Most animals alternate periods of feeding with periods of fasting often coinciding with sleep. Upon >24 hr of fasting, humans, rodents, and other mammals enter alternative metabolic phases, which rely less on glucose and more on ketone body-like carbon sources. Both intermittent and periodic fasting result in benefits ranging from the prevention to the enhanced treatment of… Read More

Clinicians have found that fasting was frequently accompanied by an increased level of vigilance and a mood improvement, a subjective feeling of well-being, and sometimes of euphoria. Therapeutic fasting, following an established protocol, is safe and well tolerated. We aim in this article to explore the biological mechanisms activated during fasting that could have an effect on brain function… Read More

24 young, military subjects participated in a ranger training course of 5 days' duration with prolonged, heavy physical exercise and sleep deprivation. The subjects were divided into two groups showing either large calorie deficiency or nearly isocaloric status. An oral glucose tolerance test was performed on the subjects on day 5 on the course and in a control experiment… Read More