The holy month of Ramadhan, bring a month of fasting for our Muslim friends. If you want join them, but don’t quite know how to incorporate that into your routine while you CrossFit, try ‘Intermittent Fasting’.

While it used to be reserved for only elite bodybuilders and fitness models, Intermittent Fasting provides untapped performance and health benefits that are making it gain serious traction among athletes.

‘Intermittent Fasting is simple: Keep your meals to an 8-hour window during the day, and you’re golden.’

This puts you in a ‘fed state’ for 8 hours and a ‘fasted state’ for 16 hours, hence the name.

For women, 10 hours in the ‘fed state’ and 14 hours in the ‘fasted state’ is ideal to begin with. From a hormonal perspective, ladies tend to see a slight increase in irritability and food cravings when they hop right to 16 hours of fasting, so starting with a 14-hour fast, and then shifting over to 16 is your best bet for a smooth transition.

Benefits include lower blood sugar levels, increased insulin sensitivity, lower body fat percentages.

Eating 5-6 small meals a day is pretty much the norm amongst Crossfitters, due to claims that it’ll keep blood sugar in check, but a careful look shows that having more frequent meals actually elevates your baseline blood sugar levels.

By allowing you to eat fewer (and yes, larger) meals in a shorter time span, Intermittent Fasting keeps blood glucose, insulin intolerance, and glucose resistance all in check.

If you work out in the afternoons/evenings, you’ve likely already had a meal or two by the time you hit the pavement. Depending on your schedule and preferences, schedule your largest meal for right after you exercise.

If you’re eating lunch before your workout, break the fast with a high-protein meal to keep you on your feet. If you’ve already got a groove going on about what sits best with your stomach, don’t feel like you need to change it up! Leave your third and final meal to be slightly smaller than the other two.

Read more on BoxRox.