Discussing the best supplements to take while fasting may seem a little counterintuitive.
Typically when we’re fasting we want to put as little in our bodies as possible and ideally all we should be consuming is water.
But there are some supplements that we can take which won’t break our fast. Some of these supplements will even improve the benefits of fasting or make it easier to get through the fast itself.
These supplements can be used for intermittent fasting but will especially be beneficial to those doing a prolonged fast, such as 36 hours or longer.
Now there are many supplements out there that I personally love and highly recommend, but here we are just going to talk about the ones that may provide additional benefits when you are in a fasted state.
Electrolytes
There is a reason why this is the first one on the list. Electrolytes are very important to incorporate in your fast and are definitely a must.
When you are fasting, your insulin levels will be very low. And when your insulin levels are low, your kidneys expel more water. High amounts of electrolytes will be expelled along with this water.
So in other words, when you fast you pee out more electrolytes.
Electrolytes are very important minerals for hydration, nerve and muscle function, balancing blood acidity, the list goes on...
These minerals also aid our bodies in energy production. This is critical during a fast because it will help you burn more fat and stay energized while in a fasted state.
Furthermore, a big part of the reason why you may not feel the best when you initially start a fast is simply due to a depletion in electrolytes.
By simply adding these minerals back in through supplementation, you will feel a huge increase in energy during your fast.
There are many electrolyte powders on the market with which you can simply mix in your water. However when selecting one, be sure to watch out for ones with any calories, sugars, or an abundance of natural or artificial flavors as these could run the risk of breaking your fast.
If you don’t want to take all of your electrolytes together, you can always get them each in an individual supplement.
Let’s take a look at how each of the main 3 electrolytes individually may benefit you during a fast.
Potassium
We lose high amounts of potassium while fasting. This is something that needs to be addressed as potassium is a critical mineral in initiating “action potential”.
“Action potential” is the mechanism by which our nerves fire and send information. So clearly there could be some issues if we are unable to do this efficiently.
When you add in potassium through supplementation during a fast, one large benefit you may notice right away would be an improvement in your muscle contractions.
This improvement will help greatly in keeping your strength up in the gym. So this is a very important supplement for those of you that are planning on working out during your fasts.
Now if you think potassium can handle the workload of all the electrolytes alone, think again. Potassium will especially need sodium in order to function properly.
Sodium
Sodium is a big player when it comes to our body’s ability to hold onto all of the other electrolytes.
Therefore when we lose a large portion of our sodium due to low insulin levels, most of these other electrolytes will follow.
Sodium is also critical for retaining adequate blood volume. As we lose sodium, our blood volume drops and this leads to a decrease in blood pressure. This could potentially be dangerous for someone that is dealing with low blood pressure issues already.
This drop in blood pressure also has the potential to make you feel lightheaded. So if you are dealing with lightheadedness as a side effect from fasting, giving your body some more sodium should help.
Now there are some sodium supplements out there that you can purchase, but another easy solution would be to simply add some salt to your water.
Magnesium
Most people are very deficient in magnesium before they even start a fast. This is really a supplement that everyone should be taking regardless of whether they choose to fast or not.
Magnesium is responsible for over 300 different chemical reactions in our bodies. This mineral helps our bodies run more efficiently, especially during a fast.
It also does a good job at helping us relax. When fasting, it is common to feel a little more stressed out than usual. This is normal as your body should naturally be in a state of stress from the lack of food.
Magnesium will help regulate these feelings of stress allowing us to feel more comfortable in a fasted state.
It may also help if you struggle to fall asleep with an empty stomach. This is an issue I tend to have whenever I fast. However if I take more magnesium, it makes falling asleep much easier for me.
Caffeine
Caffeine is an extremely useful tool to get through a fast.
You can get your caffeine through black coffee as it won’t break your fast. But be aware that if you add milk, creamer, or sweeteners, you will run the risk of possibly breaking your fast.
An alternative solution would be to take caffeine pills.
An important thing to note is that your tolerance for caffeine will be significantly lower while you are fasting, so start slow. If you normally drink one cup of coffee in the morning, start with half a cup. If you can typically handle 200mg caffeine pills, try 100mg instead. Caffeine will hit you extremely hard when you are on a fast and you can easily become over-stimulated if you’re not careful.
Now while fasting you should have a good amount of natural energy already, sometimes even more than you normally would. But there will be moments during a fast where the lack of food really hits you, especially if you're just starting out. A caffeine boost can help you get through these moments and stay committed to your goals.
It is possible that caffeine may help suppress your appetite as well. Now I will admit that there are no studies actually confirming this, and there seems to be a lot of conflicting data around this topic. But I think this goes to show that this effect is very person dependent.
So go ahead and try some extra caffeine around the time when your cravings are the worst. If it helps, great! If not, well that’s too bad. I know caffeine helps me take my mind off food, so I guess I’m just one of the lucky ones. Make this a little experiment you can try for yourself and see if you benefit too.
One benefit that is scientifically proven however, is that caffeine increases AMPK production. AMPK is an enzyme that promotes autophagy and fat burning. AMPK does increase from fasting alone, but we can enhance this further with caffeine.
So drink that cup of coffee or take those caffeine pills to maximize your fat burning.
Creatine
Creatine isn’t only for the gym rats. It can actually provide some valuable energy and even increase mental performance during a fast.
Creatine is a natural substance that is usually found in red meats or seafood. Our bodies can also produce it from our kidneys or liver.
I like to think of creatine as the substance that helps our bodies to recycle our own energy.
The main currency of energy our bodies use is called ATP. This stands for Adenosine Triphosphate. The “Tri” in Triphosphate refers to the molecule having 3 phosphate groups.
After our body uses an ATP molecule for energy, it turns it into ADP which stands for Adenosine Diphosphate. This molecule has two phosphate groups.
Creatine helps deliver another phosphate group to ADP to turn it back into ATP to be used once again as energy.
Because of the role creatine plays, supplementing with it will help increase the abundance of this process. This in turn gives us more physical and even mental energy at our disposal, which is especially useful during a fast.
L-Tyrosine
This one is probably my favorite supplement to take during a fast and with it you can expect some great mental benefits.
L-Tyrosine is an amino acid and it is the precursor to the neurotransmitters epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine.
These 3 neurotransmitters play a large role in our alertness, attention and focus. They are also great for regulating our mood.
Because of L-Tryosine’s effect on these neurotransmitters, this supplement will give you a boost of mental energy and may even make you feel better.
This supplement could also be a potential alternative to caffeine, but without any of the jitters.
I personally prefer L-Tyrosine over caffeine while fasting. In fact, there is probably no better time to take L-Tyrosine than during a fast. This is because L-Tyrosine has to compete with many other amino acids to cross the blood brain barrier to have an effect on our brain.
When you're fasted there will be very little competition for L-Tyrosine to get into the brain as your body won’t be breaking down any other amino acids from food. This will allow the effects of L-Tyrosine to be more intense and noticeable.
Apple Cider Vinegar
This one may not be viewed as a “supplement” to most people, but it is still worth mentioning.
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a great option to incorporate into your fast. It actually works very well with fasting to lower insulin, burn fat, promote autophagy and even support your gut microbiome.
As I mentioned earlier, your body increases AMPK during a fast and that leads to many benefits. Well, ACV also increases AMPK and therefore further enhances the benefits of fasting.
While ACV does technically have 3 calories per tablespoon, it actually burns more calories through its process in stimulating the AMPK pathway. So ACV fits very well into a fast and will even intensify the benefits.
Final Thoughts
All of these supplements are great to take when fasting, but they don’t have to be taken only in a fasted state. In fact, I take most of these supplements all of the time regardless if I’m fasting or not.
These are simply just examples of supplements that:
Won’t break your fast
Will help you get through a fast
Will help enhance the benefits of your fast
All of these examples are worth checking out and even trying for yourself. So next time you start a fast, give at least one of these a try and see if they make a difference.
Sources:
Fasting lowers insulin- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-health-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting
Effect of low insulin- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-ways-to-lose-water-weight#TOC_TITLE_HDR_11
Electrolyte overview- https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/hormonal-and-metabolic-disorders/electrolyte-balance/overview-of-electrolytes#:~:text=Electrolytes%20are%20minerals%20that%20carry,base%20balance%20and%20water%20balance.
Electrolytes lost during fasting-https://www.amjmed.com/article/0002-9343(71)90152-5/pdf
Potassium and action potential- https://courses.lumenlearning.com/ap1/chapter/the-action-potential/
Caffeine promotes autophagy and stimulates AMPK- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006291X14017227
Caffeine and perceived exertion- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2005.00445.x
Cognitive effects of L-Tyrosine- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25797188/
Creatine mechanism- https://www1.udel.edu/chem/C465/senior/fall00/Performance1/phosphocreatine.htm.html#function
Creatine mental effect- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4915971/
ACV and AMPK activation- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16630552/