Fat Adaption Diet

Gab folows a special diet to maximize his endurance levels by relying primeraly on fats and not carbs  - not unlike the ketogenic diet that some people with epilepsy use to control their seizures. Here's what he has to say about becoming "Fat Adapted" during training:

"I believe a BIG part of my potential success at “Tor des Geants” will come down to my ability to be “Fat Adapted”! What that means is that instead of relying on glucose for energy (sugar-burner) I will be tapping into my stored fat for energy to help me complete the race. Glucose is a great source of energy, but unfortunately we only have about 2-3hrs worth at a time before we would need an exogenous source - and the amount of food we need to consume ultimately will lead to intestinal issues because while running our stomach lining can only absorb so much. Once fat adapted you still have to continue to consume while exercising but our body fat is a much more reliable source of energy over a long period of moderate exercise.

With that said, I have lost 45lbs since my training began in January this year. Since weight loss ultimately comes down to calories stored versus calories burned, and when you’re a fat-burner you’re both burning the stuff you want to get rid of (body fat) and taking in less energy and experiencing less hunger (because you’re eating body fat), being fat-adapted just makes losing unwanted weight easier. My chances of completing Tor has not only improved because of the dramatic weight loss but my ability to be less reliant for continuous exogenous sources of sugar to fuel my possible 4 day continuous running.

The day I realized I was fat adapted was the day I was able to complete the Pikes Peak Traverse - a 7 hour training run - with only 2 sticks of beef jerky as a source of nutrition and without any reduction in performance. It was liberating."

Join Team Rise

Follow Gab's harrowing journey to and through the Alps, and join him in supporting the vital programs and services provided by the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota. Donate $205 - one dollar for every mile - to become an official member of TEAM RISE!

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