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Curcumin: The New Cure to Muscle Soreness?

Refueling with curry after a hard workout? 

A recent study (http://ow.ly/yaPF9)  looked into the often touted effects of consuming Curcumin (a key nutrient of turmeric) on DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).

DOMS is the pain you feel in your muscles for a few days after a hard workout. It’s a result of a combination of 
(i) micro-tears in muscle tissue, 
(ii) oxidative stress and 
(iii) inflammation caused by a hard workout. 

While at first glance all 3 may sound “bad”, they are the key to your body adapting and becoming stronger / more resilient. This happens as your body takes steps to “repair those tears, produce antioxidants to combat oxidative stress, and divert resources to the area to reduce inflammation”

It’s good for you to know how each of these 3 steps actually works, but I’ll keep it simple:
- Micro-tears are repaired using amino acids (the building blocks of protein), which you obtain from protein consumed (as food or supplements)
- Combating oxidative stress comes from anti-oxidants produced by your body or from food / supplements too
- Reduction of inflammation: your body diverts white blood cells and nutrient-rich blood to the area to combat inflammatory markers 

Recently, I wrote a post about antioxidants (http://ow.ly/yaPR9). More and more research is coming out supporting the claim that “consuming too many anti-oxidants – especially from supplements – can actually hamper your ability to get stronger / fitter after a workout”. This theory is that “giving your body anti-oxidants from external resources discourages it from producing its own, and also reduces mitochondrial efficiency (this has been shown to be the case especially with Vitamins C and E).

HOWEVER, based on the study I’m linking to here, Curcumin acts differently: it is not an anti-oxidant itself, but rather “encourages your body to produce its own anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories”. As such, while you’re “repairing muscle & inflammation faster than normal, you’re not likely to suffer from the negative effects associated with anti-oxidant supplementation”.

Results of the Study
 Evidence of lower inflammation, faster recovery, less perceived pain and DOMS in Curcumin group vs. placebo

Limitations of the Study
- 3 of the 8 scientists associated with the Curcumin supplement company used
- The “hard workout” used to test consisted of 45min “hard downhill running”, so no test on weightlifting or other exercises
- Curcumin-group subjects “pre-loaded with Curcumin”, so we don’t know the impact of cycling Curcumin or taking it only after hard workouts
- Results were assessed over 48 hours post workout, so we don’t know the long-term effects

Finally, a word of caution: the Curcumin content in turmeric and curry dishes doesn't come close to the "concentrated" content in the supplements used in this study, so no, eating a big curry dish post-workout won't have the same effects... 

Antioxidants: hoax or some truth somewhere in there...

We are constantly bombarded with ads for antioxidants... so what's the deal there? How much of it is all hype? Are you wasting your money or is there a true life-extending and life-improving benefit in taking them?

I'll try to simply things without getting too much into the science. I'll also provide some practical recommendations and approaches.

Reactivate Oxygen Species (ROS)

What are they and why should we care about them?

Simply put, there are chemical molecules present in your body, and which are highly reactive: this means that they have a tendency to react with almost anything they touch, causing all sorts of damage to cellular membranes, proteins, lipids and even a cell's DNA (the code which tells the cell how to behave).

For example, it can change a cell's DNA to instruct it to trigger Apoptosis (suicide), which is linked to aging. On the opposite side of the spectrum, in can change a cell's DNA to have it reproduce uncontrollably, turning it into a cancerous cell.

So why do we have them then?

Believe it or not, ROS actually do have a reason to exit: they are produced naturally by our body and play important functions in things like cell signaling and homeostasis (maintain an optimal balance in your body): sometimes you need cells to "commit suicide" in order to replace them with new ones, that's normal behavior. 

But if too many ROS are floating around, they go on a rampage, causing damage everywhere they go. In fact, ROS have been identified as main triggers for aging, cancer, atherosclerosis (increase in thickness of artery wall, increasing risk of stroke), and Alzheimer's (among others).

So a few ROS are helpful, and therefore naturally produced by our bodies, and too many are destructive...

So what causes ROS to rise dramatically?

A number of reasons, including:

• Exercise: believe or not, ROS are a natural by-product of ATP production - when the mitochondria (power plants) in your cells produce energy, they release ROS as a by-product. The more energy is being produced, the more ROS being churned out (so the harder/longer you exercise, the more ROS you're producing)

• High levels of blood glucose: in fact, that's a primary cause of the formation of plaque on arterial cell wall, eventually leading to cardiovascular disease (see http://ow.ly/wzYTE for further details)

• In fact, the typical Western Diet (packed with oxidized fat and sugar) is notorious for causing ROS (see http://ow.ly/wA22H for more details on that and how antioxidants partially countered it)

• Inflammation: this is not limited to inflammation caused by injuries or infections - inflammation can easily (and often is) caused by various types of foods ingested, such as gluten, corn, grains, soy, legumes and others...

• Stress: anything that stresses your body, whether physical (exercise) or psychological/emotional, will lead to an increase in ROS

• Exogenous factors: tobacco (first and second hand smoking), air quality (pollution), radiation, pesticides (buy organic!)

But doesn't our body have a defense mechanism to deal with ROS?

Sure it does, and they're called "antioxidants". Our bodies naturally produce antioxidants, and their main "raison d'etre" is to hunt for ROS and deactivate them.

But just like anything in life, our body can sometimes become overwhelmed: the number of ROS being produced outpaces the number of antioxidants being produced. It actually gets a little worse: you see when some ROS react with anything (proteins, enzymes, etc), they turn THEM into ROS! In a way, ROS are like zombies, one bite and YOU become an ROS.

So unless we can quickly recruit more "zombie fighters", the ROS will gradually overwhelm our entire body: but don't be alarmed! that's the natural aging process... Circle of life, so to speak...

So why worry about it then? 

You don't have to... but if ROS causes aging (normal), then too much ROS cause accelerated aging and more diseases. So... if you can do something that prolongs your life and slows down aging, why wouldn't you do it?

Some will say: "human beings lived for thousands of years without worrying about such things". That may be true, but those human beings weren't expose to:

• Cross-bred wheat
• Refined grains and sugars
• Potentially: Genetically modified foods (virtually all wheat, corn, soy you eat today)
• Highly processed foods and drinks with a wide range of chemical additives
• Pollution
• Increase solar radiation (ozone hole)
• Greenhouse gases
• Recycled air (air-conditioned homes, offices, malls)
• EMF radiation (just imagine how much radiation there is in a modern office, where you're surrounded by WIFI and cellular signals, computers and screens, bluetooth, etc)
• Blue light: part of artificial light
• Stress from traffic, financial pressure, etc

ALL of these have been shown to dramatically increase ROS. So yes our body is designed to produce antioxidants to counter ROS, but not this many!

When ROS exceed antioxidants, our bodies are in a state called "Oxidative Stress". There are broadly 2 types of Oxidative Stress (OS) situations: short-term and long-term.

Short-term OS occurs (for example) after a heavy bout of exercise: it's a moderate imbalance which can eventually be rectified as the body produces more antioxidants.

Long-term OS occurs when several factors contribute to a tsunami of ROS, and where our bodies cannot produce antioxidants fast enough.

But before we get into what you can do about that, a word about exercise.

How exercise impacts ROS production and why it matters to us

As I mentioned earlier, ROS is a natural by-product of energy production in our cells: the more energy being produced, the more ROS being churned out.

Our bodies can deal with "moderate exercise", as the ROS being produced can be dealt with before it goes out of control (moderate Oxidative Stress).

But there are 2 scenarios to consider here which can tip us into long-term Oxidative Stress:

• Combine "moderate exercise" with any of the ROS-causing factors I mentioned above (say, processed foods for e.g.), and now you have multiple factors causing ROS to rise dramatically, potentially out of control

• "a lot of exercise" will churn out a lot more ROS as well. So those of us active in endurance sports (triathlon, ultra-running) or Crossfit-type exercise are certainly generating a lot more ROS than most people.

Does this mean we shouldn't exercise? or even that we shouldn't compete in triathlons or Crossfit competitions? Absolutely not, but we should be aware of what's happening to our bodies and take steps to minimize the damage and accelerated aging that comes along with it.

Oh and by the way, going back to that analogy of what human beings did for thousands of years: yes hunter/gatherers did have to occasionally sprint (run away from a lion), run long distances (chase a prey), or lift heavy things (build houses), but they certainly did not do this "5-6 days a week all year-round and earning a finisher's medal in the process!".

Ok, so now let's talk antioxidants. What exactly are they?

Let me make it clear from the beginning: this does NOT mean that you have to take supplements: good clean eating will provide more than sufficient antioxidants. 

Of course, you can supplement from time to time when you know that ROS production is off the charts (see below for examples of such situations).

There are 2 groups of antioxidants our bodies naturally utilize to combat ROS:

• Group 1: Antioxidants which our bodies can synthesize internally (i.e. you do not need to obtain them from food or supplements)

• Group 2: Antioxidants which our bodies are not capable of synthesizing, and which can only be obtained from food or supplements.

Group 1 consists primarily of: Glutathione, Ubiquinol, Uric Acid, and Melatonin

Group 2 consists primarily of: Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Beta-carotene

(Note: you will note that I mentioned Melatonin as part of Group 1. Melatonin is your "sleep hormone". It's produced to get your body ready to sleep, and of course, as an antioxidant, it helps "repair" your body while you sleep. But guess what? Blue Light blocks your body's ability to secrete Melatonin. Blue light is emitted by many sources of artificial light but especially handheld devices, smartphones, tablets, computers, etc)

As molecules, antioxidants are tremendously powerful: they are continuously on a "search and destroy" mission on free radicals (ROS). In fact, they operate like a well-organized army, with several lines of defense:

1. First line of defense: as preventative antioxidants - stopping the formation of an ROS chain reaction (killing the first zombie)

2. Second line of defense: as scavengers / hunters of ROS

3. Third line of defense: as "repair" battalions, fixing damage caused by ROS

4. Fourth line of defense: adaptation - they learn from previous attacks, a "let those zombies try again this time" attitude

Ok fine, but you didn't answer my question: do I need to take antioxidants?

Let me try to simply it by going back to the 2 scenarios I talked about earlier:

Scenario 1: you're in Short-Term Oxidative Stress - moderate exercise, plenty of recovery, and limited exposure to all the external ROS-causing factors I talked about earlier.

Scenario 2: you're in Long-Term Oxidative Stress - any combination of: heavy exercise, not enough recovery, not enough sleep, any of the external factors mentioned above.

Who's in Scenario 1? To be perfectly honest? I don't think I know anyone who's in Scenario 1, because:

• Most of us are exposed to urban pollution
• Most of us are breathing recycled air
• Most of us are eating food that's either processed, covered in pesticides, or transported on planes and trucks
• Most of us are exposed to blue light for 16-18 hours a day
• Most of us are pretty stressed out most of the time
• Some of us are smokers
• Some of us are hard-charging athletes (triathletes, crossfitters)

So in my mind, most of us are in Scenario 2: Long-Term Oxidative Stress.

But hold on! Before you pack your bags and move to Nepal, there are some things you can do to counter the damage.

Recommendation 1: be aware of ROS-causing factors and try to limit them

Recommendation 2: obtain as many antioxidants from whole foods as possible

Recommendation 3: when required, obtain some Group 2 antioxidants from supplements

Recommendation 4: in extreme situations, obtain some Group 1 antioxidants 

Recommendation 1: manage your exposure

• Limit your exposure to blue light: avoid fluorescent lights, minimize TV watching before bed, avoid smartphones and tablets in the evening, install filters on your computer screens (I use flu.x at work and at home), and if you want to take it to the limit, use blue-light blocking glasses  

• Breath fresh air as often as possible: get out from the office frequently, use air filters and check them for mold

• Exercise moderately or give yourself the opportunity to recover if active in more demanding physical activities (endurance sports, Crossfit, etc)

• Use deep breathing exercises to manage stress levels throughout the day. Research other stress management tools and tips

• Of course, avoid processed foods and wash your vegetables well with water/vinegar to get rid of pesticides and pollutants

• If you can, get away from the city as often as possible to breath fresh clean air

Recommendation 2: eat real nutrient-dense food

I won't get into the massive topic of what nutrient-dense foods are and what you should be eating. Rather I'll focus on a list of foods with the highest content of Group 2 antioxidants (Vitamins C and E and beta-carotene): 

• All types of berries (blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries)
• Citrus fruits (lemons, limes, oranges, etc)
• Bell peppers (especially red)
• Certain fruits (Prunes, Apples
• Tea (especially green and black tea)
• Onion and garlic
• Spices (cinnamon, turmeric, black cumin)
• Dark chocolate (at least 75% and no processed sugar)
• Beta-carotene rich foods: sweet potato, carrots, spinach)

Needless to say, try to obtain these from high quality sources, don't let nutrients leach into water (boiling) and keep things fresh.

Natural sources of Group 1 antioxidants:

• Ubiquinol is available in sufficient concentrations in beef, pork, tuna, chicken

Recommendation 3: Group 2 supplements

My preference is always to obtain all of your Group 2 antioxidants from food. However sometimes this may not be possible (travel, bad quality of produce, seasons, etc.). 

Also sometimes, your Oxidative Stress may be higher than normal (back to back Crossfit workouts, an office full of coughing and sneezing co-workers, etc.). In such cases, it's fine to supplement with Group 2 antioxidant supplements:

• Vitamin C: make sure it's from natural sources. Note that "most" of the VitC supplements out there are synthetic and made from corn through a chemical process involving more than 20 steps!
• Vitamin E: remember, this is a fat soluble vitamin: you have to take it with fat-containing food in order for it to be absorbed. Also, keep it in the fridge
• Beta-carotene: again, shoot for natural sources

Recommendation 4: Group 1 supplements

I  would rarely recommend taking Group 1 antioxidant supplements (Glutathione or Ubiquinol). 

While they are tremendously beneficial, I would prefer to allow my body to naturally produce these powerful antioxidants on its own, and continue to adapt and produce more over time.

However, there are "unnatural" circumstances which the human body simply wasn't designed to deal with on a regular basis, and where a "helping hand" in the form of Glutathione and / or Ubiquinol may help.

Examples include:

• Extensive travel: exposure to solar radiation and EMF on planes, a wide range of bacteria and viruses, sleep disruption, etc.
• High volumes of exercise: heavy training for ultra-endurance events (ironman, ultra-marathons, etc), or insufficient recovery between high-stress exercise sessions (back to back Crossfit workouts), or the whole combination of traveling to a race (14-hour flight, sleeping in hotels, racing, ingesting processed sport nutrition, flying again, etc.)

In terms of supplements:

• Glutathione is available in capsule format as a supplement
• Ubiquinol is available in 2 forms: Coenzyme Q10 (precursor to Ubiquinol) or straight Ubiquinol. Studies have shown that as you age, you start losing your ability to convert CoQ10 into Ubiquinol. As a general rule of thumb, if you're above the age of 25, use Ubiquinol. For more info on that, read this.  

So what how do I personally manage all that?

Perhaps using myself as an example can shed some light on a "practical" approach to adopting the recommendations (1-4) I included above. So here are some of the main things I do to minimize the damage from ROS, counteract accelerated aging, and protect my body from the world we live in today:

Lifestyle

• I get out of the office every 30min for a walk outside (within reason)
• I spend 2min doing deep breathing exercises several times a day to keep stress (and related hormonal impact) under control (these are also very helpful when stuck in traffic or airport passport queues)
• I've installed f.lux on both my office and home computer
• I keep the brightness on my iphone a the lowest possible setting and avoid looking at it (and the ipad) before bed
• I keep my iphone in airplane mode when on the bed stand at night: avoid radiation so close to my head during the night

Nutrition

• I avoid all processed foods, period
• I avoid all genetically modified foods
• I avoid all refined grains and sugars (including sports nutrition)
• I avoid inflammation-causing foods (wheat/gluten, corn, soy)
• I keep my gut healthy with probiotic-rich foods (main defense against all sorts of infections)
• I make sure to frequently eat nutrient-dense foods, focusing primarily on vegetables, healthy fats, a bit of protein and less carbs

Exercise

• As a triathlete, I train hard, but I'm also in tune with my body: I know exactly when it's recovered and ready for the next workout. 
• I make sure I challenge all energy systems in my body: not to become a one-trick pony
• I make sure to include strength training

Supplements

• On easy or non-training days: nothing, I get nutrients from real food
• During moderate training blocks: multivitamin, Cod liver oil, Vitamin C
• Occasionally Vitamin D (when I feel I'm not getting touch sun exposure)
• During very heavy training blocks/racing or heavy travel: Glutathione, Magnesium

Interesting study on impact of Mediterranean diet on metabolic diseases and CVD

Another interesting study published last week, comparing the impact of the "traditional anti-CVD diet" with the Mediterranean diet.

The study by Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques in Spain observed a number of adult individuals with high risk of CVD (cardiovascular disease). The individuals suffered from a range of metabolic disorders, including obesity, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high plasma glucose etc - all associated with increased risk of death from CVD.

Some were put on the "recommended" diet for people with CVD: essentially low fat, with an overall calorie restriction. The others were put on a Mediterranean diet, which consisted of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and fats (olive oil, nuts and seeds), with no calorie restriction (i.e. eating to satiety). The Mediterranean diet consisted of around 50% total fat intake (as percentage of total kcal consumed).

The subjects were observed over a period of 1 year and their metabolic health was assessed throughout and at the conclusion of the study.

The results were not surprising to me but perhaps to many of those educated in 1980s-1990s medicine: the high fat no calorie restriction Mediterranean diet resulted in far better improvements in metabolic health and reduced risks for CVD when compared to the low fat calorie-restricted diet.

The study was not perfect:
- While the Med Diet group didn't gain weight, they didn't lose much (my guess that this was due to lack of physical activity and abundance of grains and legumes in the diet)

- The scientists hypothesized that the subjects on the Med diet were experiencing improved fat oxidation (they became better at burning fat) - however this was not tested for saturated fats, only mono and poly unsaturated fats from olive and oil and nuts/seeds.

In any case, the evidence remains compelling that a higher fat diet resulted in lower CVD risks when compared to a diet designed to lower CVD risks...

I'm copy/pasting below the conclusion from the study, followed by a link to the full literature.

"Since the primary endpoint for the treatment of MetS is to reduce the risk of CVD, traditional dietary recommendations such as those proposed by the NCEP, AHA and NHLBI essentially involve following a low-fat diet and achieving weigh reduction by a combination of reduced caloric intake and increased physical activity. In our study, however, we found that a high-fat (>40% of energy) non-energy-restricted diet showed a reduction in MetS prevalence without the need for weight loss or prescribed physical activity. There are several important aspects to consider regarding the MD followed in this study. First of all, it is highly palatable, decreases hunger, and promotes satiety, hence improving long-term adherence compared to low-fat energy-restricted diets [31]
[31]. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that there is no rationale for maintaining the fear that a MD rich in fats of vegetable origin may cause weight gain, and that it may be a useful alternative to traditional low-fat diets for the dietary treatment of MetS."

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%253Adoi%252F10.1371%252Fjournal.pone.0085202 

Fasted Race Experiment Successful... no shovel required!

Glad to report that I'm ok. Racing Abu Dhabi Short in a fasted state did not result in me collapsed by the side of the road begging passers by for an energy gel or Coke...

Some background
Yesterday I took part in the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon (ADIT), racing the Short distance - except there is nothing "short" about it: 1.5km swim, followed by 100km bike, followed by a 10km run.

Hello Abu Dhabi!

I take part in this race every year: being a Dubaiyite (as my wife calls us Dubai residents), it's considered our "local" race, I also often use this race to experiment with something new. Last year, I used the race to experiment with new nutrition products from Hammer Nutrition. While the products worked great, I misjudged my hydration, became dehydrated and had a miserable race full of cramps (which you can read about here).

This year, however, I went in the complete opposite direction: I wanted to race the event on nothing but water. That's right: no energy gels, no energy bars, no electrolyte tablets, no coke, no gatorade... just good old fashioned water, for a race that typically takes between 4 and 5 hours and coincides with the beginning of the UAE summer heat.

But I'm not an idiot: I didn't just wake up last week and decide to race "on an empty stomach". During the past 2 months or so, I've amended my diet and training to become more fat adapted. In other words, I've been teaching my body to prioritize the use of fat as a primary source of fuel both for exercise as well as for daily living. At the end of this blogpost, I'm outlining some of the main things I've adopted to become more fat adapted.

The purpose of my plan to race ADIT "unfueled" was to determine whether I was fat adapted enough to tap into my fat resources to fuel me through the entire race, without the need to resort to energy gels/bars/sports drinks.

Why am I doing all this? What's the harm in consuming carbohydrate-rich energy gels and drinks? Primarily for health reasons: I have diabetes in my family history, in addition to heart disease, high blood pressure and triglycerides, all linked to high carbohydrate consumption. I talked extensively about all this here.

I also did not make use of any electrolyte supplements (e.g. Saltstick, Nuun, Gu Brew...). These are claimed to replenish electrolytes lost in heavy sweating. All the research I've read in recent months about the topic point to the fact that it's virtually impossible to deplete yourself from electrolytes to the point of causing cramps in a single day event, unless you've had 0 salt/mineral intake with your food in the days leading up to the event (another impossibility).

So water was all there was (with some amino acids, as I explain below).

The X Factor
While my aim was to isolate the "fat adaptation" aspect in my experiment to make it the only "factor" in the race, there was a somewhat significant "X factor": my race fitness, or lack of it to be exact. I honestly haven't trained much in recent months due to a combination of personal and work-related matters. I had enough fitness to carry me through the race, but not enough fitness to "race" the race.

I knew I would have to look at my post-race results with that lens...

Preview and Race Conditions
The race took place on Saturday March 15th. I drove up on Friday morning, checked into the hotel, registered, did the pre-race usual (dropped off bike in transition, etc.). On Friday, conditions were horrible: heavy rain, heat/humidity, and gale force winds to boot. We were all hoping that things would calm down overnight...

and calm down they did...

On Saturday, we woke up to clear skies and no winds. The rain had left something behind though: we were looking at 80% humidity throughout the day, and the air felt thick. We also knew that the winds would pick up over the course of the day, as they always do in this part of the region.

The Race Plan
Nutrition
Breakfast - 2 hours before race-start: Bulletproof Coffee +3g Amino Acids
Bike: water +1g Amino Acids on the hour every hour (so 3g)
Run: water

Some explanations:

Bulletproof Coffee? What the heck is that?: Click here for an explanation. Why? Well the fat content in the Bulletproof Coffee actually triggers the fat burning metabolism (called beta-oxidation) in your body. In other words, it "starts the fat burning engine", thereby allowing you to tap into your fat reserves.

Why Amino Acids? Amino Acids are the basic building blocks of proteins. I take a small amount (6g in total) just to protect my muscles from destroying themselves too much during long endurance events, like a triathlon. I don't get energy from Amino Acids, they're more preventative than anything else (again following the theme of minimize the negative health implications of endurance racing).

Race Execution Plan
In order for me to get through the race without resorting to energy gels/bars/drinks, I would have to stay in my "fat burning" zone of effort. This typically means an effort of around 75% of my maximum effort on the swim, the bike and the run.

Why? Well your body uses 2 sources of fuel primarily: carbohydrates and fats. Fats provide more energy, but they take longer to burn. Carbs produce less energy, but they are "quick".

• So if your effort level is "hard" (e.g. 80% or more), you need energy "quickly", so you will need carbohydrates. You have some stored in your liver and muscles, enough for around 90min of effort. After that, you'll need to eat carbs to replenish and keep going (gels, bars, sports drinks, etc.)

• If you keep your effort level around the 75% mark, you can use "fat" as a source of fuel. You have hours and hours worth of fat stores in your body (no matter how lean you are). 

Of course, you can't just wake up and assume that your body will chose fat. Our typical diet has unfortunately conditioned our bodies to operate on carbs, even at low levels of effort. 

What I've been doing over the last 8 weeks or so is "recondition" my body to learn to burn fat for anything other than a "hard" effort (I describe some of what I did at the bottom of this blogpost).

Swim:
I opted for no wetsuit, even though it was going to mean a slower swim. My lack of swim training meant that going 45sec faster with a wetsuit would not have made any difference. In addition, the air was warm and thick with humidity, conditions I normally struggle with anyway, so I didn't want to risk overheating during the swim by wearing a wetsuit.

Target effort level: 75%, comfortable pace

Bike: 
Plan was to bike also at a 75% effort, making use of my Vector power meter and heart rate monitor to gauge my effort and keep it steady throughout the bike course (i.e. avoid spikes which would push me into carb-burning zones, which are typically above 80% effort).

Run:
Same as bike: keep it at 75% effort and use heart rate monitor to maintain a stable pace.

Race Day
Preparation
I woke up at 5am after a good night's sleep. It's funny, I don't get nervous much before races, a big step from a couple of years back when I would spend the night tossing and turning.

I ordered fresh coffee from room service, and while waiting for it, spent 5min doing some breathing exercises. Those have a dual purpose of (i) oxygenating my blood/muscles and (ii) warming up my breathing muscles (diaphragm, rib cage muscles).

When the coffee came, I prepared my bulletproof coffee, and while sipping it, I completed a quick warmup: pushups, burpees, lunges. Nothing crazy: just getting the blood flowing to all muscle groups.

I got my kit ready, took 3g amino acids, and headed downstairs to catch the shuttle bus to the race venue.

I got to the race venue and it was buzzing with activity. The Pros were about to start, music was blaring, and there was this infectious energy in the whole place, which I love and missed since my last big race at Challenge Roth in July.

A bit of a burst bubble happened when I realized that my bike computer (Garmin Edge) was stolen off my bike overnight! I couldn't comprehend it: the only people with access to the bikes were race officials and other athletes. What kind of athlete steals a bike computer!?

Anyway, I had my old trusty Garmin Forerunner 310XT in my bag, and I had charged it overnight as a backup. I put it on my wrist, paired it with my power meter and heart rate strap, and headed down to the beach to warm up before race start.

The Swim (1.5km)
I was in a wave of around 300 other athletes. I started on the side (no point in getting bashed around too much). When the horn went off, I plunged it and tried to settle into a rhythm immediately. I had to deal with kicks and blows for the first 5min or so (typical of a race start), but then things cleared up and I was swimming super comfortably.

Results: at this stage, I experienced the impact of the Bulletproof Coffee for the first time: I had never experienced such mental clarity during the beginning of a race. I was acutely aware of where I was in the water, I was reacting a lot quicker to other swimmers, and I was very much focused on my streamlining, body position and stroke. Certainly the most comfortable swim in any race I've taken part in.

I came out of the water in 32:10. Slow, but expected.

Thanks Christian for the pic!

Transition 1
T1 in ADIT is a bit of a long one. You run up the beach, through a fresh water shower, into a changing tent to grab your "bike bag" and change, then out into the large area where all the bikes are.

Again, I was super comfortable as I was running into the tent. My "bike bag" was empty, because all what I needed (helmet, race belt, sunglasses) were hanging on the hook where I left them. I grabbed them and put them on as I was running towards my bike.

Grabbed the bike and ran with it to the mounting line. I had left my bike shoes clipped into the pedals, so I ran across the mounting line, hopped on, slipped my feet into the shoes and started pedaling away.

T1: 4.5min. Rusty, lack of practice shows.

Bike (100km)

2nd bubble burst: as I explained earlier, my plan was to use my power meter and heart rate monitor to make sure I stayed in my "fat burning zone" of 75% effort. Of course, that requires being able to see the power you're producing or your heart rate. 

Since my bike computer was MIA, I had put on my backup Forerunner on my wrist. But when I looked at it on the bike, it was "dead': water had gotten into it during the swim (no idea why) and it just refused to restart.

Switching to Plan C then!

I had 2 choices at that point:

1. Throw the experiment out the window, smash the bike segment, grabbing energy gels from the aid stations throughout; or
2. Try to estimate what 75% feels like using my breathing and "perceived exertion" and stick to the experiment.

I opted for option 2.
How I executed it was pretty simple: 75% effort means I should be able to breath through my nose. Every time I had to breath through my mouth, I would slow my effort down until I regained control of my breathing. Of course I "let that go" on the bridges somewhat, but just by 10% or so.

The bike ride was otherwise super-smooth. I stayed on the aerobars for pretty much the entire ride (except for tight corners on Yas Marina GP Circuit).

I was grabbing water from every aid station (and nothing else). It was getting hot and very humid very quickly, so I was drinking around 800ml/hour (estimated, I had no watch/bike computer/Garmin!!).

Results

Positives: never ever felt any energy dips or lack of power. Never felt the need to take any energy gels/bars/drinks. Felt super steady and consistent in my effort, and it was very easy to regain control of my breathing after going up bridges and flyovers.

Negatives: none really. The only thing I struggled with was the fact that I was getting passed by so many people in the first 40km or so of the bike. 

This is something I'm not used to: the bike normally being my "strength", it's usually the other way around for me. 

I took a little pleasure in the last 40km though: I was passing a lot of the people who had passed me earlier, even though I was still putting out a 75% effort. Many people were beginning to fade as the winds picked up during the second half of the bike.

Total time for 100km: 3:12 (avg 31.2km/h)

Transition 2
T2 was uneventful. Got off the bike just before the dismount line, leaving the shoes clipped into the pedals. Dropped off my bike at the first empty spot I could find and jogged to the transition tent feeling very comfortable. Helmet off, shoes on, visor on, and off I went for the 10km run.

Saw Christian Berglehner from Race-Me and my club-mate at TriDubai on the way to the changing tent, and he snapped a pic:

Run (10km)
The moment I stepped out of the tent, I realized how hot and humid it was. It was close to mid-day and the sun was blasting, and I already knew that the run course had no shaded areas whatsoever.

Again, I had no heart rate monitor, so I had to gauge my effort by feel to keep it at 75%. 

I already knew what that meant for me (that's how I train myself and others): 75% means I'm able to keep a 4/3 breathing pattern. 3/2 means I'm beginning to go above 80%, and that was a no no for this particular experiment.

Remember what I mentioned earlier: 80%+ effort means you're dipping into stored carbs, and you only have 90min of those in your body. I was already 4 hours into the race, and I certainly did use some of those 90min during the swim (aggressive start) and the bike (bridges and flyovers).

Now the major parameter that influences how fast you go at a particular level of effort is your fitness. For example, someone who can run at 11km/h at 75% effort is fitter than someone who can run at 10km/h at 75% effort.

Things are also negatively affected by heat and humidity: if you normally run at 10km/h at 75%, the heat/humidity will drive your effort to 80% for the same speed of 10km/h. Some people (e.g moi) are more susceptible to hot weather conditions than others.

Results

I started the run feeling ok, and kept my pace very slow to control my breathing and maintain that 4/3 breathing pattern. 2km into the run and I started to lose control: I couldn't maintain a 4/3 breathing pattern anymore, which meant that my effort level was creeping above 80%. I had to slow it down since I still had 8km to go. 

But I know myself. This has nothing to do with how "fat adapted" I am. This has to do with how "unfit" I am. Given the lack of training over the past few months, I just was not "capable of staying at 75% at 6min/km", and the only way I could was by slowing down to a walk.

I started a new pattern:

• Run at 75% until I couldn't
• Walk until my breathing recovered
• Restart running at 75%

That went on until the 9km mark, when I decided that I still had some of that stored carbs left: I picked up the pace and ran the rest of the way to the finish at 85-90% effort.

A highlight of the run was seeing TriDubai trisuit after TriDubai trisuit. Such a big presence for our club at such a major race made me immensely proud! Shoutouts from Venny, Johan, Patrice, and countless others were uplifting!
Run time: 1:17 (slow as a snail).

TOTAL TIME: 5:11 (263rd out of 381 in my age group).
I crossed the finish line a little out of breath, but I can honestly say that I finished "fresh". I wasn't tired, no muscle pains, no cramps whatsoever…

But the most important thing of all: as with the swim, my mind was "clear". I had never experienced this mental clarity at the end of a brutal 5hr race. No mental fog, no dizziness, no blurred vision, etc…

Carbs are famous for causing mental fog in the best of conditions, but I always thought that the mental fog at the end of a long-distance triathlon came from the exertion… not this time!

I was chatting to some of the guys at the finish, and I could recall every minute of my race and could tell them what was happening at every one of those minutes. It was an incredible feeling…

Conclusions and Next Steps
In my opinion, the experiment was a resounding success: I never felt out of energy and my level of energy was steady and consistent throughout the whole event.

This is all hypothetical of course, but allow me to run some numbers:

The following were my swim/bike/run paces at 75% a year ago (when I was far more race-ready):

• Swim 1.5km: 29min (vs 32min today)
• Bike 100km: 33km/h (vs 31.5km/h today)
• Run 10km: 55min (vs. 75min today with walks)

In other words, I'm convinced that this experiment was successful enough to warrant a second attempt after a few months of training.

I'm registered for Norway 70.3 In July. Will I adopt the same there? Probably not. Not because I will stop fat adapting (I won't) but because I don't want to "race" Norway 70.3 at 75% effort. It's my "A" race this season and I'm looking at going hard (85% effort).

Having said that, I will certainly continued to teach my body to tap into its fat resources, because that will make me more efficient at ALL effort levels. 

This will certainly reduce the amount of carbs I will need to ingest during the race in Norway, which ultimately would be beneficial for my health.

I'm competitive, and all for getting a good result in my races, but not at the expense of increasing my risk of diabetes 10 years down the road…


How did I "fat adapt" over the past few months
I'll start off by admitting that I stuck to this plan around 70% of the time, and "fell off the wagon" around 30% (partially on purpose, partially due to either travel, entertaining, or lack of will power).

On the training side, it was pretty simple:

• Unlike what some traditional people recommend, I did not only train at 75% or lower efforts
• I trained like I normally would: a mix of longer endurance sessions (75% effort) and higher intensity efforts (80%-95%)
• My longer sessions lasted from 60-90min on the runs and 90-180min on the bike
• All of my longer endurance sessions were done in a fasted state (water only)
• All of my higher intensity sessions were under 60min and were pre-fueled

On the nutrition side, I adopted a high fat, high leafy greens, moderate protein, low carb approach.

• Fats accounted for around 55% of my diet.
• Proteins accounted for around 20%
• Carbs accounted for around 25%.

You will note that I still had carbs. Carbs at 25% means I was adopting a "low carb" diet and not a "ketogenic diet". I won't get into the details on the differences, but suffice it to say that keeping carbs at 25% consistently is a lot easier than you think.

• Fats included: grass-fed butter, coconut oil, olive oil, avocados, raw nuts, sardines, salmon, eggs, bacon
• Veggies included: spinach, rocca, tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, 
• Proteins included: grass-fed beef, lamb, free-range chicken, duck, fish & seafood
• Carbs included: quinoa (also source of protein), potatoes, fruits, rice (rarely).

Note: when I started this fat adaptation around 8 weeks ago, I could barely run for 60min on an empty stomach and without fueling. By last week (pre-race), I could run for almost 2 hours in a fasted state first thing in the morning feeling absolutely fantastic. It works people!


Finally, I have to say that my whole fat adaptation process resulted in a number of positive consequences which were not the reason I embarked on this in the first place:

• My body composition improved dramatically, despite my limited training: I dropped 2.5% of body fat in 6 weeks
• My GI problems all but disappeared (carbs have been proven to be a major cause of GI problems since the "bad bacteria" in your gut only feed on carbs).

And here is a list of "experts" whose knowledge and experience I draw upon a lot in my education about how our bodies work, how best to fuel, and whose experiences and knowledge I've drawn upon for this whole experiment:

Ben Greenfield

Dave Asprey

Mark Sissons

Chris Kresser

Tony