There are 2 sources for fuel, you can burn fat or you can burn sugar. Being a fat burner is referred to as keto-adapted and it is the preferred metabolic state of the human body; it is why we have all this fat on our bodies, it’s an awesome source of fuel! To understand what it means to be normal, it’s useful examine what it means to be abnormal, which is when you are a sugar-burner. Do you ever find yourself as “hangry” (hungry and angry) when you skip a meal? This is not “normal.” 1. A sugar-burner can’t efficiently access stored fat for energy. What that means is our muscles cannot oxidize fat. I know, I know, the Runner’s Magazine you are reading says you burn glucose for energy, which is why marathoners eat a huge pasta dinner the night before and oatmeal for breakfast. Sure, keep doing that. I did for years and I ran some pretty good marathons, but I was overweight and I had lots of joint pain. But on a more serious issue, I basically wanted an IV-glucose drip hooked up to your veins because I was always hungry or “hangry.” When I was a sugar-burner and I would go two, three, four hours without food, or – dare I say it – skip a meal, watch out… I was “hangry.” I was the definition of a suffering sugar burner. Our bodies have evolved to depend on on beta oxidation of fat for the majority of our energy needs, so in a keto adapted body, fat tissue releases a bunch of fatty acids 4-6 hours after eating and during fasting, because your muscles should be able to oxidize them. But since I kept eating bananas, granola bars and carbs when I would get “hangry,” my cells were burning sugar and not fat, and once my blood sugar was all used up (which happens quite quickly), hunger would set in and my hand would grab for yet another banana. 2. A sugar-burner cannot access fat for energy. The detrimental side effect of this fact is that more fat is stored than burned. Unfortunately, sugar burners end up gaining lots of body fat. A low ratio of fat to carbohydrate oxidation is a solid predictor of future weight gain. 3. A sugar-burner relies on a short-lived source of fuel for energy. You can only store about 50-90 grams of glucose in your liver for energy conversion, which really isn’t a lot. You can also store glucose in your muscles which is very individualized (trained athletes usually have larger storage sites if they train with carbohydrates). You can’t store very much of it unless you count the grams of glucose in the snacks that are in your pockets. Let’s compare a very lean man at 12% body fat who is 160 pounds, he has over 19 pounds of fat to burn for oxidation, but his glucose as muscle and liver glycogen are limited to about 500. Think about this for a second… 19 pounds of energy or 500 grams… I’m choosing the longer lasting energy source. 4. A sugar-burner uses up their glycogen stores rapidly during exercise. Whenever I run the Twin Cities Marathon I love the “Wall” we all run under at mile 20. This signals “the wall” that the sugar-burner runners are experiencing. The glycogen stores are pretty much depleted by mile 20. This is where many runners start to walk. I remember this pain and exhaustion quite vividly, it is hard to forget such pain and determination it takes to keep going. As a former marathon sugar-burner, I wasted my glycogen on efforts where fat should be able to power. Now that I am keto-adapted, it looks quite differently: 1. Keto-adapted means you can effectively oxidize dietary fat for energy. If you’re adapted, your post-prandial fat oxidation will be increased, and less fat you consume will be stored in adipose tissue. Keto-adapted means can rely more on fat for energy during exercise, sparing glycogen for when you really need it. Being able to mobilize and oxidize stored fat during exercise reduces an athlete’s reliance on glycogen. This helps athletes save the glycogen (which your body can make from protein too) for the truly intense segments of a session, and burn more body fat. If you can handle exercising without having to consume carbohydrates, you’re most likely keto-adapted. If you can perform a quality work out in a fasted state, you’re definitely fat-adapted. 2. Keto-adapted means you have plenty of accessible energy, even if you are lean. If you are keto-adapted, the genes associated with fat metabolism will be unrestrained in your muscles. You basically reprogram your cells. 3. Keto-adapted means you can burn stored fat for energy throughout the day. If you can handle intermittent fasting and skip a meal and are able to go hours without getting “hangry” or craving carbohydrates, you’re likely keto-adapted. 4. Keto-adapted means you are able to burn glucose if available and needed, but a sugar-burner has no choice, they can’t flip back and fourth. This is why a sugar-burner hits a wall during the day and may need a nap. Being keto-adapted means metabolic flexibility. Keto-adaption allows you to empty glycogen stores through intense exercise, refill those stores, burn any consumed fat that isn’t stored, and easily access and oxidize the fat that is stored when it’s needed. This would be the ability to exercise in a fasted state. But since glucose is toxic in the blood, we’ll always want to burn it first, then a keto-adapted person can start burning fat. A sugar burner gets exhaused and needs more sugar because thier body doesn’t have the abilty to switch back and fourth. This isn’t a suggestion to start adding tons of carbohydrates once you are fat adapted. Fuel your body with fat! There’s not a home test that you can take to determine if you are truly keto-adapted. It is more about how you feel. Things like low satiety after eating, hunger a few hours after eating, waking up in the night because of low blood sugar, impaired fat burning, and carbohydrate cravings are all signs of a sugar-burner. You could technically test your ratio of carbon dioxide you produce to the oxygen you intake to see if you are keto-adapted, but it isn’t really practical. An RQ (respiratory quotient) of over 1+ signifies that you are burning sugar; if you have a RQ of 0.7 that would signify fat-burning. If you are around 0.8 would mean you are somewhat keto-adapted or in the process of becoming keto-adapted. Clients with high body fat and diabetes have higher RQs. People who are night owls and are nighttime eaters also have higher RQs and low fat oxidation rates. The good news is that you can change your fate! And instead of trying to figure out your respiratory quotient, let’s ask ourselves a few questions to determine if you are truly keto-adapted: 1. Can you exercise without eating beforehand? 2. Can you go longer than 3 hours without eating? 3. Do you have even energy throughout the day? 4. Do you need a nap in the afternoon? 5. Do you have brain fog? 6. Do you have headaches? 7. Do you wake up in the middle of the night with hunger? 8. Do you experience “Hanger” (hungry anger?) If you answered “yes” to the first 3 questions and “no” to the last 5 questions, you are definitely keto-adapted. If you want to become "keto-adapted" fast and take the planning out of what to eat on Pure Protein and Fat days, the Accelerated 30 day Meal Plans would be just what you are looking for! mariamindbodyhealth/my-services/
Posted on: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 11:52:36 +0000
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