Is intentional underfueling a good way to train mitochondria to oxidize fat? And what about fueling more with fat sources instead of carbs? I’m not suggesting this is something to do all the time, but maybe as an intentional low-carb zone 2 effort once or twice a week? I have looked into this a little bit, but I see conflicting views. What I have been normally doing is Zone 2 efforts with half the recommended amount of carb drink mix, so I am getting some carb fueling but not as much as I would with intervals/racing etc.
Hey @jvbailey88
Great question with a complex answer.
The Short answer is: Yes, Maybe, but it’s stressful on the body, so “It depends”.
The Long answer is that we have 2 great pieces of content on this topic:
FT Pod #123: Performance Gains and Adaptations from Fasted Training, with Dr. Brian Carson
FT Pod # 150: Are There Benefits to Carbohydrate Manipulation? With Dr. Asker Jeukendrup
Both of these are part of our Sports Nutrition Pathway, which offers insights as well.
I hope that helps,
Rob
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