Autophagy
If you want to be in good health, it makes sense to stimulate autophagy. Cells with damaged organelles may become useless, yet they retain protein and/or toxic substances without any purpose. Fortunately, the body has its own recycling mechanism that removes such organelles. Then, raw materials are made available as free fatty acids and amino acids for other functions in the body. Starvation would induce autophagy because the body has a desperate need for these raw materials. Thus, autophagy is activated as a compensating mechanism. At the cellular level, the benefits of autophagy are many. Here is a brief overview:Fasting
When we fast, we fool our body into autophagy because we create the need for recycling cellular components. This recycling is quite beneficial because we are inducing a renewal of the body at the cellular level. With OMAD, we are repeating the process every day. This is because only 16 hrs of fasting are needed to induce autophagy.
Exercise
As it turns out, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and weight lifting break down muscle fibers. Either of these training forms during fasting when autophagy has already been triggered should help the recycling of muscle fibers. Surprisingly, though, it seems that low-intensity cardio exercise also elevates autophagy in a fasted state. With HIIT, autophagy would make available the substrate for protein synthesis and new fiber formation. With aerobic exercise, autophagy helps oxygen transport through the body.
Aging
As we age, we lose the capacity for autophagy. However, those individuals that do strength training at 69-years or older, experience stimulation of autophagy.
What to do?
For years, now, I have combined OMAD with high-intensity calisthenics and weight lifting while fasting. I usually train from Monday through Saturday. I also do play tennis for 1 hr every day, also while fasting. On Sundays, I go hiking instead, for 80-100 minutes, which is of low intensity. Lately, I have incorporated one day a week for hiking instead of HIIT and tennis. This gives me a break in the middle of the week. Not surprisingly, my performance after the mid-week hiking day increases in my HIIT.
My Experience
It is hard to estimate the benefits of autophagy in one’s body, despite the well-documented benefits in the literature. As a 62-year old, I have never felt this good, fit and active in my life. I feel stronger and fitter than in my 20’s, but is due to autophagy? Perhaps one day there will be a way to show that scientifically. For now, I just keep doing what I am doing because I enjoy it.
I am completely adapted to my OMAD and my training, so I feel no need to change anything. The reasons I had for doing OMAD back in 2009 were to lose weight. I remember having an energetic revival as I lost the weight. I felt that my body was asking me for more intense and longer workouts. Now, it seems, that science explains quite well what I did and achieve them. I feel that OMAD and HIIT are a lifestyle I intend to keep for the rest of my days.
For more on Autophagy and Exercise, check the video below:
