Fasting Doesn't Build Muscle

Every few years a new eating trend takes over, and every few years I explain to clients why it isn't the thing that decides their progress. Intermittent fasting is the current one. I don't think it's bad, and for some goals it's a perfectly good tool. But if the goal is to build the most muscle you can with the least body fat, skipping meals doesn't help you do that. Here is how I think about it.

Health and muscle are different goals

People hear the word "health" and picture different things, so I start by separating the two.

I'm here for bodybuilding, for the physique sports. I'm here to coach physique athletes. And as unfortunate as it may be, health, digestive issues, and any other issue not related to what builds more muscle at lower body fat levels is not important to what I do. I certainly think there are benefits to fasting as far as digestive health, but I don't think there are benefits to fasting as far as muscle growth. There's a big difference between eating to be healthy and eating to build the most amount of muscle with the least amount of body fat.

Fasting can look good on bloodwork, and a lot of people use it for exactly that reason. If your goal is general well-being, it is a legitimate way to get there. But the goal decides the method.