High fat diet improves metabolic flexibility during progressive exercise to exhaustion (VO<sub>2</sub>max testing) and during 5km running time trials

Philip Prins; Timothy Noakes; Jeffrey Buxton; Gary Welton; Amy Raabe; Katie Scott; Adam Atwell; Sarah Haley; Noah Esbenshade; Jacqueline Abraham

doi:10.5114/biolsport.2023.116452

eISSN: 2083-1862
ISSN: 0860-021X

Biology of Sport

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2/2023
vol. 40

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abstract:

Original paper

High fat diet improves metabolic flexibility during progressive exercise to exhaustion (VO₂max testing) and during 5km running time trials

Philip J. Prins

¹

,

Timothy D. Noakes

²

,

Jeffrey D. Buxton

²

,

Gary L. Welton

²

,

Amy S. Raabe

³

,

Katie E. Scott

²

,

Adam D. Atwell

²

,

Sarah J. Haley

²

,

Noah J. Esbenshade

²

,

Jacqueline Abraham

²

Grove City College, Grove City, PA, USA
Department of Medical and Wellness Science, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa
Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH, USA

Biol Sport.2023;40(2):465–475

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2023.116452

Online publish date: 2022/07/19

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AMA

Prins PJ, Noakes TD, Buxton JD, et al. High fat diet improves metabolic flexibility during progressive exercise to exhaustion (VO2max testing) and during 5km running time trials. Biology of Sport. 2023;40(2):465-475. doi:10.5114/biolsport.2023.116452.

APA

Prins, P. J., Noakes, T. D., Buxton, J. D., Welton, G. L., Raabe, A. S.,  & Scott, K. E. et al. (2023). High fat diet improves metabolic flexibility during progressive exercise to exhaustion (VO2max testing) and during 5km running time trials. Biology of Sport, 40(2), 465-475. https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2023.116452

Chicago

Prins, Philip J, Timothy D Noakes, Jeffrey D Buxton, Gary L Welton, Amy S Raabe, Katie E Scott,  and Adam D Atwell et al. 2023. "High fat diet improves metabolic flexibility during progressive exercise to exhaustion (VO2max testing) and during 5km running time trials". Biology of Sport 40 (2): 465-475. doi:10.5114/biolsport.2023.116452.

Harvard

Prins, P., Noakes, T., Buxton, J., Welton, G., Raabe, A., Scott, K., Atwell, A., Haley, S., Esbenshade, N.,  and Abraham, J. (2023). High fat diet improves metabolic flexibility during progressive exercise to exhaustion (VO2max testing) and during 5km running time trials. Biology of Sport, 40(2), pp.465-475. https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2023.116452

MLA

Prins, Philip et al. "High fat diet improves metabolic flexibility during progressive exercise to exhaustion (VO2max testing) and during 5km running time trials." Biology of Sport, vol. 40, no. 2, 2023, pp. 465-475. doi:10.5114/biolsport.2023.116452.

Vancouver

Prins P, Noakes T, Buxton J, Welton G, Raabe A, Scott K et al. High fat diet improves metabolic flexibility during progressive exercise to exhaustion (VO2max testing) and during 5km running time trials. Biology of Sport. 2023;40(2):465-475. doi:10.5114/biolsport.2023.116452.

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Recently we reported similar performances in both progressive tests to exhaustion (VO₂max) and 5km running time trials (5KTT) after consuming low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LCHF) or high-carbohydrate, low-fat (HCLF) diets. Accordingly, we tested the null hypothesis that the metabolic responses during both tests would be similar across diets. In a randomized, counterbalanced, cross-over design, seven male athletes (VO₂max: 61.9 ± 6.1 mL/kg/min; age: 35.6 ± 8.4 years; height: 178.7 ± 4.1 cm; mass: 68.6 ± 1.6 kg; body fat: 5.0 ± 1.3%) completed six weeks of LCHF (6/69/25% energy carbohydrate/fat/protein) and HCLF (57/28/15% energy carbohydrate/fat/protein) diets, separated by a two-week washout. Substrate utilization and energy expenditure were measured during VO₂max tests and 5KTTs. The LCHF diet markedly increased fat oxidation and reduced carbohydrate oxidation, with no associated impairment in either the VO₂max tests or the 5KTTs. Following the LCHF diet, athletes generated 50% or more of their energy requirements from fat at exercise intensities up to 90% VO₂max and reached the crossover point for substrate utilization at ~85% VO₂max. In contrast, following the HCLF diet, carbohydrate provided more than 50% of the total energy consumption at all exercise intensities. During the 5KTT, ~56% of energy was derived from fat following the LCHF diet whereas more than 93% of the energy came from carbohydrate following the HCLF diet. This study provides evidence of greater metabolic flexibility following LCHF eating and challenges the popular doctrines of “carbohydrate dependence” for high intensity exercise and the role dietary macronutrients play in human performance.

keywords:

High fat diet improves metabolic flexibility during progressive exercise to exhaustion (VO2max testing) and during 5km running time trials

Philip J. Prins 1 , Timothy D. Noakes 2 , Jeffrey D. Buxton 2 , Gary L. Welton 2 , Amy S. Raabe 3 , Katie E. Scott 2 , Adam D. Atwell 2 , Sarah J. Haley 2 , Noah J. Esbenshade 2 , Jacqueline Abraham 2

crossover point, high fat diet, low-carbohydrate, high-carbohydrate, fat oxidation, carbohydrate oxidation

High fat diet improves metabolic flexibility during progressive exercise to exhaustion (VO₂max testing) and during 5km running time trials

Philip J. Prins

¹

,

Timothy D. Noakes

²

,

Jeffrey D. Buxton

²

,

Gary L. Welton

²

,

Amy S. Raabe

³

,

Katie E. Scott

²

,

Adam D. Atwell

²

,

Sarah J. Haley

²

,

Noah J. Esbenshade

²

,

Jacqueline Abraham

²