Lenten Fasting and Athletes

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Craft92

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Hey all, serious question here. I’m an athlete (training 5-6 days a week, 2-4 hours at a time). I plan on fasting Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, as we are required to do, BUT I wanted to know if anyone in a similar situation has fasted more than that and if so how they did without losing athletic performance.
 
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How serious of an athlete are you? Professional? College level?

I am currently a recreational athlete participating in crossfit and olympic weightlifting, usually training around 2 hours a day. I am also 46 days into Exodus 90, a spiritual formation program that requires fasting every Wednesday and Friday for 90 days, and having no more than 3 meals a day on all the other days (no snacking).

Two days ago I also maxed out my 5RM back squat with a new personal best.

You may be much more advanced than me, or participate in a different sport, but I would say it’s possible to fast multiple times a week and still improve your athletic performance, at least with weightlifting. Try it out a little, like skipping breakfast or lunch once a week and spend the time in prayer, or cut out all the snacking between breakfast lunch and dinner and offer up the hunger to God.

Not gonna lie, back in Jauary I fell sick after training pretty hard after a serious fasting day, so I’m more careful about that now!

If you want to excel in your athletic life, I encourage you to reflect on the words of St. Paul, because fasting is the same as training, and excelling in the spiritual life is of greater value:
1 Tim 4:8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come…
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1 Cor 9:25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.
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Pax, and good luck!
 
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That’s very helpful, although I’m in a more cardio heavy sport, so that may affect things. May I ask if you’re augmenting your calorie intake on non fasting days to keep muscle gains?
 
I understand more endurance sports have different requirements, and I don’t have much recent experience with fasting and say distance running, but as for your other questions:

I have been trying to eat a little more at each meal I do take during the week, trying to mash all the snacking I would normally do throughout the day into three meals, lol, and I don’t shy away from carbs.

Also, as with Lenten fasting rules, milk (whey protein drink) and juice don’t break the fast, so I’ve been drinking those with meals or after a workout to add nutrition that may be lacking. I’m not big into calorie counting, so I’m not taking a very “scientific” approach to it, just trial and error and hoping.

Also, it’s not forever, just a season!
 
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You are not required to if there are legitimate health concerns. If you’re training 5-6 days a week, could you take the fasting day off? On the other hand, if you’re a professional or heavily relying on scholarship money, and you have to compete on a fast day, fasting may not be appropriate for you. In this case, talk to you priest and health care provider to determine if you have such considerations.
 
So I trained Ash Wednesday and was OK, although it wasn’t super intense. I’m just looking to balance my training (for the glory of God and for my body as the Temple of God) and Lenten sacrifices (to, also, glorify a d be penitent to God).
Maybe I’m worrying about it too much, but I just feel I can do something more than the required 2 days of fasting.
 
Craft92 said:
Maybe I’m worrying about it too much, but I just feel I can do something more than the required 2 days of fasting.
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Where it’s not a Church requirement apart from Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, there’s absolutely no cause for worrying, and you should definitely consult with your HCP before taking on any additional and voluntary fasting.

Out of curiosity, how are you fasting? What are you consuming on fast days?

Also - this is not directed at you personally, but more of a sweeping reminder - be sure to supplement the fasting with some type of spiritual growth. Empty dogmatism defeats the purpose.
 
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