Introduction
In the full podcast, Peter Defty and Dr. Johnathan Edwards take a deep dive into the growing trend of hyper-high carbohydrate fueling in endurance sports: cycling/ultramarathon/triathlon. Today’s pro/elite athletes are pushing carbohydrate intake to unprecedented levels—120-140+ grams per hour—this conversation examines the potential long-term consequences of such extreme fueling strategies and how this strategy is completely out of context for most non-professional athletes looking to mimic them.
Notes
Due to their volume of training pro/elite athletes naturally develop higher levels of fat adaptation allowing them to efficiently process both fat and carbohydrates. Recreational/Amateur athletes lack the same metabolic capacity thus are not able to convert all those ingested carbohydrates to properly metabolize excessive carbohydrates into energy. Done on a chronic basis this leads to serious health risks including:
Insulin resistance leading to hormonal imbalance
Weight gain (particularly visceral fat)
Diabetes
Cardiovascular Disease
Dementia
The discussion also raises an important point: many professional trainers and nutritionists focus solely on short-term performance benefits without considering the long-term metabolic effects of high-carb fueling. Dr. Edwards shares firsthand observations of professional cyclists who, after retiring, struggled with metabolic dysfunction due to years of excessive sugar intake.
Also emphasized is the importance of balancing fat metabolism with carbohydrate fueling. Rather than relying exclusively on the trendy high-carb strategies used by the “pros”, athletes at all levels should prioritize establishing a metabolic foundation aligned with our evolutionary heritage, the one that metabolizes fat as the principal aerobic energy source. From this, then build metabolic capacity so the athlete can tap into all energy sources to enhance performance without compromising long-term health.
Summary
Be fully informed! While the rise of hyper-high carbohydrate fueling has pushed the boundaries of endurance sports to new levels this level of stratospheric sugar consumption comes with a cost.
And, while pro/elite athletes can temporarily benefit from these fueling strategies for performance gains, their long term/chronic consumption has unintended consequences. On the other hand, the amateur/recreational athlete needs to approach high carb with caution and consider context as a determinant. By optimizing fat metabolism to establish and build your metabolic foundation YOU can achieve and enjoy long term health and performance. What’s more you can push those carbs in competition for the WIN!
Watch the full podcast here
Learn more about how you can reach your potential here.
Not sure? Get a ‘taste’ of what tapping into your native physiology is like without making a change in diet or fueling (except less fueling) with our FREE offer of VESPA.
