Listener Questions: Fat Adaptation and Training Acronym Overload

The Athlete's Compass

Summary

In this episode of the Athletes Compass podcast, Paul Warloski, Paul Laursen, and Marjaana Rakai discuss how endurance athletes can transition to a low-carb, high-fat diet to become more fat-adapted. They tackle listener questions about dietary changes, the minimum carbohydrate intake, and the nuances of training metrics such as CTL, ATL, and TSB. Marjaana shares her personal experience adapting to a low-carb diet and its impact on her training for Ironman Texas. The episode also delves into the importance of understanding and using training data to enhance performance and maintain health.

Key Takeaways

• Fat Adaptation: Benefits include improved endurance and better energy management during low-intensity exercise.
• Dietary Tips: Start with eliminating processed foods, incorporating cruciferous vegetables, and focusing on high-quality fats and proteins.
• Mental Commitment: Long-term commitment is crucial for successful adaptation to a low-carb diet.
• Training Metrics: Understanding CTL (Chronic Training Load), ATL (Acute Training Load), and TSB (Training Stress Balance) is key for optimizing training plans.
• Aerobic Decoupling: Monitoring this metric can indicate the efficiency of training and readiness for endurance events.
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• Personal Experiences: Real-life examples highlight the practical challenges and successes of dietary changes.