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| From http://naturalrunningcenter.com/ |
I am going to touch on fat adaption and metabolically flexible. I am only going to touch on the subject from a very high level as to go deeper would take a much more lengthy conversation. All I really want to do is give you some idea of what is meant by the terms “Fat Adaption” and “Metabolic Flexibility” and hopefully dispel some misconceptions often offered up when talking on this subject. Also, let me add that this is not about a particular diet, such as Keto or LCHF, which are useful tools to being fat adapted and having metabolic flexibility but about the concept itself.
First off, what is the general idea behind even wanting to work towards being “Fat Adapted” and having “Metabolic Flexibility.” While carbohydrates are a ready and easy burning fuel it is a given that it is in limited supply as far as storage in your body. A trained runner, or other athlete, can only store about 1,500 to 2,000 calories of carbohydrates but even a lean athlete has at least 50,000 calories of fat stored. So, you can see where the most abundant fuel source is. The issue is the accessing and burning of the more abundant supply and this is where the need to train the body to do so comes in and this does take some work – but I can tell you from experience it is well worth it.
However, this is not the end of the story and often many that speak of Fat Adaption from a negative perspective make it sound like those of us that practice fat burning are missing the boat and hindering our performance. I will link to an article by Dr. Mark Cucuzzella below on the subject that has the graph I shared here on the Crossover point. The idea behind the chart is that there is a pace where we burn more fat and as our heart rate, in the chart shown by VO2 Max, increases, and thus the exertion level rises, we reach a crossover point where we start to burn more carbs. Therefore, the goal is to work that crossover point to be as high as possible and limit the intake of exogenous carbohydrates to replenish carb stores by utilizing on-board carb stores for only when needed.
This is where metabolic flexibility comes in and is where it seems many that are opposed to being fast adapted unintentionally, or intentionally, miss-represent the process. I say this since when talking about athletics and endurance there is a vast array of efforts which affect where one would seek to get the needed energy from. For example; if you are running 800M and below you are pretty much anaerobic and will rely on carbohydrates for your fuel source as it burns hot and quick. As the distance increases you start moving towards more aerobic work where you will need either exogenous carbohydrates as you run out of on board supplies or some other fuel source – in this case fat. The great part about being fat adapted and having metabolic flexibility means we work to use the most advantageous fuel for a given effort- even shorter efforts within a longer effort. Let’s be honest, most that run marathons and longer races are usually running at a HR that would, or should, be better suited to burning fat and even if as you near the end when you start going past the crossover point and start dipping into carbs you will have more on board than if you used them the whole way. Thus “metabolic flexibility” refers to the ability to use both fuel sources as required in any given event or activity.
Another area that is often not touched on, and this relates greatly to riding bikes, is what about events that require efforts that are less constant and put one above the crossover point early on drops back down and the repeats again and again. Many would use this as a reason to just rely on carbs and depending on the length of the event a whole lot of carbs. However metabolic flexibility once achieved allows one to switch back and forth between needed fuels and thus not quickly consume on board stores of carbohydrates and thus lowers the intake of exogenous sources of carbs all the while having carbs when you need them. As an example, in a bike race often they start of quick and will require burning carbs but after a time will settle down, depending on the length of the race, and you can then revert back to burning fat as your HR drops and you get to or just below your crossover point. Warming up is key here to get the fat burning going so that it is ready when needed since the start may rely heavily on carbs. But also, in a bike race hills are key make or break points as if you lose the group you are with going over the top and thus lose the draft you are more often than not going to be out of the race. Of course you have to use wisdom here since going too far into your red zone may put you out of the race even if you do go over the top with the group. Metabolic flexibility comes into play here also since up till this climb you may have been settled in fine burning fat but knowing a hill is coming, and especially if you have had other such efforts already, you may need to top up the carb tank to make the break. In running climbs are also important but can often be done at a more consistent and steady pace and there is little draft affect you will miss going over the top. That said for me if I have a hard effort coming in a running race with a climb ahead I may take some extra carbs to be ready for the added effort if it is where I am going to push the pace.
Many who hold to the carb paradigm miss that those of us that rely on fat also use carbs strategically and do realize when we have had efforts that will use up on body stores will work to top up the tank between efforts as needed. The great advantage is this topping up takes far less than it does for those that are relying solely on carbs for the whole event. Again, we can only store so many carbs on board so the less we can use when not really required the less we will need to replace them. The great part about being fat adapted and having metabolic flexibility is that rarely if ever do I bonk and if I should it is because I was going harder than I should have been and dipping into my carb supplies too often and not replenishing them. But that is not only a fueling issue but about going past what I am ready for. Is there a race where I would only use carbs – sure. If was to race a criterium, a shorter time trial or running a 5K they will require primarily carbs and so be it. Then, again, if I am riding a century at a good but constant pace I am prepared for I may be very close to my crossover point and using some carbs so will need take on some but will also be burning more fat and thus be able to rely on my supply of carbs longer.
At the least I hope this short overview gives you some insight into what fat adaption and metabolic flexibility. Getting to where you burn fat and carbs efficiently is not an overnight occurrence and there are a number of ways to get there. This is where many so called studies fail in that they often only give weeks or a few months but in truth for some it may take much longer. Many do not want to take this time but to be honest it is not any different than the time it can take to be the best performer you can be. I have been at this for 2-3 years and if you look at my fueling in my Training Overview you will see I often need very little in the way of calories and carbs and even when riding hard for a long ride I need way less than I have ever used in the past.
This is a good article on the subject by Dr. Mark Cucuzzella: Become a Better Butter Burner . There are may other resources – at the end of this post is a link to the SFuels Quick Start Guide. Also, whether you use Vespa or not their site has a lot of information on the subject .
Overview of Weeks Runs and Rides:
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| Good place to run on a hot day - Not far to go if have a bad day:) |
Done with another week of, at least for me, higher mileage. That included easy rides/run, a few harder rides and heat & humidity. With at least one more week of higher mileage before I start cutting back with 330+ riding this week I ended up with 1411 riding miles and 90.3 miles running for the last 30 days.
This week I rode 334 miles with 5 rides of over 60 miles. Below in the links to the rides some are broken down into 2 rides only because for 3 of the days I rode a warmup then rode another ride directly afterwards. Two of the rides were the general ride on the vTdF Stage 1 and 2 and the 3rd ride that was on a double ride morning was my usual BMTR Mid-Week ride. Thursday’s ride on Zwift was an easy 65 mile then on Saturday I rode with a group in Elizabethtown for an easy 63 miles. For Saturday’s ride the pace was easy with a number of recollect spots and stops for re-fueling but did go a little harder on some hills but then throttled back after the top. Did have a few stretches where kept up he pace a little longer but all in a great relaxing ride to complete the week.
With regards to running I ran 4 times to get in 25+ miles. The first two runs of the week, which were a little longer, were very easy as the heat and humidity was high and I was feeling it. Then on Wednesday and Thursday ran a little less and at a little better pace even though it was still just as hot and humid. The goal of this week’s running and next is simply to get consistent miles in and not to get injured. My foot has been feeling pretty good but my legs are for sure tired. Then again since these runs are the second workout of the day with 60+ mile rides in the AM having tired legs should be expected.
Whether I go one week or two before cutting back miles is still a little unsure as will depend on how I feel physically and mentally. I may also do one more week higher mileage then cut back just a little before starting my taper for the Kentucky Gravel Championships.
Saturday’s Ride
- Monday AM: Ride #1 @ 19.01 Miles -& Ride #2 @ 46.13 Miles - Total of 65.14
- Monday PM: Run – 7.39 Miles
- Tuesday: Ride #1 @ 41.12 Miles & Ride #2 @ 25.16 Miles - Total of 66.28 Miles
- Tuesday: Run. – 7.48 Miles
- Wednesday AM: Ride #1 @ 43.1 Miles & Ride #2 @ 31.42 Miles - Total of 74.5 Miles
- Wednesday PM: Run – 5.78 Miles
- Thursday AM: Ride – 65.22 Miles
- Thursday PM: Run – 5.09 Miles
- Friday: Rest Day
- Saturday: Ride – 63.1 Miles
- Sunday: Rest Day
Weekly Totals:
- Running Miles – 25.7 Miles
- Running Time – 3:50 Hours
- Riding Miles – 334.2 Miles
- Riding Time – 16:01 Hours
- Total Miles – 359.9 Miles
- Total Time – 19:51 Hours
Diet Notes:
See below for Weekly ride fueling and then the fueling for the Saturday ride which this week was actually shorter than my weekly rides – but outside. Most of my rides this week were pretty much fasted and went well
Weekly Fueling:
- Monday: Pre Ride – Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream and 1 Scoop SFuels Life – During Ride - 48oz of plain water
- Monday PM Run – Had Lunch about 4 hours before run and nothing on Run
- Tuesday AM: Ride – Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream and 1 Scoop SFuels Life – During Ride - 48oz of plain water
- Tuesday PM Run: Had Lunch about 4 hours before run and nothing on Run
- Wednesday: Pre Ride – Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream W/ 1 Scoop SFuels Life During Ride - 24oz of Water with SFuels Train & 1 24oz plain water & a Banana
- Wednesday PM Run - Had Lunch about 4 hours before run and nothing on Run
- Thursday AM: Pre Ride – Cup of Coffee with Heavy Cream and 1 Scoop SFuels Life – During Ride - 48oz of Water and 1 scoop of SFuels Train
- Thursday PM Run: Had Lunch about 4 hours before run and nothing on Run
Saturday’s Ride Fueling
Pre-Ride Fueling:
- Coffee with Coconut Oil and Butter, Collagen, Heavy Cream, Chocolate Primal Fuel (1 Scoop) & 1 Scoop SFuels-Life
- 1 SFuels Bar
- Also use AMPHuman PR Lotion
- Total: 839.3 Cals & gr 30 Carbs
Ride Fueling;
- 1ea of 24oz bottle with 2 scoops of SFuels Train
- 1ea of 24oz of SFuels Race+
- 2ea Rapid Rehydr8 at 2 Hours
- Total: 220 Calories – 17 gr Carbs
- Totals for Pre and During Ride: 1059.3 Calories – 47 gr Carbs
The Week Ahead:
For next week the goal again will be 350, or so, for riding miles and then 25+ for running miles. However maybe this week I will run shorter runs and run 5 times but in truth the last week’s running 4 times felt about right as it gave more days of rest to my foot. 3 days did better but then runs are longer which now has its own problems.. Riding will be much the same as this past week since I will have two of the vTdF Zwift rides, one each on Monday and Tuesday, and then the BMTR Mid-Week ride again on Wednesday to go with a warmup ride and then on Thursday will be a long single ride as I did this week. Not sure how far I will go on Saturday but will see what others are doing as may look to do another Century.
Last Week's Overview #55
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