A Fat Burning Journey

Influential authours, lentils and late-thirties athletic comebacks 

It is amazing how embracing something seemingly new and innovative can turn into an adventure and educational experience of sorts. Even more amazing is the fact that many things “new and innovative” are in fact tried and tested methodology, only now gaining prominence owing to modern day marketing and the like. Fashionable in other words.

One of these “innovations” is the increasing Paleo movement, which is steadily gaining popularity and acceptance but can often be misunderstood - in terms of diet at least - as a quick fix solely for weight-loss purposes. Put into a sporting context, one of its key components improving an athlete’s ability to burn fat for fuel by observing a low-carbohydrate diet. This should be re-phrased “low-processed-carbohydrate diet” as vegetables and fruit are all natural sources of this food type.

Around three years ago I purchased Mark Sisson’s excellent book, the Primal Blueprint, which is an easy to read masterpiece on all things health and fitness along Paleo lines. Perhaps incidental was my reading of Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run a few months prior, outlining the benefits of minimalist running. These two books along with a great blog piece by a top Swedish athlete had a great impact on me and unknowingly sowed the seeds for a voyage of re-discovery.

Up until that point I had been a typical amateur athlete stuck in the all too familiar rut of trying to fit in as many hours in the saddle and on foot as possible. Whilst my athletic vocation was indeed enjoyable, this pursuit of the quantitative did at times result in my questioning my motivations for such an undertaking, especially given my suffering from at least a couple of head colds annually as well frequent energy lulls. When I did compete in the occasional competition, it always seemed as though my results were falling short of what my training indicated as my true ability, a notion experienced by many an athletic peer.

Given that my stable breakfast and lunch diet at that stage was very carbohydrate-centric was unsurprising; the body needs to be constantly re-fuelled in order to perform, right? Yet there were several occasions where I would experience a Saturday morning “hunger-knock” in the middle of a long ride despite having had my usual pre-ride dose of cereal, milk and sugar. And there were other times where I would experience no such energy lows on the occasions where I had skipped breakfast in order to make it in time to meet my cycling partners pre-dawn.

In short, my approach to athletics consisted of a rigid training structure in the grey zone of intensity (80-90% effort) fuelled by bread and cereal in the quest for hours accumulated and mediocre results in a few obligatory competitions. Fitness was a priority over health, the converse only ringing true during times of illness in an effort to get back on track fast.

Fast forward to the present day, where my approach has evolved into one focussed more on health and the journey of life, a radical departure from mileage totals and the mindless grey zone. This transformation has resulted in my return to regular competition, with some great personal results leaving me exhilarated and excited. One of the key factors in this turnaround in attitude and performance has been my increased ability to burn fat effectively. Its effect on athletic performance aside, the health benefits of fat burning are incalculable, directly enhancing immune function, allergy resistance, quality of sleep and general well being.

It was whilst working for an elite cycling team for a period in early 2013 that provided a privileged glimpse into the true value and results of this notion. One of the riders is a committed vegan, combining his nutritional vocation with that of elite level mountain biking on an international scale. His approach to preparation for world class competition is rather more simplistic that one might expect from an athlete of his ability and standing. He embraces athletics in a holistic sense, a departure from what one might expect from an elite athlete. In terms of actual physical  preparation, most of his training is performed at an extremely low intensity on minimal fuel. He often goes for a four to six hour ride on little more than water, consuming a self-concocted green juice as his sole form of breakfast. No cereals, gels, sports drinks or conventional food - just him on his bike with a water bottle, effectively training himself to perform on as little fuel as possible.

I had come across the notion of fasting for athletic performance in Allan Peiper’s autobiography several years prior and again thereafter whilst hosting a team of Italians at a local stage race. This seemed in direct conflict with “the-eat-as-much-as-you-can-to-perform” train of thought. Peiper’s fasting aided his recovery from serious illness whilst my Italian friends ate nothing between the end of each day’s stage (midday) and evening supper. They looked pretty healthy to me and didn’t seem to be suffering from any serious hunger pangs or the like.

The common denominator of the above examples is that all of these athletes had well developed fat burning capabilities, which could have taken years to develop into the most valuable of arrows in their quivers. There diets (on and off the bike), whilst rich in natural carbohydrates through fruit and vegetables, where not overly sugar-orientated. I can attest to this having prepared several large bowls of boiled lentils complete with excessive amounts of grated beetroot, carrots and apples on a daily basis for the aforementioned vegan cycling team. There was no reliance on modern sports nutrition yet their respective performances ranked up with the best. And having these sorts of experiences has gradually (and positively) had an impact on how I approach my own athletic desires.

Dedicated fasting and veganism aside, the acquiring and incorporating various elements of these disciplines has led to astounding results for me personally, both athletically and health-wise. I’m pretty sure that adopting these methods in their entirety would not be enjoyable or even beneficial for me personally. Similarly, the motivation for pursuing such elements needs to be pure; improved health is at the forefront of my mindset in this regard.

A point form description of my gleaning might look as follows:

• fruit in the morning is better than cereal.

• lentils are not just for soup or bird food, but are actually taste quite nice when mixed with a salad or vegetables, especially when sprinkled olive oil.

• grated beetroot, apple and carrot is a a great tasting antioxidant.

• intermittent fasting on a weekly basis results in increased energy levels.

• the above dietary information promotes improved health and fitness. Weight loss/management is merely a positive spin off.

• improved nutrition solely for the sake of performance and/or weight-loss is counterproductive.

• motivation needs to be pure.

• you can really get faster by going slower (even in your late-thirties).

• grate beetroot first, then carrots and finally apple. This results in the food stuffs performing their own “grater-clean”, effectively nullifying the messy effects of raw beetroot shavings.