When practicing fast, your consistency moves through the fed-fast cycle, which is characterized by changes in your metamorphosis and hormone levels. This cycle is not alone creditworthy for the metabolic changes that occur during intermittent fast but besides credited with providing some of its health benefits. This article takes an in-depth spirit at the different stages of fast . share on PinterestPhotography by Aya Brackett
Contents
1. Fed state
The feed state occurs within the first few hours after eating as your body digests and absorb nutrients from food. During this period, your blood boodle levels increase and higher amounts of insulin are secreted. Insulin is the hormone creditworthy for transporting sugar from your bloodstream into your cells ( 1 ). The measure of insulin released depends on the composition of your meal, the sum of carbs consumed, and how sensitive your body is to insulin ( 2 ). Extra glucose ( carbohydrate ) is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen. Glycogen is your body ’ south primary form of store carbs, and it can be converted back into sugar as a generator of energy as needed ( 3 ). During this time, levels of other hormones, including leptin and ghrelin, besides lurch. Ghrelin is a type of hormone that stimulates hunger, and its levels decrease after you eat. interim, leptin, which has an appetite-suppressing effect, increased after eating ( 4, 5, 6 ). note that the fed-fast bicycle resets back to the feed country adenine soon as food is consumed during a fast. besides, the size and typography of your meal affect how retentive your body remains in the prey state of matter .
summary The federal reserve system state occurs within the first few hours after eating. During this country, your rake sugar and insulin levels increase, while levels of other hormones, including leptin and ghrelin, shift .
2. Early fasting state
Around 3–4 hours after eating, your torso transitions into the early fast country, which lasts until around 18 hours after eating. During this phase, your blood sugar and insulin levels start to decline, causing your consistency to start converting glycogen into glucose ( carbohydrate ) to use as energy ( 1 ). Toward the end of this phase, your body will slowly run out of liver glycogen stores and start searching for another department of energy source. This intensifies lipolysis, a march in which triglycerides from fat cells are broken down into smaller molecules that can be used as an alternative informant of fuel ( 7 ). Your body besides converts amino acids, which are the build blocks of proteins, into department of energy. many common forms of intermittent fast, such as the 16/8 method, cycle between the fertilize country and early fast state .
summary A few hours after eating, your body transitions into the early fast state, which occurs when glycogen, amino acids, and fatso acids are converted into energy .
3. Fasting state
The fast state lasts from about 18 hours to 2 days of fast. By this degree, your glycogen stores in the liver have been depleted, and your body begins breaking down protein and fat stores for energy alternatively. This results in the output of ketone bodies, a type of compound produced when your body converts fatten into fuel ( 8 ). This besides causes your body to transition into ketonemia, a metabolic state of matter in which your body uses fat as its primary source of energy ( 9 ). however, the transition into ketonemia may not happen immediately as you enter the fast state, but probable late on ( 10 ). As with the fasting state in general, the size and writing of your common diet and last meal, along with individual differences, affect how cursorily you enter ketonemia. Some of the most coarse signs of ketonemia include decreased appetite, weight loss, fatigue duty, bad or fruity-smelling breath, and increased levels of ketone bodies in the rake, breath, or urine ( 11 ). ketonemia can besides be achieved through other methods, including by following the ketogenic diet, which involves importantly decreasing your consumption of carbs ( 12 ). Keep in mind that ketonemia is different from ketoacidosis, which is a dangerous condition that occurs when your rake becomes besides acidic ( 13 ). Ketoacidosis by and large occurs as a solution of illness, infection, or unmanaged diabetes, and unlike ketonemia, it requires immediate aesculapian attention ( 13 ). additionally, bill that forms of intermittent fast that have shorter windows of fasting ranging from 12–18 hours per day may not reach this submit, as ketonemia may not be achieved with fasts lasting less than 24 hours, unless you besides follow a very low carb diet .
summary The fast state lasts from about 18 hours to 2 days of fast. At some point during this state, your body enters ketosis, a metabolic express in which fats are broken down and used as an energy generator .
4. Long-term fasting state (starvation state)
During extended periods of fast, your body enters the long-run fast state, which typically occurs around 48 hours after food intake. Some people refer to this state of matter as the starvation state. In the long-run fast state, insulin levels will continue to decrease and levels of beta-hydroxybutyrate ( BHB ), a character of ketone body, will steadily rise ( 1, 14 ). Your kidneys besides continue to generate sugar via a process called gluconeogenesis, which serves as the main reference of fuel for the brain. Ketone bodies provide energy for the brain vitamin a well at this point ( 1, 15 ). The dislocation of branched-chain amino acids ( BCAAs ), which are three of the all-important amino acids, is besides reduced to help conserve muscle tissue in the body ( 1 ). Keep in heed that long-run fasts are not recommended for most people and should entirely be performed under medical supervision .
summary The long-run fast state, or starvation state, occurs around 48 hours into fasting. During this period, insulin levels decrease, ketone levels increase, and protein breakdown is reduced to conserve brawn weave .
The bottom line
While practicing intermittent fast, your body moves through several phases of the fed-fast motorbike, depending on the come of prison term that you fast. The four phases include the prey country, early fast state, fasting country, and long-run fast state ( starvation country ). Each phase varies based on the chief source of energy used for the soundbox, a well as how it affects your metamorphosis and levels of specific hormones.
If you have any implicit in health conditions or are taking any medications, be certain to talk with your healthcare provider before trying intermittent fast. additionally, keep in mind that prolonged fast should entirely be conducted under medical supervision .