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The Low Carbohydrate Endurance Exercise Myth

I believe (and the research supports this) that in order to efficiently lose weight that you need to choose low carb foods and follow some sort of carbohydrate restricted diet. The evidence supporting this statement is large and convincing. However, I still read and hear things like:

Low carb diets are the wrong approach to effective weight loss.

and

Exercise and low carb diets don’t mix.

In fact this could not be any further from the truth. Lower carbohydrate diets are essential for controlling insulin – a key factor in health and weight loss…but you probably already know that.

In regards to exercise and low carbohydrate diets – this is where many people can get confused. Exercising on a low carb diet can be tough if your body is not conditioned to use fat as its primary fuel source.

In the 2 videos above I talk about the different stages of a ketogenic diet (extreme low carbs) and how you need to give you body some time to adapt for not using carbs as a primary fuel source.

Now onto low carb diets and exercise. Two studies published in the early 80’s looked at how very low carbohdyrate diets ( as low as 3% of calories) effected the performance of endurance athletes. You would probably agree with me in saying that the ‘endurance’ community is OBSESSED with carbohydrates. So this should be interesting.

In one study (The Vermont Study) the subjects were put on a low carb diet for 6 weeks and in the second study (The MIT Study) the subjects were put on a low carb diet for 4 weeks. In both studies during the first week the subject complained of being lethargic but when the studies were over the participants did not have any decrease in peak aerobic performance. In the MIT Study is was also determined that essentially all the calories that the athletes were burning during their endurance workouts were from fat.

One of the key points here is that it takes some time for your body to adapt to functioning on low carbs. During that time you may feel lethargic but it goes away. The other point to consider is that the two studies above show that the claim “exercise and low carb diets don’t mix” is just incorrect.

In the Vermont study the subject actually experienced an increase in performance (basically the low carb diets made them better at exercising) but this may have been due to the weight loss that the subject had experienced.

The studies that I mentioned today are pretty old and provide valuable information for people – I have to wonder why their findings are not common knowledge? Any ideas?

Do you have trouble exercising on a low carb diet? Do you exercise better when your carbs are low? Post a comment and let me know what you think.

Simple Ways to Cut Carbs for Fat Loss

Cutting your carbs – even if just by 10% of calories – is essential for optimal health and weight loss. One of the simplest ways to do this is to switch out starchy/high carb foods for fibrous vegetables. In this video I share with you 4 different ways to make this simple carb cutting switches.

I have also moved up the release of the Strong, Fit, and Healthy newsletter. With the release of Strong, Fit, and Healthy we will be giving away 100 copies of my new DVD – The Truth about Dietary Supplements.

Ketogenic Diet Basics Part 2

In this video I cover how many carbohydrates you need to limit yourself to each day in order to be properly following a ketogenic diet as well a key point regarding how your body responds to low carb diets.

Low Carb Diet Secrets – A Visit From Dr. Jeff Volek

Many incorrectly liken the genesis of very low carbohydrate ketogenic diets (VLCKD) to the late Dr. Atkins. While Dr. Atkins played a seminal role in bringing VLCKD to the lime light in the later half of the 20st Century. VLCKD have been used for a long, with a long track record of safety and effectiveness (despite what the media or your local dietitian my try to tell you).

Dr. Atkins pasted away in 2003. Since then the use of VLCKD and carbohydrate restriction for weight loss and the prevention of cardiovascular disease has continued to increase in use and popularity. Much of this continued growth in low carb popularity can be attributed to the work of several (so called) renegade scientists that have chosen to follow what the scientific data says even if that means questioning long standing and accepted nutritional dogma.

Remember there are many different ways you can ‘cut carbs’.

Last week, I was fortunate enough to spend a good deal of time with one of these scientists, Dr. Jeff Volek, as he was brought in by the Nutrition Department at Penn State to share his findings on carbohydrate restriction and metabolic syndrome. Here are some take ways points from Dr. Volek’s talk.

-You lose more weight and gain more muscle when you combine a low carb diet and resistance training compared to just a low carb diet or just resistance training – there seems to be some additive effect.

-People on low carb diets can eat 3x the saturated fat compared to people on a low fat diet and still have lower levels of saturated fat in their blood.

-Calorie restriction has been touted as a way to slow/stop aging. You can impact the same biological markers by restricting carbohydrates (while NOT restricting calories).

-Often times when people in Dr. Volek’s studies go on low carbohydrate diets they end up increasing their vegetable consumption (this is sad but I’m sure reflective of the American population’s lack of vegetable consumption).

-Metabolic Syndrome is becoming a huge problem in the U.S. and worldwide; carbohydrate restriction attacks all the problem areas of metabolic syndrome more comprehensively than any drug or treatment available.

-The obesity problem in the U.S. is driven by uncontrolled insulin levels. The best way to control insulin is to control its most powerful stimulator – carbohydrates.

-Carbohydrates have traditionally been considered a macronutrient but in reality they are not essential for human function.

-The level of ketoisis achieved from carbohydrate restriction is completely different from the ketoacidosis that a diabetic may experience (ketosis from carbohydrate restriction is much much lower and within safe ranges).

Mike Takes on the U.S. Government Pt 2

Yesterday I went postal on a U.S. Government report that was supposedly smashing diet myths. Today we’ll wrap up yesterday’s post by looking at the recommendations from that report. Again my comments are in bold.

 

Tip: High-protein/low-carbohydrate diets are often low in calories because food choices are strictly limited, so they may cause short-term weight loss (Adopting a long term lower carbohydrate nutritional plan is not that restricting. At first when your carbs are very low, yes you are restricted, but as time goes on you increase your calories and introduce more carbohydrates – just not lots of starches or sugars) . But a reduced-calorie eating plan that includes recommended amounts of carbohydrate, protein, and fat will also allow you to lose weight (The recommended amount of carbohdyrates is too high for a good weight loss plan. Yes, you will lose weight with this type of eating but no, it isn’t your best (or fastest option)). By following a balanced eating plan, you will not have to stop eating whole classes of foods, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables—and miss the key nutrients they contain. You may also find it easier to stick with a diet or eating plan that includes a greater variety of foods (When you correctly adopt a lower carbohydrate eating plan you don’t stop eating fruits OR vegetables. The risk of nutrient deficiency with low carb diets is merely speculation by low carb haters. No study has shown nutrient deficiencies associated with lower carb eating).

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