How a 72-hour fast pushes your body into ketosis - Performance Optimal Health (2024)

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How a 72-hour fast pushes your body into ketosis - Performance Optimal Health? ›

A 72-hour fast, or fasting for three consecutive days without any food intake, can help your body enter a state of ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state in which your body burns stored fat for energy instead of glucose from carbohydrates.

Terming it “dangerous”, Dr Gude said a 72-hour fast usually pushes the body's metabolism to ketones and this reflects in the urine ketone bodies (starvation ketosis).

Water fast (24–72 hours)

During a water fast, you are not allowed to eat or drink anything besides water. Most people drink two to three liters of water per day during a water fast. The water fast lasts for 24–72 hours. You should not water fast for longer than this without medical supervision because of health risks.

The 72-h fasting induced significant decreases in glucose level, body weight, and an increase of ketone bodies that confirmed successful fasting of the volunteers. In addition, the median of BDI-2 increased significantly (4 vs. 7, p = 0.006).

Your body may go into ketosis after just 12 hours of not eating, which many people do overnight before they "break fast" with a morning meal. (A midnight snack obviously sabotages this process.) A keto diet keeps you in ketosis for much longer time periods because you avoid carbohydrates, which supply glucose.

What is the most effective fasting time window? Fat burning typically begins after approximately 12 hours of fasting and escalates between 16 and 24 hours of fasting.

Within the first 72 hours of the experiment, participants' bodies used fat stores as energy and, therefore, lost about 12.5 pounds on average of both fat and lean mass.

While a prolonged fast of 3–5 days aligns with the gut lining's turnover rate and facilitates cell regeneration, studies have shown that shorter fasts of around 16–24 hours can still yield positive changes in the gut microbiome, offering digestive benefits without the need for an extended fast.

Longer periods without food, such as 24-, 36-, 48- and 72-hour fasting periods, are not necessarily better for you, and may be dangerous. Going too long without eating might actually encourage your body to start storing more fat in response to starvation.

What are the symptoms of ketosis while fasting? ›

Signs that suggest you are in ketosis include fatigue, bad breath, dry mouth, weight loss, flu-like symptoms, and decreased hunger and thirst.

While you can exercise during a 72-hour fast if you'd like to, avoid long and strenuous workouts. Keep your body relaxed during most of the fast, or choose light cardiovascular workouts for 15-30 minutes. You may also opt for light strength training during a 3-day fast.

Fasting deprives the body of the fuel it needs, so expect to feel tired and low on energy. A lack of food can also make people feel dizzy, weak, or nauseous, and if these symptoms are particularly bad, it is important to eat something. It is also important to drink enough water in order to prevent dehydration.

Try a short fast or a fat fast

Another way to get into ketosis is to go without eating for several hours. In fact, many people go into mild ketosis between dinner and breakfast. Children with epilepsy traditionally fasted for 12–48 hours before they started a ketogenic diet.

We watched hundreds of videos on 3 day water fasts and people reported losing between 4.5 lbs to 12 lbs on their fast. This depends on a lot of factors including starting weight and height. The three-day water fast can be a powerful tool for natural healing, weight loss, and overall well-being.

The choice between a 48-hour and 72-hour fast depends on individual goals. If the aim is primarily weight loss, both durations can be effective. However, if the focus is on maximizing autophagy, some argue that a longer fasting window, such as 72 hours, may provide additional benefits.