{"id":14752,"date":"2025-06-23T08:43:37","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T13:43:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firerescuefitness.com\/?p=14752"},"modified":"2025-06-23T08:43:41","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T13:43:41","slug":"intermittent-fasting-for-first-responders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firerescuefitness.com\/2025\/06\/intermittent-fasting-for-first-responders\/","title":{"rendered":"Is IM Fasting Good for Firefighters, EMT&#8217;s and Medics?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<p>FRF (Fire Rescue Fitness) was created to help transform, motivate, and educate firefighters, EMTs, and medics to get &#8220;fit for duty.&#8221;\u00a0 One of the things I truly enjoy is researching creative ways to do this!\u00a0 Along with researching fitness, I am also a firefighter (like you) so. I understand how difficult it can be to work out regularly and eat healthy on our schedule and with the fire service culture.\u00a0 One thing I have been experimenting with and researching lately is a new eating pattern that I think can have some great benefit to fire rescue athletes.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TkGF-ylgvns?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Have you heard of intermittent fasting?\u00a0 Intermittent fasting (IF) is a term for an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating.\u00a0 It is an eating pattern and does not address w<em>hich<\/em>\u00a0foods you should eat, but rather\u00a0<em>when<\/em>\u00a0you should eat them.\u00a0\u00a0In this respect, it is not a &#8220;diet&#8221; in the conventional sense. It is more accurately described as an &#8220;eating pattern.&#8221;<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/firerescuefitness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/plate-frf-2-300x232.png?resize=300%2C232\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"232\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Fasting?\u00a0 For firefighters?\u00a0 Humans have actually been fasting throughout evolution. Sometimes it was done because the food was not available, and it has also been a part of major religions, including Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism.\u00a0 When you think about it, our hunter-gatherer ancestors didn&#8217;t have supermarkets, refrigerators, or food available year-round.\u00a0 Sometimes we couldn&#8217;t find anything to eat, and our bodies evolved to be able to function without food for extended periods of time.\u00a0 If anything, fasting from time to time is more &#8220;natural&#8221; than constantly eating 3-4 (or more) meals per day.<\/p>\n<p>Before you write it off, take a look at &#8220;why&#8221; intermittent fasting may be a good option.\u00a0 \u00a0When you fast, several things happen in your body on the cellular and molecular levels.\u00a0 For example, your body changes hormone levels to make stored body fat more accessible.\u00a0 Your cells also initiate important repair processes which as firefighters can help combat all the toxins we are exposed to.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some possible positive health effects of intermittent fasting:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Intermittent fasting can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body.\u00a0 Studies show that intermittent fasting can reduce oxidative damage and inflammation in the body. This should have benefits against aging and the development of numerous diseases.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Intermittent fasting may be beneficial for heart health.\u00a0 Sudden cardiac arrest and heart disease remain to be one of the top killers of firefighters.\u00a0 It is known that various health markers (so-called &#8220;risk factors&#8221;) are associated with either an increased or decreased risk of heart disease.\u00a0 Studies show that intermittent fasting can improve numerous risk factors for heart disease such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and inflammatory markers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Intermittent fasting induces various cellular repair processes.\u00a0\u00a0When we fast, the cells in the body initiate a cellular &#8220;waste removal&#8221; process called autophagy.\u00a0 This involves the cells breaking down and metabolizing broken and dysfunctional proteins that build up inside cells over time.\u00a0 Increased autophagy may provide protection against several diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer&#8217;s disease.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Intermittent Fasting May Help Prevent Cancer.\u00a0 Cancer is a terrible disease and will soon be the number one killer of firefighters.\u00a0 The instances of cancer are higher for firefighters, EMTs, and medics due to the stresses of the job.\u00a0 (<a href=\"https:\/\/firerescuefitness.com\/2023\/01\/firefighter-cancer-prevention-the-top-5-ways-to-reduce-your-risk\/\">Learn how to give cancer &#8220;the finger,&#8221;\u00a0 CLICK here<\/a>).\u00a0 Fasting has been shown to have several beneficial effects on metabolic and cellular processes that may lead to a reduced risk of cancer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Intermittent fasting increases human growth hormone levels.\u00a0 When you fast, insulin levels drop and human growth hormone increases.\u00a0 The levels of growth hormone skyrocket, increasing as much as 5-fold.\u00a0 \u00a0Insulin sensitivity improves and levels of insulin drop dramatically. Lower insulin levels and higher growth hormone levels increase the breakdown of body fat and facilitate its use for energy.\u00a0 This has benefits for fat loss and muscle gain, to name a few.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Intermittent fasting has been very popular for many years and several different methods have been used.\u00a0\u00a0All of them involve splitting the day or week into &#8220;eating periods&#8221; and &#8220;fasting periods.&#8221; During the fasting periods, you eat either very little or nothing at all (you can drink all the water you want though).\u00a0 Then, you eat you good (clean) nutrients during the eating period.<\/p>\n<p>These are the most popular methods for fasting patterns:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The 16\/8 Method:<\/strong> This involves skipping breakfast and restricting your daily eating period to 8 hours, for example from 1 pm to 9 pm. Then you &#8220;fast&#8221; for 16 hours in between.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Eat-Stop-Eat<\/strong>: This involves fasting for 24 hours, once or twice a week, for example by not eating from dinner one day until dinner the next day.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The 5\/2 Diet:\u00a0<\/strong> On this method, you only eat 500 calories on two non-consecutive days.\u00a0 Then, eat normally the other 5 days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/firerescuefitness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Fasting-for-Firefighters_-300x300.png?resize=300%2C300\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve personally found the 16\/8 method to be the simplest, most sustainable, and easiest to stick to. It is also the most popular.\u00a0 I think it is a great option for firefighters, EMTs, and medics.\u00a0 I try to fast 2-3 times per week.\u00a0 All I will do is finish dinner at the firehouse and then not eat anything after dinner.\u00a0 My shift ends at 7 am, I&#8217;ll head home and skip breakfast then eat from noon until 8 pm.<\/p>\n<p><strong>By fasting after dinner at the firehouse, I am less tempted by all the sweets, I just stay out of the kitchen<\/strong>.\u00a0 I also have discovered that I get a little burst of energy mid-morning and have seen a decrease in my body fat.\u00a0 Currently, I am only fasting 2 or 3 times a week and I don&#8217;t start a shift in a fasted state.\u00a0 \u00a0I only do this as I come off a shift.<\/p>\n<strong>Should You Try Intermittent Fasting?<\/strong>\n<p>Intermittent fasting is not something that anyone necessarily needs to do.\u00a0\u00a0It is just one of many lifestyle strategies that can improve your health. Eating real food, exercising, and taking care of your sleep are still the most important factors to focus on.\u00a0\u00a0If you don&#8217;t like the idea of fasting, then you can safely ignore all of this. Just continue to do what works for you.<\/p>\n<p>How to Start<\/p>\n<p>Chances are that you&#8217;ve already done many &#8220;intermittent fasts&#8221; in your life.\u00a0\u00a0If you&#8217;ve ever eaten dinner, then slept late and not eaten until lunch the next day, then you&#8217;ve probably already done a 16+ hour fast.\u00a0\u00a0Many people actually instinctively eat this way. They simply don&#8217;t feel hungry in the morning.\u00a0 As I mentioned earlier, I follow the 16\/8 method periodically and think it is the simplest and most sustainable way to do intermittent fasting.\u00a0 I recommend that you try that one first.<\/p>\n<p>If you find that it is easy and you feel good during the fast, then you can try moving on to more advanced fasts like 24-hour fasts 1-2 times per week (Eat-Stop-Eat) or only eating 500-600 calories 1-2 days per week (the 5:2 diet).<\/p>\n<p>Another approach is to simply fast whenever it is convenient.\u00a0 As in, skip meals from time to time when you&#8217;re not hungry or don&#8217;t have time to cook.\u00a0\u00a0There is no need to follow a structured intermittent fasting plan to derive at least some of the benefits.\u00a0\u00a0I recommend that you experiment with the different approaches and find something that you enjoy and that fits your schedule.<\/p>\n<p>At the end of the day, there is no one-size-fits-all solution in nutrition. The eating plan for you is the one you can stick to in the long run.\u00a0 Intermittent fasting is great for some people, but not others. The only way to find out which group you belong to is to try it out.\u00a0\u00a0If you feel good when fasting and find it to be a sustainable way of eating (like I do), then it can be a very powerful tool to lose weight and improve health.<\/p>\nGive IF (intermittent fasting) a try and let me know how it works for you.\nStay safe and get FRF (fire rescue fit),\nAaron Zamzow\n<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/firerescuefitness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/zam-signature-300x171.png?resize=300%2C171\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"171\" \/>\n<p><strong>Frequently Asked Questions About Intermittent Fasting<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Here are answers to the most common questions about intermittent fasting.<\/p>\n<p>1. Can I drink liquids during the fast?<\/p>\n<p>Yes. Water, coffee, tea, and other non-caloric beverages are fine. Do not add sugar to your coffee. Small amounts of milk or cream may be okay.<\/p>\n<p>Coffee can be particularly beneficial during a fast because it can blunt hunger.<\/p>\n<p>2. Isn&#8217;t it unhealthy to skip breakfast?<\/p>\n<p>No. The problem is that most stereotypical breakfast skippers have unhealthy lifestyles. If you make sure to eat healthy food for the rest of the day then it is fine.<\/p>\n<p>3. Can I take supplements while fasting?<\/p>\n<p>Yes. However, keep in mind that some supplements (like fat-soluble vitamins) may work better when taken with meals.<\/p>\n<p>4. Can I work out while fasted?<\/p>\n<p>Yes, fasted workouts are fine. Some people recommend taking branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) before a fasted workout.\u00a0 I do not recommend working on-shift in a fasted state, in case you get called on that 8 hour fire call&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>5. Will fasting slow down my metabolism?<\/p>\n<p>No. Studies show that short-term fasts actually boost metabolism.\u00a0 However, longer fasts (3 days or more) can suppress metabolism.<\/p>\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/firerescuefitness.com\/product\/better-every-shift-challenge-round-1\/\">Nutrition can be confusing.\u00a0 Every FRF Workout program includes Healthy Eating Guides and Recipes.\u00a0 These guidelines are easy to follow and will help teach you how to eat healthily.\u00a0 \u00a0Click here to discover the best program for you to start with.<\/a><\/h4>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/firerescuefitness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/time-to-create-your-frf-story-smaller.png?resize=300%2C232&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"232\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Resources<\/strong><\/p>\nhttps:\/\/www.healthline.com\/nutrition\/10-health-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting#section5\nhttps:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/3245934\nhttp:\/\/www.lift-heavy.com\/intermittent-fasting\/\nhttps:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S193152441400200X\nhttps:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/17291990\/\nhttps:\/\/www.healthline.com\/nutrition\/intermittent-fasting-and-weight-loss\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fasting for first responders?  Yes, this eating technique can help manage stress, curb cravings and keep you healthy.  Click the link to read and watch all about it.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":14942,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Fasting for first responders?  Yes, this eating technique can help manage stress, curb cravings and keep you healthy.  Click the link to read and watch all about it.  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