Sugar and Athletes

Dr. Jeff Volek: “Anti-Ketogenic Effect of Insulin and Dietary Carbohydrate”

• "...The most potent blocker of lipolysis is insulin
• "Elevated insulin make it difficult to break down fat–and carbs raise insulin the most
• "Low-carb diet is best for breaking down fat as compared with a high-carb diet
• "Insulin is very easy to manipulate through the diet
• "Fat has no impact on insulin, protein a little, but carbs have a HUGE impact
• "There are only about 2 teaspoons of sugar circulating in the body
• "The average meal Americans eat contains 10X the amount of sugar in the body
• "Concern over carb consumption is regarding the sugar spike then crash–hypoglycemia
• "Avoiding hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia as a metabolic state is critical to health
• "When you consume carbs, it is stored as glycogen until full then converted to body fat...
• "...Eating low-carb is especially good for athletes before exercise
• "Using fat for fuel enhances athletic performance
• "The old paradigm for post-exercise is to carb up–new paradigm is no carbs or slow ones
• "Many pro athletes are eating an Atkins-like diet for optimal performance
• "Athletes now realize that having elevated insulin is not good for them
• "A high-carb diet after exercise may diminish the benefits of exercise on heart health
• "Protein synthesis post-exercise is not enhanced by mixing protein and carbs for recovery
• "Skip the carbs and simply eat fat and protein for your post-workout meal
• "Study comparing low-carb diet over 12 weeks with exercise found 5.3% body fat decrease
• "Study participants did not experience fatigue, lost significant fat, grew muscle eating low-carb
• "The obligate nature of carbohydrates for athletes has been overblown and is unnecessary"

This makes perfect since if sugar is toxic, and I'm 100% sure that it is (I stopped eating sugar over 20 years ago due to cavities), then it makes no sense whatsoever that it would improve athletic performance.

While it follows that if you think fat is toxic, then glucose must be the primary food source for the body, once you discover that sugar is toxic and fat, in fact, is the primary food source for the body, then the entire body of nutritionional, and a good deal of sport, science is turned on its head.

That appears to be what is happening.

Here's Dr. Volek's web page.