also in Ramadan, it's harder to do exercises or rides (purely my experience), because water or liquid also prohibited to consume till dusk, but the body totally restarts/refreshes itself, killing all "bad cells"...

[@ffskierdune6226]

No evidence that IF and Keto will boost performance. At high intensities, anything over a blood lactate level of 2mnol/L and the body prioritizes sugar. Fat cannot provide this. It took Dr. Peter Attia MD 18 months of very strict Keto for his performance on the bike and in the water to improve. Just so you know, he no longer eats this way.

[@Doniyorbek_Turgunov]

@@ffskierdune6226 thanks for your reply, and does it mean (no evidence) that no any research/s has/ve been made before on this topic?!

[@DerRofflers]

I think the question posed here is wrong, asking if fasted training will improve performance (whatever performance is in this context, I assume power/speed?) is like testing a Ferrari to see if it's a good drift car. Obviously the fast-acting glycogen/carb metabolism is better for short and hard efforts, while people who are training to improve their fat metabolism seem to be more worried about increasing their endurance for long rides. Personally I do 2 of my 5 workouts fasted (on the weekends), especially HR Z2 workouts are perfectly doable in a fasted state. I feel like I can go longer and steadier since I implemented those sessions to my workout plan, could be just the general adaptation of consistently riding though.

[@bryanlabchuk]

I do it and follow the "1 or 2 X 3" system. once or twice a week, for one or two hours, workout in zone 1 and 2. have a good breakfast afterwards and go about my day. I don't have a dataset to work with but I'm always getting stronger.

[@gygabytes]

you are getting stronger because you are riding your bike, that's all I am afraid

[@bryanlabchuk]

@@gygabytes well I certainly dont expect not eating to make me stronger . . . obviously exercising the muscles is what makes them bigger but thanks

[@massimofi]

Thanks for the vid. I love fasting for several non cycling related benefits. Now I am on my 50h fast and came here to see if I can go out for a ride tomorrow just before finishing the fasting. Seems like I can.

[@joanro19987]

I do it when rides the bike and when hit the gym , and feels very good

[@SwazersC]

I'm a zero carbs sugars guy. I am fully carnivore. If I eat a carnivore meal prior to a ride I can manage around 90km without any food, but this is not easy. I'm hitting the wall the last 5 miles or so. Its still pretty decent considering I'm 51 and the ride will around 5 hours or longer. Ketosis works but it can be hard.

[@mitchpaliga4851]

When I started road biking at the beginning of the pandemic, I dropped from 180lbs to 155lbs in 2 months. I was not fueling or hydrating properly. I'm leveled at 170lbs now, (6'1" and 60 years old). I eat and hydrate now!

[@gcn]

Great to hear you've got into cycling 🙌Do you find your results are better now you are properly fueling?

[@ronbell7920]

Hey Mitch! I am 64 and the weight is not coming off very easily this time around. Keep up the good work!

[@monetaryjack1705]

My take on it is exercise while fasted, or at least minimum 4hrs after a meal. But better to feed when you're done exercising. Catabolic for the exercise, anabolic post exercise...nothing worse than a cake stop half way through a ride I never do this, and it's fairly well known that digestion increases heart rate, diverts blood etc so why try and mix two pretty incompatible things? Many folk do OMAD/OMEOD or IF of say 20:4hrs so more hardcore than Ramadan lol and do it 12 months a year. But high carbs will make any fasted activity a horrible affair generally because you haven't truly adapted to living without them. I did a 14 day fast last year, nothing but electrolytes and water. Everyone should try that once in their life.

[@ffskierdune6226]

What you have described is called starvation. Unless you have massive amounts of weight to lose or some rare type of normality, you are playing a very dangerous game with your body and its functions. Kidney and heart failure plus a host of other issues come to mind. I hope for your sake it was done under the supervision of a doctor.

[@monetaryjack1705]

@@ffskierdune6226 Thanks for the concerns, i do indeed have enough excess stores for the 14 days lol, but then so do the very leanest of people. I have been doing fasts of varying lengths (4,5,7 days) for 3 years now with no issues, and have monitored my blood glucose/heart rate/ketones throughout on a daily basis and nothing gave me any concern, no weakness or dizziness, and no doctors involved either. I'm a believer that the body knows what it's doing(it can and will create what it needs (ie glucose for the brain functions) from what's available), and it seems to give every aspect of you a well deserved "break" and a chance for clean up and repair at a cellular level... the mental clarity and focus you get is amazing.

[@ffskierdune6226]

​@@monetaryjack1705 Why? I would suggest you go and have your apoB and apo a-1 tested. I have tested 15 individuals that were doing Keto (3+ years) and 14 all had elevated apoB test results. Short term great, longer-term not so much. Look at the 4-HNE fat molecule that accumulates over time and is a precursor for cancer.

[@monetaryjack1705]

@@ffskierdune6226 Tested where?? There's nowhere around where I live that does that and certainly not on the NHS (which is f**ked anyway).... So an elevated ApoB "may" carry an increased risk of cancer? As opposed to what a lifetime of shovelling in carbs and all the other crap and ill health that comes with constantly elevated insulin (rollercoaster) levels?? I'll take my chances and if there's one thing I've learned in life it's that whatever the government and their "scientists" tell me is good for me it's always the complete opposite direction where you'll find the truth. We found that out in the last couple of years for sure. Thanks for your info though, it's a complex subject for certain and I'm just a layman who knows the "standard" (seed oils, grains, sugar) diet is sh*t, and so is the cult of veganism... Never felt better (I'm more very low carb anyway, on training days) and surely that must count for something?? (BTW I'd love to get all that fancy bloodwork done, a CAC or CT Angiogram etc, would love to know what "state" I'm in(54, RHR 42bpm and maxes out at 192bpm, blood pressure perfect) ....Triglycerides are 55, HDL is 74...LDL is huge(380).... but then again I don't care about the LDL red herring and if I had FH I'd probably be dead already???)

[@ffskierdune6226]

​@@monetaryjack1705 Apo B has been shown to be superior to LDL cholesterol in predicting the risk of vascular events. Furthermore, the apo B/apo A-I ratio has been shown to be a significant predictor of the risk of heart failure, whereas LDL and HDL cholesterol were not. Where I live it costs about $100.00. Money well spent. My wife is a medical doctor who subscribes to; limiting all processed foods to a bare minimum and food is more than just is macros.

[@BladeBarn]

I ride totally fasted of 12hrs every morning 30k as fast as I can. every ride is an 30k time trial. works great for me.

[@stuartgrant1435]

All I could think of at 2:30 was Connor as Father Dougal from Father Ted!

[@timwightman4473]

I always exercise on an empty stomach. I get a stich from hell if I eat a big meal and try to ride my bike or play football. But I'll still eat lunch (when I play at 5). Fasting just sounds taking all the pleasure out of riding my bike and it's for pleasure why I ride.

[@roarman75]

Great video with good information and agree with most of what you said. I have seen the most improvement in my Ironman results because of Fasted training BUT it's included with my KETO diet. So I think it may be more the KETO diet that helped me with my nutrition during my training and especially race day. After moving to the KETO diet and Fasted training, I never ever felt like BONKING or feeling empty during my Ironman races. Also, my race results significantly improved!!!!

[@MrBillboeing]

I usually ride on a fasted state. After approximately 2 hrs I have my first calorie intake. Never feel like bonking.

[@nerigarcia7116]

I usually ride fasted but I'm not necessarily training for anything. My rides are about 1.5 hours and not high intensity but high effort. I initially did this to lose weight plus I didn't like to eat a meal before riding, but after the ride I'd usually have a headache most of the day. I more contribute that to being dehydrated as I don't drink well while exercising or in general. I did find that I didn't have as much energy as when I fuel even though I may have carbo-loaded the night before. So, now I have a small bowl of cereal, granola bar, or banana before I go just to have some fuel going into it. I make sure to eat and drink during and usually my headaches don't appear. Plus, I'm taking it a lot easier these days. I'm sure everyone is different.

[@daviddoran8474]

THE MITOCHONDRIA ARE THE POWERHOUSE OF THE CELL HE SAID IT, WHAT A MAD LAD

[@amishrider]

There are too many variables for a simple "yes do it" or "no don't do it". Long term benefits 🤷🏻‍♂️ but as for the session itself... Your heart/breathing rate ultimately determines how your body uses fuel, which is why fasted training for short, intense efforts (zone 4-5) is going to be achievable for "most" people. Fasted training on a 100k ride that hits all the zones will see "most" people bonk. Lower HR & breathing allow for efficient metabolisation of fat/glucose stores into energy. Higher HR & breathing caused by a greater demand for energy causes a chemical reaction in the muscles where oxygen is used to burn ATP producing lactic acid. The burning sensation we've all experienced many times. The simplest analogy I learned on my PT course was runners; 100m, marathon. You could run 100m fasted, and it would make very little difference to your performance. It burns and hurts but you dont feel like you've used a lot of energy. Try a marathon fasted, and you're going to hit the wall (bonk). If I'm running/riding less than an hour I'm not worried about breakfast. As you've said, Connor, more research is required.

[@janmejayjamdar5277]

Could you please let us know how to plan stops during long rides and what to do during those stops...e.g. how do you know how long to stop, what sort of stretching we should do or not do, whether to just lie down, etc. Also, what electrolytes do we need more during long rides.... sodium or potassium?

[@gcn]

Conor covered some of this in a recent video 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmSzZ4Glotljmqs

[@jolavelle5713]

I split my ride. I do half the ride fasted as it's just easier to get out the door to be honest. I either take breakfast with me or have something light wherever I end up and then cycle back. So I feel like I'm getting the best of both worlds.

[@Necromonger69]

I'm not a nutritionist or doctor but I think fasted cycling affects everyone differently. I'm thinking about giving it a try.

[@wohololao]

2:21 now that's peak editing right here 👌

[@eclipse9440]

I feel sluggish when my tummy is full, I prefer to cycle on empty stomach. Coffee and 2 dry dates are an awesome fuel for morning ride

[@Darsithis]

I used to ride fasted when I rode at 5am. These days I ride around 9:30am, a few hours after breakfast.

[@joehart3826]

Jan Ulrich used to do this, or ride on a single apple.

[@seattlegrrlie]

I never like fasted training. If I'm doing a morning ride I'll have a light carb snack before the ride (crackers, a piece of toast, etc) and then have real breakfast after. Avoids cycling on a full belly while not being totally on empty

[@trevsurfs9060]

|My early morning ride is always fasted if under an hour. Nice to get home with breakfast still to come.

[@leanneearle3652]

I go for fasted rides on the weekends because its more convenient for me and I'm not hungry first thing in the morning and I'm getting better at bringing food with me for whenever hunger strikes