Myth 8: Fasting Causes Muscle Loss
If you’re not fasting for more than 48 hours, you have nothing to worry about!
The body stores fat as an energy source when food is digested. So during the fasting phase, only the fats are used, not proteins and muscles.
A major myth about intermittent fasting is it causes significant loss of muscle mass. However, research shows fasting periods under 24 hours in length do not increase protein breakdown or loss of muscle as long as protein intake is sufficient overall.
During short-term fasting, your body first pulls energy from liver glycogen stores, then taps into fat reserves once the glycogen is depleted after about 12-14 hours. Energy from body fat keeps blood sugar stable without needing to break down muscle tissue.
Some loss of intramyocellular lipids (fats inside muscle) may occur, but this does not impact muscle functioning. Only prolonged fasting for multiple days would require turning to muscle protein for required glucose. But regular intermittent daily fasting is muscle-sparing.
As long as you consume adequate protein and resistance training during intermittent fasting, you can preserve lean mass. Shoot for 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily when fasting to maintain muscles.
