How did the 14-day fasting challenge 'destroy' the body?

A social media celebrity who went on a 14-day fast has revealed the devastating impact the challenge had on his body.

As a famous American YouTuber, Jimmy Donaldson, 27, known by the nickname 'Mr Beast', has attracted 404 million followers by doing extremely difficult challenges. And recently, the nearly 2 meter tall, 100 kg guy has started a new challenge - drinking only water and fasting for 14 days.

He said he has Crohn's disease - a chronic inflammatory bowel disease - so he wanted to try to see if fasting would help reduce inflammation because he had heard that fasting can help reduce inflammation.

Mr. Donaldson revealed that by the 5th or 6th day of fasting, he was exhausted and had no energy left - Illustration: AI

In the video , which has more than 3 million views, he revealed how the challenge "ravaged" his body.

"I fasted for 14 days and lost 9kg, of which 3kg was fat. However, I lost 2.7kg of muscle which even when I started eating again, I couldn't get back," said Mr Donaldson.

Mr. Donaldson revealed that by the 5th or 6th day of fasting, he was exhausted and had no energy, but still had to film and work.

"It was unbearable not to eat. And it was horrible to have to stand up and walk around with no energy! I was tired all the time, so tired I couldn't stay awake," Mr Donaldson shared.

Mr Donaldson said that on day 14, he decided to break his fast and eat a sandwich. However, he immediately spat it out because he feared rebound syndrome – a condition in which a sudden increase in calories causes an imbalance of fluids and salts, which can affect heart function.

Mr Donaldson said that during the 14-day fast he had to have a team of doctors constantly monitor his heart rate and blood pressure to ensure he did not "have a heart attack or worse".

Finally, Mr. Donaldson stresses: Don't try this at home without medical supervision.

Some experts warn that prolonged fasting can increase the risk of stroke, heart attack or early death - Photo: AI

What do experts warn?

Although many studies show that intermittent fasting is effective, there is still much debate about its long-term health effects.

Some experts also warn that prolonged fasting can increase the risk of stroke, heart attack or early death.

Scientists have also urged caution against fasts lasting longer than a day because of their "short-term" effects, warning they could cause chronic health problems such as digestive diseases.

What happens to the body when you fast?

A recently posted video illustrates what happens to the body when you fast.

The footage shows the body stops digesting food after just four hours, entering a catabolic phase - using muscle and fat for energy.

By 12 o'clock, the body has reached a "fasting state", depleted of blood sugar. At this point, the liver begins to break down stored fat into fatty acids called ketones to use as fuel.

But ketones can be dangerous—high levels of them in the blood can lead to ketoacidosis, a condition where the blood becomes too acidic. If not treated promptly, this condition can be life-threatening.

Studies have also found that prolonged ketones can damage the heart, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to the Daily Mail.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thu-thach-14-ngay-nhin-an-da-tan-pha-co-the-the-nao-185250616204527839.htm