'No carbs, more fat' diet makes athletes burn more calories and have higher endurance

Fat has always been seen as a no-no when it comes to diet and weight loss, but a new study may prove otherwise, Daily Mail reports. Researchers from Massey University in New Zealand analyzed the diets of athletes to see if their food intake would benefit regular people. The researchers wanted to find out if a low-carb, high-fat diet can help burn more fat during exercise.

Competitive triathlete and PhD student Will O'Connor led the study, which aimed to find out if it was possible to "force adaptation" among ultra-endurance athletes. This metabolic flexibility means that the body can use fat for a longer period of time in less intense exercise, and conserving carbohydrates for shorter, high-intensity boosts, Medical Xpress reports.

Researchers gathered participants who were given 2g of carbohydrate for every kilogram of body weight for a month, emphasizing the intake of fat instead. A sample meal would include coffee with cream, bacon and eggs, some fruit, meat, and a large portion of vegetables. Participants then underwent a four-hour cycle test where their respiratory exchange ratio, which is the ratio of oxygen and carbon dioxide inhaled and exhaled during the test, was measured. By doing this test, researchers were able to take a closer look at what energy source the body was using.

Researchers found that when athletes consume low-carb, high-fat diet, they burned more fat during exercise.

"This research shows that changing your diet can totally change how your body runs. You can literally increase your fitness by changing your diet," O'Connor commented, as per Stuff. "We also noted drastic changes in body composition or body fat percentage. When you're eating a high carbohydrate diet, particularly if you're eating a lot of sugar, your insulin levels can spike."

"Insulin causes the body to store fat and also stop it from burning fat while it deals to the sugar. This causes the 'energy crash' that people experience and means you're putting on more fat," O'Connor explained.

Researchers also noted that high-trained athletes efficiency was enough for their exercises, regardless of what diet they were on.

According to O'Connor, "They were definitely better on a low-carb diet, getting to about 90% efficiency but what surprised me is that some were still getting to about 70 percent efficiency even on the normal carb diet, which is still very good."

"But these guys have done large amounts of endurance training which is what makes them able to endure. It really shows how amazing and adaptable the body is," he explained.