The column in the Food and Nutrition section of the Aug. 17 The Durango Herald, headlined “Fat burn: For whom and how?” is misleading and irresponsible advice for athletes. The article advocates that athletes switch to a diet known as fat adaptation to enhance their athletic performance.
In doing so, you may become a “fat burning machine” but in the vast majority of athletic events, your performance will likely suffer.
The article neglected to discuss the different metabolic uses of carbohydrate and fat, depending on the type of athletic event. Carbohydrate is the only fuel for anaerobic events, and metabolizing a blend of carbohydrate and fat together is more efficient in terms of O2 consumption for more aerobic events. Carbohydrate also stores almost 3 grams of water for a every gram of carbohydrate helping to satisfy important hydration needs.
Carbohydrate loading is a long-established proven method for enhancing endurance performance. Thus, anaerobic and aerobic athletes alike need a majority of their dietary kcal intakes to be in carbohydrate. Athletes need to do their own research to determine the best diet for their particular athletic event.
Jim Cross
Durango
