Combining strength training with a fasted state can work well for some people and certain goals. It’s also important to be clear from the start: everyone responds differently. What supports progress for one person may feel completely unsustainable or ineffective for someone else.

Some people find that training before their first meal helps them feel more focused and less weighed down, while others experience a noticeable drop in power and endurance. Response varies depending on training experience, overall nutrition across the day, sleep quality, and how gradually the body has adapted to fasted exercise.

This is where salt becomes particularly relevant. During a fast, your body naturally excretes more sodium than usual. At the same time, strength training relies heavily on proper sodium levels to support muscle contractions, nerve signalling, and hydration balance. When sodium runs low, it’s common to experience fatigue, light-headedness, or a general sense that your strength just isn’t there.

So, the real conversation around fasting and salt is about maintaining performance. By understanding how sodium supports your body during fasted training, you can make more informed decisions about what your sessions look like, how you prepare for them, and how you recover afterwards.

Strength Training Fasted vs Fed

Training before your first meal and training after eating can both be effective, but they influence the body in different ways. The aim here is not to say one approach is better than the other, but to lay out what changes are happening physiologically so you can recognise what may suit you personally.

When Strength Training Fasted

• Glycogen (the stored form of carbohydrate in muscles) provides the primary fuel for strength training. When training fasted, these glycogen levels may be lower depending on how long it has been since the last meal and the intensity of previous sessions.

• Lower glycogen availability can sometimes result in reduced power output or shorter training endurance for some people.

• Training fasted does not automatically mean muscle loss. However, the body may lean more heavily on breaking down stored resources, which means recovery and protein intake later in the day become especially important.

• Some people report feeling more focused or lighter when training before eating, and this can support consistency if they prefer morning workouts.
  
  

When Strength Training Fed

• Eating beforehand means circulating energy and glycogen stores are likely to be higher, which may support higher power output, heavier lifts, or longer sessions.

• A fed state can create a more favourable environment for muscle repair and growth, especially when training volume is high or progressive overload is the goal.

• For some, eating too close to training can feel uncomfortable or heavy, so timing and meal size matter.

Fasted and fed training are tools. Neither is inherently better or worse. The most appropriate approach depends on your goals, your schedule, and how your body responds. Paying attention to how you feel during the session, how well you recover afterwards, and whether you are progressing over time will provide the clearest guidance on which approach works for you.

Electrolytes, especially sodium, play a role in both approaches. During fasted periods, the body naturally excretes more sodium, which can affect hydration, muscle contraction, and energy levels. Low electrolyte availability can make fasted training feel more difficult than it needs to be, sometimes leading to dizziness, fatigue, or reduced strength mid-session. Ensuring you have enough sodium and fluid before training can help maintain performance when you haven’t eaten yet.

In a fed state, electrolytes are still important, but the body typically has more incoming nutrients and minerals throughout the day. Even so, sweating, training intensity, and hydration habits will influence how much sodium you need.

The Role of Electrolytes During Fasted Workouts

When discussing fasting and salt, the key point is that the body loses sodium more readily during a fast. Lower insulin levels signal the kidneys to excrete more sodium, which means your baseline electrolyte levels may be lower before you even begin training. Strength training depends on sodium for muscle contraction, nerve signalling, and maintaining hydration balance in the cells. When sodium is low, the body may struggle to deliver the same level of force or maintain steady energy across a session.

This is why many people who strength train fasted use an electrolyte supplement before or during their workout. A balanced electrolyte formulation provides sodium in a form the body can readily use, without adding calories or breaking the fast. Instead of relying on guesswork or inconsistent intake, electrolytes allow you to support hydration and performance in a controlled and measurable way.

The aim is not to “load up” on sodium, but to keep levels steady enough for your muscles and nervous system to function efficiently. Paying attention to how you feel during sessions, particularly strength output, concentration, and fatigue, can help you adjust your electrolyte intake so your training feels consistent and sustainable.

How to Use Fasting and Salt Together for Strength Training Performance

When training in a fasted state, the body tends to have lower circulating electrolytes, particularly sodium, because more sodium is lost when insulin levels are low. At the same time, strength training relies on sodium to support muscle contraction, nerve signalling, and hydration within the muscle cells. Here’s how to make this combination work for performance:

1. Choose your strength-training window wisely
If you’re training in a fasted state (for example, before breakfast), you may have lower immediate fuel from recent meals. That doesn’t mean you can’t train, it just means your preparation and support (like electrolytes) become more important. 

2. Pre-session electrolyte strategy
Using an electrolyte supplement that contains sodium (plus supporting minerals like potassium, magnesium and calcium) can support fluid balance and muscle function—especially when training fasted. For example, SALT! lists 750 mg sodium, 300 mg potassium, 60 mg magnesium and 50 mg calcium per serving.

3. Monitor how you feel and adapt
Because every athlete responds differently, you’ll want to track things like:

• How strong and stable you feel during your lifts (speed, power, fatigue)

• How recovery looks afterwards (muscle soreness, readiness for next session)

• How your performance trends over weeks (progress in load, reps, quality)

4. Don’t overload salt indiscriminately
Even though “salt” in this context is about performance support, it’s not a license to indiscriminately flood your diet with sodium. The goal is targeted electrolyte support, not excessive salt for the sake of it. Use a focused supplement, and balance with hydration and the rest of your nutrition plan.

5. Use it as part of a broader strategy
The fasting and salt approach is one part of a performance toolkit. To maximise strength training outcomes you still want: adequate protein, progressive loading, quality recovery (sleep, rest), and consistent nutrition. Salt/electrolytes support but do not replace those fundamentals.

Ready to Try Salt Supplements?

Strength training fasted can work well for some people, as long as hydration and electrolyte balance are supported. Sodium, in particular, plays a key role in muscle contraction, focus, and maintaining steady energy. When fasting lowers baseline sodium levels, adding electrolytes becomes a practical way to keep performance consistent without introducing calories.

If you’re exploring fasting and salt for your own training, pay attention to how your sessions feel and recover, and adjust gradually. The goal is sustainability, not extremes.

For balanced electrolyte support designed for training, find out more about Salt Supplements’ here.