HOW fasting affects strength training (and why it might be holding you back)
There’s a lot of hype around fasting — especially in the wellness world. But here’s the truth that rarely gets said out loud: Fasting and strength training do NOT mix well — especially for women. If your goal is to get stronger, build lean muscle, lift heavier, have more energy, or lose fat in a healthy, sustainable way, training fasted works against every one of those goals.
Strength training is a stressor. Fasting is a stressor. Stacking the two? Your body feels the impact.
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Here’s exactly what happens when you try to lift on empty:
1. You Have Less Strength + Lower Performance
Your muscles run on glycogen — your stored fuel. When you fast, those tanks are low before you even warm up.
That leads to:
Weaker lifts
Fewer reps
Poor form
Early fatigue
Zero progressions
No PRs
You can finish the workout, but you can’t perform your best. Strength training isn’t about surviving the session — it’s about stimulating your muscles enough to grow. You can’t do that without fuel.
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2. You Break Down Muscle Instead of Building It
Women are more sensitive to under-fueling than men. When you lift fasted, your body increases:
Cortisol
Stress hormones
Muscle protein breakdown
Your body ends up breaking down muscle for energy instead of building it. This is the exact opposite of what you want if your goal is strength, fat loss, or body recomposition.
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3. You Recover Slower (or Not at All)
Recovery is where results actually happen. But if you’re under-fueled, your body struggles to rebuild.
Training fasted leads to:
Increased soreness
Longer recovery time
Poorer sleep
Inflammation
No strength progress
Fuel = recovery. Recovery = results.
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4. Higher Risk of Injury
Strength training requires:
Stability
Bracing
Mind-muscle connection
Core engagement
When you’re fasted, your nervous system is under-fueled — making all of those things harder. Result? You’re more likely to compensate, move poorly, or get hurt.
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5. Hormone Disruption (Especially for Women)
Women are highly sensitive to stress and under-eating. Fast + lift = cortisol spike.
Chronically high cortisol leads to:
Stubborn belly fat
Low energy
Disrupted cycles
Sleep issues
Thyroid slowdown
Mood swings
You can’t out-discipline biology. Your hormones need support, not stress.
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6. You Burn Fewer Calories Over the Day
This surprises most women.
Fasted strength training causes:
Lower energy
Less movement throughout the day
More snacking
More cravings
Evening overeating
Meanwhile, a fueled strength session increases calorie burn for 24–48 hours due to EPOC (post-exercise oxygen consumption). Fuel first → burn more all day.
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So… Should Women Strength Train Fasted?
In my professional experience? No. Not if you want strength. Not if you want muscle. Not if you want long-term fat loss. Not if you want balanced hormones. Not if you want to train feeling strong instead of depleted. Women train better fueled, not fasted.
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What To Do Instead (The Train Bold. Live Wild. Way)
✓ Eat a small pre-workout fuel - 10–20g of protein + simple carbs:
Banana
Greek yogurt
Cottage cheese
G2G bar
Eggs
Oatmeal cup
✓ Eat a real meal after training - Protein + produce + carbs.
✓ Strength train consistently - 3–4 sessions/week is where women thrive.
✓ Stop under-eating - Your body needs fuel to feel powerful.
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The Bold Bottom Line
You’re not weak — you’re under-fueled. Fasting doesn’t make you stronger. Food does. Strength does. If you want to feel powerful, build muscle, support your hormones, and actually see results, fuel your body and train with intention. Feed your strength. Fuel your lifts. Train Bold. Live Wild.
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Your Next Move: Join the 12-Week Rooted Strength Program
If you’re ready to train the right way — fueled, intentional, strong — the 12-Week Rooted Strength Program for women was built for you.
🌲 4 strength workouts per week
🌲 Progressive overload built in
🌲 Fuel guidance that supports your hormones
🌲 Movement that feels good AND builds real muscle
🌲 Coaching from me every step of the way
If you’re done with burnout, random workouts, or feeling stuck…
👉 Join the 12-Week Rooted Strength Program
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Train Bold. Live Wild.
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