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Fastlane Fasting Friends

MTF

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The last time I did a fast (which also was the first time, I fasted for 5 days)

:oops::oops::oops:

Wow, you're incredible! I've been fasting for many years but mostly just 18:6, 20:4 with occasional 24-40 hour fasts. I wouldn't be able to do 5 days at all. The fact that it was your first fast is crazy.

So I did a bit more reading on it and some sources suggest to take minerals while water fasting, one source suggests 5,000 mg of sodium, 1,000 mg potassium (potassium chloride or citrate), and 300 mg magnesium malate per day.

Yes, I've read various resources as well. Some say it's necessary, others say it's optional, some say 3 days is too short for the body to need anything.

Maybe I'm more sensitive this time. The last time I was able to fast without supplementing anything and felt better than today (though not great).

I'll take salt tomorrow as well but probably won't take other supplements as I doubt I'll be able to get them without any additives. And even if I could get them, it feels wasteful to buy them just for one day as otherwise I don't supplement minerals.
 
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MTF

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Day 3

Day 2 afternoon and evening were very tough for me. In the end I had to take a painkiller because my headache was getting out of control. I took some Himalayan salt yesterday as well. Not sure how much it helps but I'll continue taking it today as well unless I feel so terribly I'll have to break my fast. This time is definitely harder than my previous 3-day fast.

Yet again I had weird dreams, though this time they revolved around food. I mindlessly ate a tiny bit of food (like a spoonful of soup) and then I was disappointed in myself that I cheated lol.

Otherwise it was fairly easy to fall asleep and I woke up feeling okay. My heart rate is a little faster, as if after caffeine. I meditated for an hour (so-so session, I don't have as much concentration as usual), did my leg workout, and plan to go on a walk soon (like I do every day) and it'll be midday already.

If I don't get the same headache and general unpleasant symptoms as yesterday, I should be able to survive until tomorrow.

Hunger isn't an issue at all. It's just the low well-being symptoms that are exhausting. I'm also tired of drinking mineral water.

Other than that, on a mental level, I'm very, very, very grateful that this is just voluntary suffering and not something I have to deal with on a daily basis like so many malnourished people. To not just talk about it, I just donated to Food for Life Global and A Well-Fed World, two vegan hunger relief organizations.
 

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How often do ya'll fast? Every month? Once a year?
 
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MTF

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How often do ya'll fast? Every month? Once a year?

18 hours fasting / 6 hours eating window or 20/4 or something like that: daily

24-hour fasts: spontaneous, depends how the days go (if I'm busy, I don't eat until late afternoon), but usually at least once a month

40-hour fasts: a few times a year

3-day fast: my current average is once per 1.5 years
 

Sheens

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Day 3!

How are you now @MTF? Are the symptoms staying quiet?

Woke up today feeling better than yesterday. Vivid dreams , just not scary. Much improved sleep and no headache!

Also not hungry, I'm tired of the taste of water so really excited to change flavors.

My regular fasting is similar to MTF's. Daily intermittent schedules and easy 24 hours sporadically. Having bulletproof style coffee late morning and then a meal before 6pm is also one of my favorites. Longer than 24 hours is only a few times a year.
 

MTF

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How are you now @MTF? Are the symptoms staying quiet?

Yes, so far I'm feeling way better than yesterday. Just a few hours left before I go to sleep and tomorrow it's done. :)

Perhaps it was a kind of a keto transition yesterday that made me feel so sick. Or maybe the salt is helping.

Woke up today feeling better than yesterday. Vivid dreams , just not scary. Much improved sleep and no headache!

I'm glad to hear that! I was worried about sleep but so far it's been fine. Hope that tonight will be okay as well.

Also not hungry, I'm tired of the taste of water so really excited to change flavors.

Tap water tastes like heaven to me compared to mineral water lol.

Also, did you develop ultra-sensitive sense of smell already?
 
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Sheens

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Yes, so far I'm feeling way better than yesterday. Just a few hours left before I go to sleep and tomorrow it's done. :)

Yeaaa!!! You're so close! It's still morning for me.. this might start to feel like a longer day than I was anticipating :rofl:

Do you monitor keto or adapt your diet to stay in for more than a day or two normally? It could have been the transition or you may go easily into it and this time went even farther than you thought, earlier than you thought. When I'm deep into ketosis, the palpitations are present and head rushes happen often. That's generally too far and the level that would be sought for treating seizures.

I've been doing mostly tap water here. The salt I use is amazing sea salt out of Utah from an ancient sea that's similar to Himalayan salt as you are using! 60+ minerals so I decided not to do a bottled mineral water this time.

Also, did you develop ultra-sensitive smell already?

Lol, yes! The coffee, vegetables, proteins here have never smelled so good.. I'm using a visual method where I actually do imagine eating and tasting it. Calms cravings!

Even all of the outdoor smells are more defined!
 

MTF

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Do you monitor keto or adapt your diet to stay in for more than a day or two normally? It could have been the transition or you may go easily into it and this time went even farther than you thought, earlier than you thought. When I'm deep into ketosis, the palpitations are present and head rushes happen often. That's generally too far and the level that would be sought for treating seizures.

My current diet (vegan) is probably never keto (I definitely eat more carbs than before as a vegetarian) so maybe the transition was rougher for this reason.

Lol, yes! The coffee, vegetables, proteins here have never smelled so good.. I'm using a visual method where I actually do imagine eating and tasting it. Calms cravings!

Hahaha that's some solid mind control right there. I don't feel physical hunger but I wouldn't be so brave as to actually visualize eating and tasting stuff haha.
 

MTF

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Fast Finished

Yesterday was pretty good except for the night. I kept waking up after each dream, then at 2 am couldn't fall asleep for roughly an hour because of a fast heartbeat. I woke up feeling so-so. I did my meditation (tough with your heart racing) and my handstand workout and after 84 hours of fasting had my first meal...

IMG_20210404_083835.jpg

Apple cider vinegar and lemon juice diluted with water. It tastes like sweet lemonade in the summer. So, so beautiful!

Both apple cider vinegar and lemon juice are said to be the best way to break a fast because they stimulate the digestive tract. Now I'm going to wait 30 minutes and steam some veggies. Then some nuts and an apple. Later in the day I'll resume normal eating.

I'm very grateful that I managed to survive this fast because at times it was super overwhelming. Total weight loss is 4.3 kg / 9.5 lbs, but most of it is water weight and will come back. I estimate that I burned roughly 1 kg / 2 pounds of fat.

@Sheens, how are you feeling? I hope that you survived that long day yesterday and that you could sleep well. Thank you for doing this together. It was very helpful to have your support. I'm looking forward to reading your final update.

Edit:

Eating my veggies now. I feel like crying. They're soooooo goooood.

IMG_20210404_092712.jpg
 
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Sheens

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Ahhhhhh, yes!! Way to go @MTF! With all of those aspects pointing towards not having this fast go the full 84 hours, you slammed it!

I'm still in mine, with just over 2 hours to go before 84 hours. Last night tossed and turned and tossed and turned... checked time, 3am... so between 3 and 6am I slept for short increments. Ouch. Nothing physically felt off, just simply not falling asleep last night.

At 84 hours I am going to take a shot of your apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and water concoction. I won't sip on it as the dentist in me prevents letting my teeth bathe in that much acid for more than a couple seconds and will have water directly afterwards to chase it and help balance the pH. Then I might have a cup of coffee with the MCT 8 oil, ghee, and collagen. I won't eat any food until about 86 hours in and will be some type of protein.

Total lost is 8 lbs. but like you it was a lot of water weight for me. I am really curious how much I will put on immediately or if other changes will help to lessen the bounce back. I don't recommend this for the ultimate weight loss goals but it can be a great start to cycling keto and motivation for a more balanced exercise and diet plan! We can physically see the difference in me after these few days.

Your veggies are making my eyes bug out of my head, they look sooooo good!!

Honestly, I might have stopped at 72 hours if I wasn't doing this with you. You are the hero in getting me through this fast, thank you @MTF!
 

MTF

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I'm still in mine, with just over 2 hours to go before 84 hours. Last night tossed and turned and tossed and turned... checked time, 3am... so between 3 and 6am I slept for short increments. Ouch. Nothing physically felt off, just simply not falling asleep last night.

Damn, I can feel the pain. Hopefully you feel better now. Tonight should be a pretty sweet night.

At 84 hours I am going to take a shot of your apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and water concoction. I won't sip on it as the dentist in me prevents letting my teeth bathe in that much acid for more than a couple seconds and will have water directly afterwards to chase it and help balance the pH. Then I might have a cup of coffee with the MCT 8 oil, ghee, and collagen. I won't eat any food until about 86 hours in and will be some type of protein.

How was the concoction? How was your first "real" meal? Any digestive issues?

On my end, no problems. I did everything as mentioned in the previous post and feel fine.

Total lost is 8 lbs. but like you it was a lot of water weight for me. I am really curious how much I will put on immediately or if other changes will help to lessen the bounce back. I don't recommend this for the ultimate weight loss goals but it can be a great start to cycling keto and motivation for a more balanced exercise and diet plan! We can physically see the difference in me after these few days.

I also hope that it won't bounce back and that I'll be able to stay at this little lower range. But we'll see how it goes. The fast definitely made me realize that in the end it's better to control yourself daily than suffer so much for 3 days lol (at least from the weight loss perspective).

Honestly, I might have stopped at 72 hours if I wasn't doing this with you. You are the hero in getting me through this fast, thank you @MTF!

I'd say I was the one struggling way more and you were stronger but let's agree that we're heroes to each other :)
 

Sheens

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I'd say I was the one struggling way more and you were stronger but let's agree that we're heroes to each other :)

I will definitely agree with you! :)

I was going to come back to this yesterday right away and then the day went all off course, lol!

Ended up going 87.5 hours full water fasting, had a meeting at the 84 hours mark and so just kept going. It was much easier after hitting that point that I knew I could break it if I wanted to : )

In a bit of a rush then and no time for the drinks, needed to drive into town. First meal was at a restaurant and not healthy, so I just watched portions more than anything. No digestive issues at all! This would have been a time to have pushed it even farther to have seen how long before any additional changes would be noticeable. Maybe next time!
 
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MTF

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This would have been a time to have pushed it even farther to have seen how long before any additional changes would be noticeable. Maybe next time!

Haha you're crazy. Glad to hear the first day post fast went okay.
 

Sheens

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Lol, yeah that sounds pretty crazy!

It was surprising to me that I went back to loving water so much again right away on the last day, haha. I thought I might be tired of it for awhile and not the case!

The best trick (for me ) to do any even longer fast is to try starting it at as a 24-48 hour session and then just see how it goes! The primary goal would be accomplished and if something comes up with needing to break the fast it is an objective view as to a want v. need.

Now I'm drilling into the daily habits. OMAD or OMAD with bulletproof coffee or IF with 4-6 hour eating window, all options and will be designing around maximizing results! Experimenting with it is exciting!
 

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So I have been fasting the last 2.5 months. I weighed 210 pounds and 5 foot 7 inches. I have lost 35 pounds and weigh 175 pounds. I looked horrible and felt horrible. My energy levels have improved. I was eating out at restaurants and drinking too much beer.

I would skip breakfast and lunch and just eat something small for dinner like a sandwich.
 
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James007Hill

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Let me know if anyone is planning a 72 hour or 3 full day (84 hour?) fast anytime as I'd love to do it with you for the support and accountability.

I have done a 72-hour fast before which is the longest one I've done, but I've also had 3 failed attempts too!

I'm motivated by the health benefits but probably my biggest reason for wanting to do it is the mental strength building opportunity it brings. Like many people in today's society I feel mentally weak. Don't get me wrong, I'm tough compared to "most people" who lets face it wouldn't even consider voluntarily putting themselves through it, but weak compared to the top 10% of mental toughness.

I have personally found fasting to be almost exclusively a mental challenge. I did have some heart palpations during my first attempt (rightly or wrongly I decided to end the fast there on that occasion) and have had the odd other "physical symptom", but by and large I find it's nearly all in the mind. Let's face it, the body should have no problems going without food for 3 days, it's kind of what it's designed to be able to do and cope with, but the mind is another story, it starts screaming at me and whining like a little b***h, and it's dealing with that voice that is the challenge!
 
G

Guest-5ty5s4

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I've been fasting in the mornings and eating light dinners (mostly having big lunches) and have been losing weight consistently. I started at about 160 lbs and squishy and am down to 148 lbs, much more defined. Doesn't sound like much but I'm trying to get to 10% body fat and a six pack and getting pretty close. Just balancing with some other health issues that make it hard to do strenuous workouts.

Once I reach my goal body fat percentage I plan to do a "lean bulk." For reference I'm only about 5'10 or so.

Black coffee is the key!
 

MTF

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Doing a 40+ hour fast today since it's been a long time since my last one. If anyone wants to join, feel free!

I stopped eating yesterday (on Sunday) around 6 pm and will resume tomorrow probably around 11 am so about 43 hours of fasting.
 
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heavy_industry

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Awesome thread!

I would suggest adding a huge disclaimer at the beginning:
  • Use OMAD for at least 30 days before trying an extended fast - your body needs to learn how to use stored fat efficiently (generate enzymes, ramp up gluconeogenesis etc.)
  • Always take sodium and potassium when doing extended fasts to prevent electrolytes imbalances (can be deadly)
  • Never eat carbs when you break a prolonged fast to avoid re-feeding syndrome (can be deadly as well). Always use lean protein to break the fast and don't binge eat right away
  • Do extensive research before trying any health intervention, and seek medical supervision if you are older or have any underlying health condition
Other than that, fasting is one of the best ways to improve health and mental sharpness. It's very hard to do, but that will increase discipline so it's another bonus.

I haven't eaten a substantial meal in 14 hours. Now I'm having a bit of dark chocolate and will not eat anything for the next 24 hours, but will train hard instead.

So it will be a 38 hours semi-fast. :hilarious:
 

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Doing a 40+ hour fast today since it's been a long time since my last one. If anyone wants to join, feel free!

I stopped eating yesterday (on Sunday) around 6 pm and will resume tomorrow probably around 11 am so about 43 hours of fasting.
I've never done more than 24 hours. But am interested in easing my way into longer fasts. At the moment going on Day 4 of 16 hour gap between meals. Will see if I push today to a longer time.

How do you manage your workouts during longer fasts MTF?
 

MTF

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I've never done more than 24 hours. But am interested in easing my way into longer fasts. At the moment going on Day 4 of 16 hour gap between meals. Will see if I push today to a longer time.

How do you manage your workouts during longer fasts MTF?

Let me enjoy my protein-rich post-workout shake first before I respond...

water.jpg

I've never done more than 24 hours. But am interested in easing my way into longer fasts. At the moment going on Day 4 of 16 hour gap between meals. Will see if I push today to a longer time.

What is your limitation when doing these 16-hour fasts? Do you feel super hungry, tired, or have any other physical symptoms?

From my experience - and maybe I'm out of touch after doing this for over a decade - this is only mental conditioning. Physically, everyone should have zero issues fasting for 16 hours (most people naturally fast for at least 12 hours if they don't eat right before sleep and right after they wake up), and most should have no issues fasting for 24 hours, too.

How do you manage your workouts during longer fasts MTF?

I always train fasted so for example, for my MMA sessions (heavy interval training of 60-90 minutes that I finish with my t-shirt drenched in sweat) that start at 1 or 2 pm I'm almost always at least 19-20 hours into my fast, sometimes up to 24 hours. And that's often after one workout in the morning already.

I generally don't see any issues with working out during a 40-hour fast. It should have zero noticeable impact on your performance.

For example today I had a core/balance workout in the morning (50 minutes) and sweated quite a bit. Then went on a short 30-minute walk. I had my MMA session at 2 pm (20 hours into the fast), will do a long stretching session today (probably 90 minutes or more) and tomorrow in the morning (around 38 hours into the fast) I'll do a demanding strength workout.

Having said that, I don't do long endurance workouts except for open water swimming in the summer. I'm not sure how this would work for a purely endurance athlete. I guess I'd do the toughest and longest workout on the first day and the next day on the morning do something lighter if possible.

As for much longer fasts (3-days), I still did my workouts but again, no endurance workouts, just strength workouts and light cardio (walking, cycling). I don't remember any drops in performance.

Last time I had terrible heart palpitations (I assume it was a lack of electrolytes) so if I were to do this again I'd probably take some supplements to prevent that.

Evolutionally, it would make no sense if fasting for a couple of days hindered our performance a lot and that's my attitude with this. I don't think that we need to eat all the freaking time or that we immediately lose all strength and endurance just because we skipped a day or two of eating.
 
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James007Hill

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Going to be attempting a 72-hour fast starting Thursday evening. Done it once before but also had a few failed attempts. Reflecting on my previous attempts I realised that for for my successful attempt I had taken the time to actually write down multiple reasons important to me as to why I wanted to do it. These ranged from specific health benefits to more generalised mental benefits to do with clarity and discipline.

I always want to quit multiple times during a fast like this and have realised that having a "rough idea" as to why I'm doing it in my head is just not enough - having it written down in more detail to refer to regularly definitely helped me get through the inevitable moments of just wanting to give in.
 

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I haven't eaten a substantial meal in 14 hours. Now I'm having a bit of dark chocolate and will not eat anything for the next 24 hours, but will train hard instead.

What is the point of having a bit of dark chocolate after a 14-hour fast and not eating anything for the next 24 hours?

From my experience, a 40-hour fast is much easier than a low calorie (less than 500 kcal) day.
 

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Going to be attempting a 72-hour fast starting Thursday evening. Done it once before but also had a few failed attempts. Reflecting on my previous attempts I realised that for for my successful attempt I had taken the time to actually write down multiple reasons important to me as to why I wanted to do it. These ranged from specific health benefits to more generalised mental benefits to do with clarity and discipline.

I always want to quit multiple times during a fast like this and have realised that having a "rough idea" as to why I'm doing it in my head is just not enough - having it written down in more detail to refer to regularly definitely helped me get through the inevitable moments of just wanting to give in.

Add one more reason: you're going to post about your progress in this thread.

One tip for extended fasts: schedule a lot of stuff in your calendar if possible. It's much easier to do a longer fast if you're busy. If you're at home doing nothing for 3 days, it's much more difficult.
 
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I generally don't see any issues with working out during a 40-hour fast. It should have zero noticeable impact on your performance.
This is very interesting. I’m new to fasting and generally find food to be an excellent boost to my performance. I know I fade on runs or cycling without electrolytes added, which comes with calorie intake (no fasting).

Maybe it’s all mental. I’ll try experimenting next few months with this. You got me curious.
 

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This is very interesting. I’m new to fasting and generally find food to be an excellent boost to my performance. I know I fade on runs or cycling without electrolytes added, which comes with calorie intake (no fasting).

Maybe it’s all mental. I’ll try experimenting next few months with this. You got me curious.

I'm the opposite. Maybe I trained myself this way but I can't even imagine working out after eating. I'd feel heavy and uncomfortable.

I mean, I sometimes exercise in the afternoon/evening as well but these are usually easy workouts like light cycling, walking, stretching, etc. that I don't really consider proper workouts. My core workouts are always fasted.

As far as I remember my longest endurance workout fasted (after roughly 18-20 hours of fasting, I don't remember now) was a 3.5-4 hour swim. I had no physical issues during that swim.

The only issue I have with longer fasts is that I get cold and that may be a problem for water activities and/or outdoor physical activity in cold weather.
 

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Add one more reason: you're going to post about your progress in this thread.

One tip for extended fasts: schedule a lot of stuff in your calendar if possible. It's much easier to do a longer fast if you're busy. If you're at home doing nothing for 3 days, it's much more difficult.
Great idea, I will do!

And thanks for the tip - I'm going to focus on doing that, and ensure the stuff I have scheduled are mainly tasks that naturally get me into a flow state where time just disappears. Last time I had a list of lots of things to keep me busy but made the mistake of them being fairly mundane and uninspiring things, and my hunger screams won that battle!
 
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What is the point of having a bit of dark chocolate after a 14-hour fast and not eating anything for the next 24 hours?

From my experience, a 40-hour fast is much easier than a low calorie (less than 500 kcal) day.
I've already started the morning with some dark chocolate and was not planning to fast today.

But then I've seen this thread and I decided to finish the chocolate, and proceed to do another 24 hours of fasting. :smile:

If I plan to fast and I know in advance that this is what I'm going to do, I don't eat any calories. But even if you do eat a few hundred calories, if you are after a workout and you are glycogen depleted, it may still not kick you out of a fasted state - especially if those calories come from fat.
Not recommending doing this, as I believe not eating anything at all is better, but it's a fun fact to know about fasting physiology.


Maybe it’s all mental.
Might be due to physiological reasons as well.
Your body needs to be very well adapted to oxidizing fat, otherwise your performance will suffer. Doing only 16 hours of time restricting eating is not going to generate the necessary adaptations.


I generally don't see any issues with working out during a 40-hour fast. It should have zero noticeable impact on your performance.
It should actually improve your performance if your sport requires a lot of mental focus.

The only exceptions to this is if you are trying to get exceptionally strong or build a lot of muscle. That's why all powerlifters are fat, and bodybuilders are having 5-7 meals per day.

But for the average human being, it's better and healthier to train in a fasted state, because the workout compounds with the fasting and generates more hormetic stress, which is a good thing if health is the priority.
 

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As far as I remember my longest endurance workout fasted (after roughly 18-20 hours of fasting, I don't remember now) was a 3.5-4 hour swim. I had no physical issues during that swim.
This sounds incredible. For all of my 4+ hour endurance events, eating was a huge part of training. Learning to eat while you race...
 

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