My 72 hour fast experience. The benefits a timeline and my personal protocol.

My 72 hour fast experience.. 

As a former rugby player turned reluctant retiree due to a failed hip surgery. I'm not one to give up easily, so when I was given the opportunity for a second surgery (hip acetabulum reshaping this time) I was determined to do everything in my power to make sure this one stuck. Seven weeks post-op, I decided to take things up a notch and undertake a 72-hour fast. Now, I know what you're thinking - who in their right mind would willingly go without food for three whole days after surgery? But bear with me as some research suggests it could accelerate healing but did it work?

Fasting is the forced restriction of calories for longer than a regular meal window. Pretty Simple. On the internet, you see many different fasting methods: intermittent, intraday Fasting, Alternate day Fasting, calorie-restricted Fasting, fat-only Fasting, water-only, and Prolonged Fasting. The list goes on; things could be more straightforward.

In this article, I will talk about the history of Fasting. The different types of Fasting, the stages, and the timeline of what is happening to your body. And help you understand some of the science behind why Fasting is vital to longevity and recovery. Then talk through my protocol and why I use it in my holistic performance & lifestyle (HP&L) coaching programmes. 

An obvious-ish History

Fasting is as old as our bodies are. The abnormality is that most modern humans no longer fast for any periods and, in fact, have been encouraged (especially in the professional sporting world where I was) to eat as often as every 4-6 hours to maintain muscle mass and increase energy output. Which makes sense from a performance standpoint but at the cost of gut damage and long-term health. Yet Fasting has been practised presumably as long as we have been able to search for food. During our evolution into the animals, we see in the mirror today. Food was not kept in nitrogen-filled packaging accessible for weeks, refrigerated or preserved in sealed containers. No. Food was out in the wild and not wanting to be eaten. So naturally, our bodies would have evolved to deal with periods of scarcity and starvation. In understanding Darwinism, the bodies we all have today developed in an environment where hunger was commonplace. Our Concrete Tundras & Harvested savannahs are unrecognisable to our million-year-old cells, explicitly designed to survive on this planet as it was. 

Fasting today is mainly practised in religious circles. Still, it is gaining more attention as one of the answers to longevity, with celebrities such as Joe Rogan championing the 16:8 fast protocol & Whim Hoff practising more extended periods of abstinence. So what do they know that we don't?

What are the most common types of Fasting?

I'll make it simple because there are so many ways to fast with timings and confusing rules, but generally, you can fast intermittently, abstaining from food for 12-24 hours. Then a prolonged fast for 24-72 hours. Anything beyond this goes into starvation territories, but it's not necessarily bad in a controlled environment. Studies have shown reversals of cancer and Alzheimer's disease (Valter Longo, longevity expert, PhD). Then there are water-only fasting, dry Fasting, or fasting with fluids like coffee and tea or adding fats, all viable calorie restriction options. Still, for simplicity, we will talk about intermittent water-only Fasting & Prolonged Fasting.

What are the benefits of Fasting? A timeline.

Fasting has been linked to many potential health benefits, particularly when it comes to weight loss and overall health. Here is a timeline of some of the benefits that may be experienced during a 72-hour fast:

Day 1: On the first day of a fast, the body still uses its stored glucose (sugar) for energy. This can lead to a decrease in energy levels and an increase in hunger and cravings. Some positive effects can be noticed during this period as growth hormone levels increase between 12-24 hours. Which is great for recovery and anti-ageing benefits. Also, within the 24-hour range, autophagy begins, and gut health improves. 

Day 2: On the second day of a fast, the body enters a state of ketosis, after glycogen stores in the liver and muscles have been thoroughly utilised for energy. The body then begins to mobilise and break down stored fat for energy. This can lead to a boost in energy levels and a sense of clarity and focus. During this stage, the body is in a state of self-repair and survival, directing all of its attention on processes in the body that will aid in catching more food and ultimately self-repair to help survival chances. This is why up to 48 hours in a fast, inflammation decreases markedly. A spike in mitochondria activity leads to more energy per cell. Stem cells start to be utilised for repair, mainly in the gut and organs if there is any damage; this has been shown to have a positive effect on the reduction in tumour size in cancer patients. 

Day 3: On the third day of a fast, the body continues to rely on fat for energy and the process of autophagy (the body's way of breaking down and recycling old or damaged cells) is intensified. This can help to improve overall cellular function and promote healing. Stem cells are now being produced by the body through autophagy. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that can develop into a variety of different cell types. This increase in stem cells could aid in recovery from surgery or injury, as stem cells can repair and regenerate damaged tissue. It was this that I was looking at trying to utilise in my recovery from my hip surgery...

Some additional potential benefits of fasting include:

• Weight loss: Fasting can lead to weight loss by reducing the number of calories consumed and increasing the body's ability to burn fat. 
• Improved insulin sensitivity: Fasting has been linked to improved insulin sensitivity, which can help to prevent or manage conditions such as diabetes.
• Increased lifespan: Some studies have suggested that fasting may increase lifespan by activating cellular repair processes and reducing oxidative stress.
• Improved brain function: Fasting has been linked to improved brain function, including increased production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that plays a role in learning and memory.
• Reduced inflammation: Fasting has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body, which may help to prevent or manage a variety of diseases.
• Improved gut health: The gut-brain axis is now one of the most prevalent areas of study for chronic disease prevention. Fasting has been proven to increase stem cell production as well as autophagy; the combination can repair your gut and prevent autoimmune diseases or even stop Alzheimer's or dementia from forming later on in life. 
• Improved mood: You may not feel it at the time. But once all of the above has happened and your gut has refreshed. The signals previously being sent to your brain from your gut cause; brain fog, low mood, anxiety or depression due to an unhealthy gut linked to poor diet and lack of exercise. It may completely go away. Fasting has been shown to have positive effects on overall mental well-being too.

My Fasting Protocol and Why I do it as a Holistic Coach? 

As a holistic performance and lifestyle coach, I have found that incorporating fasting into my routine has numerous benefits for my overall health and longevity. Here are some detailed reasons why I believe a weekly 24-hour fast and a 72-hour fast every 3 months is a great protocol:

• Weight loss: Fasting can lead to weight loss by reducing the number of calories consumed and increasing the body's ability to burn fat.
• Improved insulin sensitivity: Fasting has been linked to improved insulin sensitivity, which can help to prevent or manage conditions such as diabetes.
• Increased lifespan: Some studies have suggested that fasting may increase lifespan by activating cellular repair processes and reducing oxidative stress.
• Improved brain function: Fasting has been linked to improved brain function, including increased production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that plays a role in learning and memory.
• Reduced inflammation: Fasting has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body, which may help to prevent or manage a variety of diseases.
• Improved athletic performance: Some athletes have found that incorporating fasting into their routine can lead to improved athletic performance, particularly when it comes to endurance activities.

I also recommend starting clients off with an 18-hour fast to reset the gut and allow for a clean diet to be adopted much faster. This can be a great way to jumpstart healthy eating habits and set the stage for long-term success.

It's important to note that if you are exercising during a fast, it's important to take some extra precautions to ensure your safety. Specifically, it's a good idea to take some electrolytes like sodium, magnesium, and zinc to help prevent imbalances that can occur during extended periods of fasting. Additionally, it's important to lighten the load and reduce the intensity of your workouts to help avoid injury. I also like to use creatine during fasting, especially if you are an athlete who wants to limit catabolism. I wouldn't recommend athletes fast for more than 24 hours during a season due to the muscle wastage you may face. If you chose to go for it in season, wait for a bit of a break & incorporate some essential amino acids during training. This will still keep you in ketosis but limit the amount of catabolism.

Overall, incorporating fasting into a coaching programme is paramount to changing your habits and succeeding in hitting the goals you set. It teaches you discipline and has all the added benefits of everything I've talked about in this article.

My Conclusion did it help my Hip? 

So, was my 72-hour fast beneficial for my recovery from surgery? It's difficult to say for sure, as there are so many variables at play regarding the healing process. But I felt a sense of clarity and focus during the fast, and I believe that the increased production of stem cells and the autophagic process may have had some positive effects on my recovery. However, I'm not going to lie. I believe stem cell production will be utilised within the organs, especially the gut to help with survival; after all, the hip isn't considered essential by the body. I did notice, too, that my water intake was too low as I felt a little dry, which could have led to some joint pain. Overall though, after a week post-fast, I felt fresher, my hip felt much better and my skin looked fuller. This could be down to increased collagen production or the fact I put a red light on my face every day. There really are too many variables, but it didn't kill me and was worth the experiment to see because I like putting myself in challenging situations, and this one was no different. 

If you want to undertake a fast, consult a health professional or have your blood work done too, which can be done through us at TRUELABS ( link to book a call)  or ask your doctor. 

Happy new year!! Apologies, this took ages, but I hope you have gained some good information. If you haven't already, you can see my 72-hour fast on my Instagram story @tarmstrong89. If you have any questions relating to fasting or blood testing, or any optimisation techniques & coaching, then please send me a message here or on socials or email thomas@tafit.co 

Have a good rest of your week 

TAF