Fat Burning and running-Question page

[Halfacre]

Hello!

Still pretty new to the forum, but have been primal for about a month now, and have been taking a break from running and cycling to adjust. Getting back into it, what is the protocol for transitioning from a sugar-burner runner/cyclist to a fat burner runner/cyclist?

Are you glued to your heartrate monitor? do I need to slow way way down to be a fat burning endurance athlete?

Or, as a fat burner in most of my day, will it carry over to exercise regardless of heartrate?

Any experience any one had would be great,

Thanks in advance,

[primalrob]

it should carry over regardless of heartrate. your body will be looking for fuel to operate. not having ample carbs will cause it to pull from fat sources, such as bodyfat.

[Halfacre]

That's what I was hoping. Fatburning shouldn't switch on and off, right?

But I remember reading (maybe Maffetone) that adapting to fat burning during exercise requires a low heartrate to start, and then speed will come as adaptation occurs. I have trouble staying in the range and actually running. It's more like a fast walk/run.

I'm going to just go out and run and see what happens.

Thanks again!

[sbhikes]

You should do your running and cycling slow to maintain the fat burning. Phil Maffetone, www.philmaffetone.com - Aerobic? Yes, Maffetone method is very slow at first and it's embarrassing. As an occasional runner, I was pretty shocked how pathetic. I still am, but at least now I am a fast enough that it looks like running most of the time and not like I'm an old man with a walker. The Barefoot Ted forum talks about Maffetone a lot. https://groups.google.com/forum/?fro...orum/huaraches

[canuck416]

When I did the transition to Paleo it took 3 weeks for my training energy levels to adjust. I backed off my training somewhat because in the beginning my legs felt dead during my workouts. But around the end of the 3rd week I suddenly felt amazing and have never looked back. You will know when you become fat adapted as your training energy will suddenly reappear. I keep my carb levels between 75 and 100 grams per day for most of the week except on weekends when I will go up to 150 gms.

[zilog]

You should do your running and cycling slow to maintain the fat burning.

I thought this distinction (i.e. the intensity of the exercise determining whether you burned fat or carbs for energy) had long been debunked? Isn't it instead down to what you eat and hormone levels (insulin etc) in the body? I thought that was the entire basis for fat-adaptation on the primal blueprint!

[Halfacre]

This is exactly the question I am looking for an answer for!

I've read PB and don't recall anything speaking to the endurance sport aspect of fat burning. Like I said above, if we are fat-adapted in daily living, is it essentially automatic that we will be fat adapted when running or cycling?

I also read Maffetone (albeit years ago) and don't recall him speaking to fat adapted daily living, only fat adapted exercising.

This is what I am getting at!

Thanks again for the replies. I've been "mostly primal" for about a month, and feel great and my wife says I look pretty good too.

[relaygirl]

I was paleo for a year but it was not until this summer that I increased my fat-like doubled it that I was truly fat adapted. It had nothing to do with my carb intake but was my fat and protein amounts that made the difference. I had a hard summer but now I am doing much better-have another half this weekend so I will see how it goes. My costume might affect my time though!!!

[Neely]

This is an interesting thread and something I was talking about at work today. Are there any more suggestions on fat burning as fuel? I am a recreational cyclist and would like to start running as well. I have been reading around this topic the last couple of days but seem to have met with a few contradictions.

[relaygirl]

@Neely this is good What Does it Mean to Be Fat-Adapted? | Mark's Daily Apple

With everything in the paleosphere there is contradiction. Some days I can't think straight with it all I just have to stick to my guns, high fat, moderate carb, moderate protein, run like the wind, lift some heavy stuff and have fun doing it.