Key Takeaways

• Fasting is abstaining from all food–or limiting food to a lower, set amount–for a predetermined period of time.

• Many different types of fasting protocols exist, many so that one can lose significant amounts of weight.

• 16/8, 12/12, OMAD, 5:2 and Alternate-Day are all different forms of fasting and limiting food so that one can reap the physiological benefits of a fasted state.

• Taking Essential Amino Acids (such as in our Muscle Synthesis Activator) before, during and after a fast will allow for lean mass to be preserved while the body has insufficient calories for muscle growth.

• Enhance gains with Oh!mino® Muscle Synthesis Activator and Creatine Complex, delivering all nine essential amino acids, including BCAAs, electrolytes, and adaptogens to accelerate muscle growth, recovery, and performance.

Oh!mino and Fasting: Your Guide to Sustained Muscle and Energy

Fasting is a popular dieting strategy, either to lose weight and/or to reap certain health benefits achieved primarily through fasting.  With various fasting practices come certain risks and drawbacks.  It is important for the individual to prioritize saving and building lean mass, even during a fast.  This is best achieved by supplementing with Essential Amino Acids.  Read below for a brief overview of the popular forms of fasting, as well as how to best utilize Essential Amino Acids during these diets.

What is Fasting?

Fasting is the process of abstaining from food for a predetermined set of time in order to reap certain health benefits, to lose weight or to practice spiritual discipline.  Many different shades of fasting have passed through the public consciousness, each one promising slightly different or superior results.  To understand fasting more thoroughly, look at the benefits and drawbacks of the popular types.

Benefits

The general benefits of fasting are numerous, and you can read on to see in detail the different benefits that each type of fasting promotes.  Overall, fasting helps the individual lose weight and shed toxins that the body has been holding on to.  It is also an excellent way to increase one’s discipline and self control.

Drawbacks

Alongside the many benefits of fasting are the numerous drawbacks and factors to consider.  Prolonged periods without adequate protein and caloric intake is likely to reduce muscle mass.  Additionally, performing physical activities while fasted holds a higher risk of symptoms such as lightheadedness, fatigue and/or an elevated heart rate.

Different Types

There are many different types of fasting available to try; variations of the following fasting programs are many and one can try a modification if the original plan does not quite fit their needs or plans.  Read on to discover the benefits and drawbacks of 16/8, 12/12, OMAD, 5:2 and Alternate Day fasting programs.  Throughout any fasting regimen, Essential Amino Acids will help one to maintain muscle mass and give one enough energy to complete daily tasks.

16/8

16/8 stands for 16 hours of fasting per day with an eight hour window for food consumption.  One can spread this out during the day in any fashion, i.e. fasting from 8pm-12pm, eating from 12pm-8pm.  This window can be tweaked according to one’s daily needs and schedule.

Benefits

This fasting program is one of the more intense schedules to follow; this schedule is not for prolonged adherence.  Fasting 16 hours per day results in 32 hours of fasting every two days, which may feel extreme for some individuals.  However, if one is trying to lose a significant amount of weight, starting with this schedule will kick off the weight loss with a strong start.

Drawbacks

The primary drawback of this type of fasting is its intensity.  16 hour daily fasts are intense and may not be for the individual who is not familiar with fasting.  If this fast is kept for a long period of time, muscle mass will be lost and the individual will experience fatigue and brain fog.  If choosing this fast, it is best to have a set end date so that one can avoid the negative side effects.

Benefits of Essential Amino Acids

Consuming Essential Amino Acids during a fasting period will technically break a fast, however, the calories from EAAs are not digested in the same way as food.  Many take EAAs during a fast to maintain lean mass without dietary calories.  Even if only consumed during the eight hour consumption window, it will be helpful for preserving lean mass.  A supplement such as our Muscle Synthesis Activator will give the body enough amino acids to hold on to muscle mass during the fasting periods.

Woman showing weight loss results by pulling at loose-fitting jeans.

12/12

The 12/12 fast is similar to the 16/8 fast: the individual fasts for 12 hours followed by a 12 hour consumption window.  This could look like fasting from 8pm-8am, with the consumption window of 8am-8pm.  This style of fasting is somewhat easier than the 16/8 fast and may feel more appropriate for one who is not used to fasting protocols.

Benefits

This is a solid option for the individual who has already hit their goal weight (it can be hard to gain weight with a day’s worth of fasting every two days).  The timing of this particular fast is more achievable for someone who desires for their body to get used to the process of fasting.  It also allows more flexibility with the amount of time available to eat food.

Drawbacks

This style of fasting is mainly for those who have reached a weight that they are satisfied with.  It can be somewhat difficult to lose significant amounts of weight and/or gain much weight on this diet.  It is a simple diet to follow, but due to its simplicity, one may fall into old eating habits, resulting in no significant change.

Benefits of Essential Amino Acids

Essential Amino Acids will support the protein intake of the individual on this diet.  Taking an amino acid supplement such as our Muscle Synthesis Activator at the end of one’s consumption window will allow for the body to recover and build muscle while fasting.  EAAs may also help to build some muscle during this fast by giving the athlete more amino acids during each feeding period.

OMAD

The One Meal a Day diet is a popular dieting plan among many athletes and those looking to lose significant amounts of weight.  The plan is completely self-explanatory: the individual eats one meal everyday.  Often this meal is saved for the late afternoon, early evening.  OMAD is not always considered a fast because the individual can eat the one meal at any time during each day.  However, due to the extended periods of time between each meal, many consider this dieting plan as a fasting procedure.

Benefits

For the one who is looking to lose a large amount of weight, OMAD is a possible route.  One is typically limited by how much food can be consumed during a meal, leading–most likely–to more calories expended than consumed each day.  This will invariably lead to weight loss.  Adherence to this plan is often higher than other fasting-style diets as one still has much freedom over what food is consumed during the one meal (as long as it supports health and longevity).

Drawbacks

This diet plan can be difficult to follow, as the body’s instincts will be to eat as much food as possible during the one meal.  This may lead to overeating and gastrointestinal discomfort.  This type of fasting also may limit one’s social life, as significant amounts of friendly gatherings will revolve around food that one cannot eat. 

Benefits of Essential Amino Acids

Routine consumption of Essential Amino Acids is vital during the OMAD fasting plan, as one will most likely not consume enough amino acids from the one meal.  Without enough amino acids consumed during that one meal, the individual will feel fatigued and recovery from training will be slowed.  With enough amino acids in one’s system from an EAA supplement, one meal a day will not stunt muscle growth.

Man holding a bottle and checking his watch.

5:2

The 5:2 fast draws out the aforementioned daily structures into weekly blocks.  This fast consists of eating normally for five days straight out of the week, followed by two back to back fasting days.  Some choose to simply do a water fast during these two days, while others may choose to radically limit caloric intake to 500-800 calories per day.  This fasting schedule can be drawn out longer than other fasts, but one must still be aware of how this fast contributes to one’s long-term goals.

Benefits

The 5:2 fasting schedule is slightly easier to adhere to as one can feed normally during the week to prepare for the weekly fast.  If one chooses to do a water fast during the two days, the individual will reap the multiple benefits of fasting once per week: burning more fat for fuel, entering ketosis, autophagy (cellular repair), decreased blood pressure and lowered insulin levels.

Drawbacks

While eating normally for five days each week makes this fasting schedule psychologically easier to adhere to, a weekly two day fast may become physically difficult.  Weekly bouts with fatigue, lightheadedness and slowed recovery may become too much for the individual to handle.  Without a long-term goal and a set end date for this off and on fast, the individual may give this diet up due to the nervous anticipation of a tough two days each week.

Benefits of Essential Amino Acids

Consuming Essential Amino Acids during a fast will technically break a fast, however, many athletes take EAAs during a fast regardless.  During two days of no food, the body will be unable to effectively synthesize new muscle.  By taking EAAs during a fasting period, the individual will be able to retain muscle mass while fighting the effects of fatigue that fasting can begin.

Alternate-Day

Alternate-Day fasting consists of eating normally every other day, while fasting for a full day in between.  This fasting protocol is useful for shedding lots of fat semi-quickly, as one will end up fasting for three to four days per week.  This schedule cannot be kept for a long period of time,  but in the short-term, can be extremely effective in shedding weight.

Benefits

This diet can be held for as long as the individual desires.  If one has significant amounts of weight to lose, then this is an effective strategy to begin shedding fat.  Alternatively, if one has reached their goal weight and wishes to maintain, this diet can be utilized to keep one’s weight stable.  While one will not enter into a state of ketosis on this diet, one will have the chance to keep blood sugar levels and insulin balanced each week.

Drawbacks

This caloric consumption schedule may limit one’s weekly ability to heal and strengthen muscle mass from training.  Furthermore, training sessions may yield weaker results as fasting will limit one’s strength output and overall endurance.  For the one looking to shed fat, this diet may be helpful.  This diet may not be as helpful for the seasoned athlete who needs high calorie meals and the daily ability to push hard in the gym.

Benefits of Essential Amino Acids

Going for multiple days each week without food will not allow for the body to have enough amino acids to recover properly.  Taking our Muscle Synthesis Activator on a fast day or during the night before will help the body to repair muscle even when calories are low.  If the individual uses the alternate days for restricted calories (instead of a water fast), drink Oh!mino with every snack or small meal.

Enhance Your Gains with Oh!mino® Muscle Synthesis Activator & Creatine Complex

Take your muscle-building journey to the next level with Oh!mino®’s next-generation supplements, specifically engineered to maximize strength, endurance, and recovery.

Oh!mino® Muscle Synthesis Activator

Our patented formula delivers all nine essential amino acids, including the crucial BCAAs, in an optimal ratio to fuel muscle growth while minimizing soreness. Designed for pre-, intra-, and post-workout use, it stimulates muscle protein synthesis up to 11x more than whey protein and 20x more than standalone BCAAs, helping you recover faster, reduce stiffness, and train harder. 

Enhanced with adaptogens and fully balanced electrolytes, it supports endurance, hydration, and overall performance. Non-dairy, vegan, and free from sugar, carbs, calories, and artificial additives, it’s a clean, science-backed supplement trusted by athletes.

Oh!mino® Muscle Synthesis Activator supplement container.

Oh!mino® Creatine Complex

Our patented Creatine Complex combines clinically studied forms, micronized Creatine Hydrochloride and Creatine Monohydrate, with adaptogens to boost absorption by over 300%. Each scoop delivers 3 grams of free-form creatine to support muscle growth, enhance recovery, and improve training endurance. 

Delicious lemon-lime flavor makes it easy to stack with our Muscle Synthesis Activator or use on its own for maximum results. Designed for pre- and post-workout consumption, it complements your training regimen while keeping your supplement routine clean, vegan, and free from unnecessary additives.

Together, Oh!mino® Muscle Synthesis Activator and Creatine Complex provide a comprehensive, science-backed approach to building lean muscle, accelerating recovery, and enhancing performance, all with a clean-label formulation that supports serious gains without compromise.

Creatine remains one of the most researched supplements for muscle volume and strength.

Start Your Transformation with Oh!mino® Today!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Will fasting help me to lose weight?

Yes it will, if done correctly.  If one has significant weight to lose, adhering to a fast for a period of time will jumpstart the weightloss process.  However, it is important to return to regular eating so that one can develop and maintain a new, healthy diet.

Can your Muscle Synthesis act as a full meal?

No it cannot.  Essential Amino Acids are meant as a supplement to the protein that one consumes in his diet.  While it is useful to have more amino acids in one’s system while fasting, only a whole meal can satisfy the body’s cravings.

How long should I adhere to a fast?

Some of the aforementioned fasts should only be performed for a short period of time, due to their intensity.  Other fasts can be done for a longer period of time.  The length of time that one sticks with a fasting routine is directly correlated with one’s personal goals and ability to fast healthily.

Can I workout while fasting?

Yes, but one must take extra precaution if training while fasting.  It is often necessary to reduce the intensity of the workout; one should not expect to train at the same level compared to when fed.  If one is experiencing severe lightheadedness, fatigue and/or a rapid heartbeat, and the likely cause is a lack of food, it is best to pause all activity until properly fed.

Do Essential Amino Acids break a fast?

Technically, consuming EAAs during a fast period will break the fast.  However, it is not that simple.  The 15 calories per serving in our Muscle Synthesis Activator do not act the same as 15 dietary calories in one’s body: the EAAs largely bypass digestion and head straight for lean tissue.  The body does not process pure EAAS in the same way that it processes food.