The Digest - June 4

• Why fat-adapted athletes have a much easier time dropping weight.
• New study as further proof of link between gluten and inflammation in people without Celiac.
• Consumption of high fructose corn syrup (soft drinks) directly linked to rise in heart disease factors.
• A 20-year study reveals a link between consumption of certain vegetables and reduction in breast cancer risk.
• Another study showing that while saturated fat may increase LDL Cholesterol, this has no impact on atherosclerosis.

• While I often talk about the benefits of fat adaptation for athletic performance, the main reasons I encourage it are health-related: your body’s ability to rely primarily on fat as fuel means you will maintain optimal body composition, maintain healthy levels of blood lipids (cholesterol, triglycerides), maintain lower inflammation and accelerate recovery, keep diabetes at bay, and more. This study recently published in the Journal of Applied Physiology reveals that “fat-burning athletes” not only burn more fat during an exercise session, but continue to do so for the 24 hours following exercise, and more importantly, maintain higher insulin sensitivity (a good thing!) when compared with “carb-burning athletes”. Oh and while endurance magazines are beginning to catch-on to the trend and beginning to advocate “fasted training” as a path to fat adaptation, know this: fat adaptation is 20% what you do/eat during training and 80% what you do/eat during the REST of the day! Fasted long rides at low heart rates will NOT give you long-term sustainable fat adaptation.

• This is another attempt on my part to silence those who believe that gluten sensitivity is “bogus” or psychosomatic: a new study by the University of Toronto looked at the impact of gluten consumption on inflammatory biomarkers in young adults NOT diagnosed with Celiac disease. The results indicate that consumption of gluten is linked to an increase in inflammatory markers.

• Just in case you’ve been living under a rock: yet another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition established a direct link between consumption of high fructose corn syrup (commonly found in soft drinks and other beverages) with a dramatic rise in markers linked with cardiovascular disease (such as triglycerides, LDL Cholesterol, apo-B and Uric Acid). Of further interest is the fact that this was a “dose-response” study, where: the higher the dose of high fructose corn syrup the bigger the rise in Trig, LDL, apo-B, and uric acid.

• In a 20-year follow-up study by the school of medicine at Harvard, scientists were able to determine that higher levels of carotenoids were associated with a significantly lower risk of breast cancer in women, particularly for more aggressive and ultimately fatal conditions. As a reminder, carotenoids are powerful antioxidants which can be found in high concentrations in certain fruits and vegetables, notably carrots, dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes. Furthermore, studies have shown that the addition of a fat source along with such fruits and veg (e.g. Avocado, olive oil) would help increase carotenoid absorption from these foods.

• I don’t know how many studies need to be released showing the lack of evidence supporting the “eat low fat to avoid heart disease” hypothesis before the populace wakes up. Anyway: here’s a study just published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Conclusion: Although there was a clear association between consumption of saturated fat and LDL cholesterol, the rise in LDL cholesterol was NOT associated with mortality from atherosclerosis (formation of plaque in arteries).