In this podcast clip, Peter Defty sits down with Cat 1 Cyclist and nutrition expert Dustin Armstrong to discuss the complexities of fueling strategies in endurance sports, particularly, the unique and dynamic demands of bike racing. They explore the spectrum of nutritional approaches and how these different approaches affect performance, health, and long-term sustainability. Dustin shares his personal journey from high-carb fueling to heart failure, and how transitioning to an OFM fat-adapted lifestyle helped him regain his health and achieve peak performance. 

With the current push of hyper-high carb diet and fueling for performance in endurance sports this conversation briefly covers the entire spectrum of the topic by touching on both the benefits and drawbacks of both high-carb and keto approaches, and why OFM  provides a proven alternative for endurance athletes seeking sustainable performance without compromising health.

Key Topics Discussed:

High-Carb vs Keto:  

• The ongoing debate between high-carb and keto fueling, and how both camps avoid discussing the downsides of their methods.

Performance and Health:  

• Dustin’s experience of recovering from heart failure through an OFM approach and how his performance numbers are better than ever, combined with improvements in sleep, recovery and, of course, overall health. 

The Hidden Costs of High-Carb Diets:  

• The not talked about consequences of pushing carb intake into the current 90- 140g per hour fueling and the long-term health implications of doing so on a regular basis..
• The simple fact that on a metabolic level all those carbs are seen as sugar by your body and how most athletes have no idea just how much sugar it ends up being. Learn more here. 

Refinements in Carb Loading:  

• The advancements in high-carb fueling techniques through the development of hydrogels and increased sodium intake that allow athletes to be able to fuel at the 90-140 grams per hour rate. 

The Importance of Fat Adaptation:

• Why fat-adapted athletes experience better recovery, long-term health benefits, and sustainable performance gains.

Vitamin D and Sunlight:  

• The critical role of sunlight and vitamin D in optimizing fat adaptation and performance, and how modern lifestyles impair these benefits.

Managing Modern Stressors:  

• The impact of non-native EMF, chronic stress, and circadian rhythm disruption on health and performance, and how living in alignment with nature is factored into the OFM formula for the metabolic health and performance gains OFM athletes enjoy.

Dustin’s personal journey from heart failure to optimal health and performance highlights the potential of OFM, both for athletes and anyone looking to enhance their health and endurance.

By incorporating the OFM principles of:

• Fat adaptation
• Sunlight exposure
• Lifestyle: Stress management

Athletes can achieve both longevity and peak performance, ensuring they thrive not just in their sport but in all aspects of Life!

If you seek that balance of optimal health and performance like Dustin or any of our many Heroes here are three ways options to get you started on the road of “Higher Health & Peak Performance” . . . 

1. Dive right into OFM with our OFM Metabolic Transformation Program where you will:

• Go through the Metabolic Reset to establish your ‘Fat Adapted’ Metabolic State, the foundation of the OFM Pyramid

• The Adaptation Phase where you build the Metabolic Capacity to not only perform to your potential but have the metabolic flexibility to harness carbs for performance and adaptation but to live Life in a natural and intuitive way not beholden to rigid and highly structured (and stressful) diet and training plan.

• Integrate OFM into your Life Journey by subsequently becoming an OFM Portal Member where you have access to the information you need to continually refine your individual journey of “Higher Health & Peak Performance” .

2. If you are not ready to go “All In” we ‘get it’. This is a huge leap and, frankly, one that will temporarily affect your performance and disrupt your Life. But there is one thing you can do to get started that will enhance your current fueling/nutrition strategy and give you a taste of what OFM is all about; VESPA, a natural metabolic catalyst which:

• Allows you to tap into your limitless internal energy stores to yield stable energy to avoid bonking or hitting the wall in your training and racing.

• Reduce your fueling calories to eliminate the potential for GI issues. Start by incorporating VESPA into your training by cutting your caloric intake by 50% then adjust up or down based upon your individual metabolic profile, the demands of the effort level and environmental conditions.

• Recover like never before. VESPA/OFM fundamentally shift the recovery paradigm from a focus of ‘recovery’ strategies focusing on preventing the cellular/mitochondrial damage caused by burning too much sugar.

If you are curious and have questions then you can contact us for a FREE consultation to answer your questions and orient you on a path that works for you. After all we are Guides not Gurus to help you claim your Metabolic Health.