A simulation has demonstrated the changes your body could experience if you were to fast for 24 hours.
Fasting is one of many social media trends which has taken the internet by storm in the past few years, which many have used as a method to lose weight.
Experts have been quick to highlight the risks that come with the method, but the fact is that many fitness nuts think that they can get the full benefits from a full day of fasting.
While you can usually drink water or coffee, that food-related craving will be left unfulfilled until the end of the fast, while you may also face some unwanted side-effects.
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Healthline state on their website that 'fasting always has medical impacts and should not be taken lightly', with official advice detailing that you should speak to a medical professional before trying anything diet-related.
While cutting down on the amount you eat with each meal, or the quantity of meals you have in a day, can help on your fitness journey, some have decided to go to the extreme.
Humans, as a species, once had to live with irregular meals, as our ancestors would often go days without anything to eat if it was unavailable, leading to impromptu fasting from time to time.
So, while fasting isn't a new concept at all, with many even practising it as part of their faith, some believe it to be a way to clear dead cells, regenerate tissues, and even boost metabolism in a full biological reset - all while being hungry for a day.
A recent YouTube simulation from elevatemindhq, who also advised to see a medical professional before changing your lifestyle, has explained what happens if you choose to cut food out for 24 hours.
Four to eight hours
While it isn't explicitly explained in the video, the first four hours sees your digestion shut down while your insulin levels drop, so your body starts to burn stored glucose for energy, with your blood sugar levels dipping near the end of this period.
As your body starts to 'dig into its backup reserves', it will use glycogen, another form of stored glucose, for energy.
12 hours
Halfway through, your body will firmly be in fat burning mode, entering ketosis as your insulin levels hit rock bottom, so that your body essentially burns ketone bodies to use fat as fuel.
This can result in less of an appetite and weight loss, in addition to fatigue.
16 hours
This is when your body enters autophagy, which is known as the body's detox mode, recycling and renewing damaged cells, flushing out all the waste.
Cleveland Clinic explains that this gets rid of nonfunctional cell parts and bacteria, adding that it 'isn’t a clear-cut harmful or beneficial process concerning disease prevention or treatment', with there not being enough research to support autophagy as a wellness strategy.
18 hours
At this point, your growth hormone levels can increase by up to 300 percent according to the simulation, while speeding up fat loss by preserving muscle mass.
20 hours
Your insulin sensitivity will increase greatly at this point, with your body theoretically more efficient at processing nutrients when you do start eating as normal again. While it is believed that your mental clarity can improves while your body uses ketones as fuel, there is still not enough evidence to definitively prove this.
24 hours
At the end of the process, 'cellular repair' takes place, with a full reset of the immune system taking place as your old cells will be replaced by new, more effective ones.
Your body will be burning pure fat as all cells work overtime in the body, while inflammation in the body also decreases and sensitivity to insulin continues.
Topics: Health, YouTube, Science, Food And Drink
Joshua Nair