Q&A: Fueling During Endurance Exercise, Losing Fat Quickly, Calcium Scans For Athletes, Adjusting MAF Heart Rates

In this Q&A, I share the story of an ultra-endurance athlete who improved their health and lowered blood pressure by adding meat to their diet, if we need to consume fat (bacon and avocado!) during ultramarathons (short answer: no!), and whether or not I recommend eating fruit and high protein every day, regardless of athletic goals?

I also share the story of a couple who lost lots of excess body fat in two months by using keto and intermittent fasting and talk about the importance of looking at the big picture of heart disease risk factors and doing further testing if necessary. Finally, should longtime extreme endurance athletes consider a CAC (coronary artery calcium scan), and can fit, older athletes add five beats or more to MAF heart rate? Maybe, but as you will hear in this episode, it’s also important to be conservative with MAF.

TIMESTAMPS:

Joe is asking about the changes he has made in his diet and what they brought about.

If he is doing marathons, ultras and Ironman, it is not a good idea to introduce fasting into his regimen as he might not be getting enough protein. [00:24]

If you are concerned about weight gain, remember that protein calories are not going to add body fat. [04:18]

Participation in high endurance sports, even for 25 years, can bring high blood pressure, but you can find it decreases by adding red meat into the diet. [05:19]

Joe is asking Brad if he is recommending fruit and protein every day no matter where you are in your training cycle? [07:10]

Remember that snacking during endurance activity is not the best time to digest foods because the blood is diverted from your digestive system into your working extremities. [09:10]

Chris shares how he and his wife found amazing changes in their lives after following Brad’s information on diet. [14:13]

Ideally your body measurement should look at waist to height ratio. We want the waist circumference to be less than half of your height. [17:07]

Scott in Palm Springs talks about one’s heart disease risk factors. He is recommending the CAC, Coronary Artery Calcium scan, especially for long time endurance athletes. [20:04]

Brian, a cyclist, is asking about adding five beats to your maximum aerobic heart rate in certain circumstances. [24:36]

Fat Max is the point where you are burning the maximum number of fat calories per minute during exercise. [29:46]

Brian asks about what should he do when sprinting about keeping his heart rate under or over maximum heart rate. [32:42]

LINKS:

Podcast Episode Details

Q&A: Fueling During Endurance Exercise, Losing Fat Quickly, Calcium Scans For Athletes, Adjusting MAF Heart Rates