How to combine training and nutrition to avoid harming your health: doctor's advice

Intermittent fasting is often presented as a simple formula for longevity. But after the age of 30-40, it can work against you rather than for you – accelerating muscle loss, disrupting hormonal balance, and reducing recovery, especially if you exercise. LIGA.net together with endocrinologist, nutritionist, and sports medicine doctor Alina Moshenska, analyzes which diets really have a longevity evidence base, who is suitable for intermittent fasting, and how to combine sports and food to slow down aging. Subscribe, read, and save useful tips.The key principle: nutrition should match trainingThe basic rule that Alina Moshenska emphasizes is that the type of food should match the energy demand and hormonal response of a particular workout. It is the mismatch between the load and the available energy that most often leads to exhaustion, muscle loss, and hormonal disruptions.Strength trainingStrength training is best combined with a balanced diet eating a diet with enough protein: 1.5-2.0 g per kilogram of body weight (in the absence of kidney disease), and do not forget about complex carbohydrates.Read alsoStyle or functionality: rules of equipment that will save you from injuries in the gymIt is carbohydrates that support the muscle frame and help reduce cortisol levels after exercise. The best option is the Mediterranean type nutrition. According to the doctor, a calorie deficit or severe intermittent fasting during strength training reduces the anabolic response and can lead to muscle loss, impaired recovery, and the development of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).Interval training and HIITInterval and high-intensity interval training requires sufficient energy supply, in particular nutrition with an emphasis on carbohydrates. Performing such training against a background of energy deficit increases the risk of hormonal disorders in both women and men, including the development of the so-called athlete's triad.ReferenceRED-S, or the athlete's triad, is a condition that occurs when the body does not receive enough energy for the level of physical activity that is assigned to it for a long time. This is most often the result of a combination of intense training, limited nutrition, and a constant calorie deficit.At the same time, HIIT is not recommended for people with uncompensated anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, nutritional deficiencies, and clinically evident endocrinological pathologies, including manifest thyroid dysfunction.Walking and low-intensity activityWalking or low-intensity activity goes well with intermittent fasting, Mediterranean diet and moderate caloric deficit within 10-20% of the daily requirement. This combination improves insulin sensitivity without the risk of muscle loss.How to keep your muscles after 30-40 yearsThe most evidence-based approach to maintaining muscle mass after 30-40 years includes:a sufficient amount of protein (1.5-2.0 g/kg) with an even distribution throughout the day (approximately 25-30 g in 3-4 meals);adequate energy value of the diet without chronic deficiency;strength training 2-3 times a week.The Mediterranean diet and adequate protein are the best combination for longevity and muscle.At the same time, common mistakes include:prolonged intermittent fasting without protein compensation;the attitude that "it's not enough for them, because after 40 years they need it";excessive focus on cardio and fear of carbohydrates, which can lead to increased cortisol and decreased sex hormone levels.HIIT and hormonal balance: who is it for?High-intensity interval training may be beneficial for young or well-trained people without sleep disorders, chronic caloric deficiencies, or deficiency conditions, and with normal adrenal and renal function. At the same time, they can be harmful to women with menstrual irregularities, people with eating disorders, after infections, including COVID, anemia, and uncompensated endocrinological pathologies.A safer option is to perform HIIT on an empty stomach, with the consumption of complex carbohydrates after training and limiting the frequency to 1-2 times a week.Intermittent fasting: an anti-aging method or notTime-restricted eating can be beneficial for people with low physical activity, overweight, and in the absence of regular intense exercise.At the same time, this approach can be harmful to those who exercise three or more times a week, perimenopausal and menopausal women, and people with iron or protein deficiencies.Anti-aging is not about fasting, but about combining metabolic flexibility and muscle mass.Mediterranean diet and personalized combinations for different groupsThe Mediterranean diet has the strongest evidence base for longevity due to its emphasis on unsaturated fats, polyphenols, adequate protein, and pronounced anti-inflammatory effects. It works best when paired with regular walking, strength training and moderate cardio – with a focus on daily activity.For people with a sedentary job, a combination of walking and strength training twice a week, protein in every meal, and limiting ultra-processed foods is optimal. In perimenopause and menopause, strength training becomes mandatory, while complex carbohydrates, healthy sleep, and recovery and correction of deficiency states after controlling tests remain important.In case of insulin resistance, strength training combined with moderate cardio with a heart rate of about 110-130, regular meals, protein and fiber, and avoidance of HIIT at the start are recommended.There is no universal "ideal" diet or workout, emphasizes Alina Moshenska. There is a correlation between physical activity, hormonal state and available energy. The key task is to avoid RED-S, the physical activity-related energy deficiency syndrome that triggers most hormonal disorders.Read alsoElite longevity centers and anti-aging boom – what the rich pay for

How to combine training and nutrition to avoid harming your health: doctor's advice

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