Mixed
Deliberately training in conditions of reduced carbohydrate availability (e.g., low muscle glycogen or fasted state) augments molecular markers of mitochondrial biogenesis and lipid oxidation compared to training with high carbohydrate availability.
To boost your body's ability to burn fat and build mitochondria, try performing some of your easier or moderate-intensity endurance sessions with low carbohydrate availability (e.g., fasted or after a previous session). Do not do this for every workout, especially high-intensity or race-pace sessions, as it may reduce your ability to train hard. Use strategies like caffeine or mouth-rinsing to maintain intensity if needed, and ensure you have high-carb sessions to maintain performance capacity.
data from our laboratories and others have demonstrated that deliberately training in conditions of reduced CHO availability can promote training-induced adaptations of human skeletal muscle (i.e. increased maximal mitochondrial enzyme activities and/or mitochondrial content, increased rates of lipid oxidation and, in some instances, improved exercise capacity).
Why this rating
Based on multiple controlled human trials cited (Hansen, Yeo, Hulston) showing consistent molecular adaptations.
Source
Carbohydrate availability and exercise training adaptation: Too much of a good thing?
Jonathan D. Bartlett et al. · European Journal of Sport Science · 2014
DOI 10.1080/17461391.2014.920926
More from this paper
- Training with reduced carbohydrate availability does not necessarily improve exercise performance (e.g., time trial performance) despite enhancing molecular markers of adaptation.Good
- Consuming carbohydrates before and during exercise blunts the molecular signaling pathways (AMPK, p38MAPK) that are normally enhanced by low carbohydrate availability.Good
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