1. Carbs As a Hormetic Stressor: Survival Advantage or Horrible Idea? Mike T Nelson, CSCS, MS, PhD(c) Mike T Nelson, MSME, CSCS, PhD(c) METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY

2. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY Thank you to AHS SCIENCE! 3. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 2 Goals In 20 Minutes: Think differently What is metabolic flexibility Role of carbs Hormetic Stressor? Survival advantage? 4. PhD Candidate Exercise Physiology Completion Fall 2013 Started research in 2006 Presented to DARPA Peer reviewer and published research MS in Mechanical Engineering (Biomech) BA Natural Science METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 5. Is it good to be a turkey? Good life until METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 6. 2.5 years of the turkey life Then what? Where you look matters Antifragile METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 7. Your body is survival based Survive better = Health Performance Fat loss METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 8. Metabolic Flexibility ultimate survivor! Survival advantage Bug eating optional METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 9. Metabolic Flexibility Use the right fuel at the right time Decrease risk of disease Survival advantage? METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 10. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY Definition of Metabolic Flexibility Capacity for skeletal muscle to acutely shift its reliance between lipids and glucose during fasting or in response to insulin, such as postprandial conditions (Sparks LM et al.) Decrease or loss of is hypothesized to play a role in various disease processes (Kelley et al.) Impaired fat oxidation (burning) Sparks LM, Ukropcova B, Smith J, Pasarica M, Hymel D, Xie H, Bray GA, Miles JM, Smith SR. "Relation of adipose tissue to metabolic flexibility." Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2009 Jan;83(1):32-43. Epub 2008 Nov 26. Kelley DE, Mandarino LJ. "Fuel selection in human skeletal muscle in insulin resistance: a reexamination." Diabetes. 2000 May;49(5):677-83. 11. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY Insulin Leverage Point Needed for survival High leverage Fuel selector switch (Volek et al.) High insulin = use carbs Low(er) insulin = use fat Function under BOTH conditions High blood glucose is TOXIC 12. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY Survival is key 13. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY Insulin & Paleo Man No food Low insulin Function under low insulin state Ability to find food Lots of food Higher insulin Still function under a high insulin state Ability to not become food 14. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY Paleo Carb - Honey Found a stingless honey bee in amber 96-74 million years ago Glucose High(er) insulin Still function Michener CD, Grimaldi DA. The oldest fossil bee: Apoid history, evolutionary stasis, and antiquity of social behavior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Sep;85(17):6424-6. 15. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY Insulin Paleo Man Woolley Mammoth Lots of food Higher insulin Still function Stealing Woolley mammoths? What happened to the Woolley mammoths? 16. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY One theory is that expanding forests in Europe and parts of Asia robbed the grass-eating mammoths of their preferred habitat, gradually starving them to death. Met Flex Mammoth still around? To their surprise, however, the researchers found that genetic diversity remained stable, and even increased slightly, right up to the bitter end. http://news.discovery.com/animals/endangered-species/woolly-mammoth- extinction.htm 17. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY Exclusive footage 18. Metabolic Flexibility = Survival ..adapt to circumstance or play your final hand METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 19. Hormetic Stressor? Hormesis: generally favorable biological responses to low exposures to toxins and other stressors Some is good More is bad METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 20. Mithridatism : practice of protecting oneself against a poison by gradually self-administering non-lethal amounts METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 21. Carbs as a hormetic stressor? METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 22. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 23. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY Crossover Effect (Brooks and Mercier 76 (6): 2253. (1994) 24. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY How did we get here? Calories matter Fat cells on their fat butts Immune function Glucose Using less Toxic in high amounts 25. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY Insulin Leverage Point Intense exercise Use carbs Higher insulin Low Intensity Use fat Lower insulin 26. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY Use carbs during high intensity exercise Burning nitrous going to Walmart? 27. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY Use the right fuel at the right time Fat for fuel most of the time Carbs for fuel high intensity exercise Low / no carbs = low tolerance for intense exercise Mcardles disease 28. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY #1 Think differently Do you want to be a turkey? Where do you look? Survival based Function Low vs higher insulin! BOTH matter Need carbs for Woolley Mammoth running 29. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY #1 Think differently HIIT fuel switching When corrected for the energy cost of training, the decrease in the sum of six subcutaneous skinfolds induced by the HIIT program was ninefold greater than by the ET program (Tremblay A, 1994) Tremblay A, Simoneau JA, Bouchard C. "Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism." Metabolism. 1994 Jul;43(7):814-8.Fasted cardio vs Intervals? 30. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY #1 Think differently Do you want to be a turkey? Insulin #2 Carbs as a hormetic stressor Use the right fuel at the right time Fat for fuel most of the time Carbs for fuel high intensity exercise Slow = tiger food! Insulin coma = tiger food! 31. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 32. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 33. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 34. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 35. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 36. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 37. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 38. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 39. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 40. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 41. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY 42. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY Monday AM protocol Mostly lower carb Carbs pre /post training High insulin Still function Intermittent Fasting Low insulin still function!! 43. METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY Questions? FREE 6 Part Fat Loss Video Training www.MikeTNelson.com THANKS!!