The FastDay Forum

Am I asking for trouble? The weather has been so beautiful in New Jersey I've started running outside again (about 3 miles a run but I increase the length of my runs every couple of weeks, last summer my longest run was 7 miles)...What do you think? Maybe I could do short ones on fast days without getting hungry? Or should I stick to walking?

I've always run on fast days without any problem at all. I feel a little lightheaded if I run first thing in the morning the day AFTER a fast dau (before eating anything). But no problems at all on a fast day.

I also run on fast days with no problem (did 12k total for the first time last night including warm up/cool down). Weekend runs are always done before breakfast, so technically on a fast too as I eat quite early in the evening - again no problems doing it this way.

[janeg]

If you run or do exercise on a fast day, you will have the her serves from the previous eating day to draw on. I would have though that,mike Franglasie says,mthe day after a fast is tougher, because ther is little to draw on.
Having said this, I have only managed to swim on fast days - there is something stopping me exercising on fast days! On the day after, I find rowing intervals TOUGH! They're tough anyway :

I've exercised on fast days with no problems at all, I don't think it's made me any hungrier, and I've had as much energy and stamina. It's all been morning or early arvo though, not sure how I'd go late arvo or evening.

I had a personal training session on the afternoon of my fast day on Monday. I had a small snack before hand (protein bar, 120 kCal), because I was worried about such a high intensity session, but I was fine. I wasn't even hungry when I left the gym! Next week I'm tempted to forgo the snack completely but make sure I eat really well on the Sunday

I find running the day after a fast day is harder than running on a fast day, as others have said you still have the reserves from the previous day. I don't run very fast or very far though!

There's no one common answer - I run on fast days, and I've run the morning after fast days, with no problems. But they've been short runs (around 5k, 3 miles) Not sure I'd attempt a longer endurance run on a fast day.

Great idea.

Alright then I'm going to give a short one a try!

I would say in my experience it's a good idea. I've run, cycled, swam. played football, played tennis etc all either on low cal days or immediately after.
If anything I would say that I feel better exercising. I feel lighter, more mobile and more energetic. However, I believe that there may be a gender difference in the response to exercise and the women can have more of a tendency not to get on so well mixing fasting days and exercise.
Just start of gently and see how you go.

Hi, I am an endurance runner and I train regularly during the week going from 10k to 15k during weekdays and up to 35k for training on Sundays (not counting longer distances during my races). I have not experienced problems and moreover I, before starting this diet, was doing on purpose runs without eating. It helps the body to look for fuel in the fat since glycogen is not available, therefore good news. I think that you can run no problem and will see with time that it doesn't affect your performance. Just the other day I did for the first time an entire day of fasting (saved for dinner my cals) and went for a 15k run in the afternoon and I had a great time. Of course If I have race, I eat plenty of food doing carbo loading, but that's a different story.
Ciao,
J

I am on my second fast day and ran 9 miles at 2:30. For breakfast I had 200 calories of yogurt and coffee. I usually suffer from low blood sugar but I was fine.