** The ASK GB ANYTHING thread (diet/nutrition related) **

[gbrice75]

Fasted AM low intensity works as such:

Between when you go to sleep and when you get up is the biggest gap of not eating therefore your body is depleted of glucose, the body's preferred source of energy so without that it dips into the body's deep fat stores and helps you get that bf% down... However it has to be low intensity because the body cannot handle UNFUELED HIT without out breaking down your muscles for energy to burn.

^^ Is that correct?

For the most part, yes. You aren't eating, so blood glucose levels are low and stable, insulin is in check, and that's a perfect time to burn body fat as a fuel source. Higher intensity (and the actual number/HR depends on the individual) activity tends to rely on burning glucose as it's a more immediate fuel source (no conversion needed). When glucose isn't present such as when we're fasted, muscle glycogen will be called on, and if it's already depleted, tissue breakdown can occur.

Note if you had a huge carb meal before bed, then got and did fasted cardio, I wouldn't be as concerned about the intensity. But most of us aren't eating huge carb meals before bed, and those that are likely aren't trying to burn body fat, i.e. not doing fasted cardio in the am!

Taking BCAA's pre cardio can offset the 'issue' somewhat, but I still tend to stick with moderate intensity (I don't really like low), steady state cardio in the am/fasted.

Secondly why have I heard people say that fueled HIT (interval) is good for getting those extra BF% down? Wouldn't u just be using the energy from what you've just eaten?

Yes - but HIIT burns a tremendous amount of calories, and not ALL of those calories are glucose, i.e. some will still be bodyfat. Lower/moderate intensity seems to burn a higher percentage of fat vs. HI, but HI/HIIT burns an overall larger amount of calories, and so by default more body fat. I hope I'm making that distinction clear. Example:

You do moderate intensity cardio for 30 mins. You burn 250 calories. 70% is body fat. You've burned 175 calories of body fat.

Now take that same 30 mins of cardio, but make it HIIT. You burn 600 calories. 40% is body fat. You've burned 240 calories of body fat. Let's assume the rest was readily available glucose from the meal you've just eaten prior to the session. You've still burned more body fat with the HIIT session.

And once that energy is depleted wouldn't it just start breaking down muscle? So therefore being no point to HIT if trying to Preserve as much muscle as possible?

HIT sessions should be just that - intense, but short. I don't do more than 20 mins. It's fairly safe to say you won't burn much if any LBM at 20 mins. I then switch over to moderate/steady state for another 20 mins and just let the 'afterburn' happen. That's my personal preference.

I know what I just said isn't 100% correct but it's something I struggle to understand....

Thanks mate

np, hopefully i'm making sense above. Note the numbers I laid out are arbitrary and just being used to make my point with the examples.

Would a high-protein high-fat diet work ?

High fat diets work better for some than others. They do not work well for me personally.

I was thinking of taking out the carbs completely and getting my calories from protein and most of all sunflower oil(as a fat source). I would tweak the sunflower oil fat in order to find the sweet spot, where to get in the calories needed to lean bulk and then, after a while, to get cut. Would this work ?

You're basically talking about a keto diet. Have you researched keto?

Can sunflower oil be used to get in the number of calories needed to grow but to be used as fuel also so it wont get stored as bodyfat ?

Without the presence of carbs, the body is forced to use dietary fat and body fat as a fuel source. If you aren't careful, it can and will also break down muscle tissue, and/or convert dietary protein for fuel (gluconeogenesis), which obviously isn't ideal as we want protein being used to repair tissue and perform it's many other bodily functions.

Considering sunflower oil is a good source of fat and 100g is almost 1000 calories.

I'd prefer fish oils over sunflower oil, but sunflower is fairly high in polyunsaturated fat.

If you're really interested, you should look up keto diets. I'd start with researching Dave Palumbo as I like his best.

Keep in mind one thing though; of the 3 macro nutrients, fat is most easily stored as body fat. Despite the beating carbs take today, they are NOT the enemy!!! I'm not saying fat is bad, it has it's place in every diet, but I have found that a high protein, moderate carb (with carb cycling) low fat diet works best for me personally.