Fasted vs. Fed Cardio for Fat Loss: Which is Better?

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Fasted vs. Fed Cardio for Fat Loss: Which is Better?

Rationale for fasted cardio for fat loss

A common strategy among those competing in aesthetic sports (e.g. bodybuilders, fitness competitors etc.) and those competing in weight class sports (e.g. boxing, wrestling, judo etc.) is to perform cardiovascular exercise after an overnight fast, waiting until after the exercise bout to consume breakfast. The basic premise for this practise is that low levels of glycogen (and/or glycogen depletion during the exercise bout itself) and insulin, shift energy utilisation away from carbohydrate for fuel, thereby allowing greater mobilisation of stored fat that can be used for fuel (fat oxidation).

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Video Blog: Skype Q&A with Alan Aragon (topics include: refeeds, optimising macronutrient targets, contest dieting, "metabolic damage" & n-3 supplementation)

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Instead of a written article, this month's post is in the form of a video blog with one of the most respected nutritionists in the word, Alan Aragon.

Alan Aragon has over 20 years of success in the fitness field, and is one of the most influential figures in the movement towards evidence-based information. He is a continuing education provider for the Commission on Dietetic Registration, National Academy of Sports Medicine, and National Strength & Conditioning Association. Alan writes a monthly research review focused on providing cutting-edge theoretical and practical information to health and fitness professionals. Alan’s work has been published in the popular media as well as the peer-reviewed scientific literature, including the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. He maintains a private practice designing programs for recreational, Olympic, and professional athletes. Alan is the nutrition adviser of Men’s Health magazine.

To view a sample of the research review click here.

Alan will visiting the UK for the first time in October to deliver a 2-day conference about all aspects of nutrition for body composition. For more information about the conference, click here. 

I hope you enjoy the video as much as we did making it.

 [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1wIlDVO9w4&feature=youtu.be]

Nutrition Roundtable (ft. Danny Gruic, Luke Johnson, Matt Jones, Scott Robinson & Amrish Vasdev)

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Nutrition Roundtable (ft. Danny Gruic, Luke Johnson, Matt Jones, Scott Robinson & Amrish Vasdev)

This post makes a change from my previous ones in that I (or a guest) isn't writing an article with a particular topic in mind. Instead, I asked several guys within the fitness industry to answer a few questions, the answers of which I hope you will benefit from. There are many people I could have asked to be involved in this Q&A that I knew would have done a great job. However, in order for this post not to be too long, I narrowed it down to five people. The inclusion criteria was 'young, up and coming nutrition practitioners educated to at least degree level in sports science or related discipline'. If you would like to read more from each of the authors, a brief bio and links to their respective social media channels/websites appear at the end of the article.

Without further ado, let's get into the questions. I hope you enjoy reading the answers as much as I did. Thanks again, guys.

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Science vs. Broscience: a matter of economy?

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Science vs. Broscience: a matter of economy?

Many of you will have heard the term broscience thrown around over social media and have a gist of what the term stands for. Everyone who has been involved in the pursuit of muscle gain and/or fat loss would have been guilty of broscience at least once in their lives; I certainly have. As such, the purpose of this article is to try and sum up the differences between science and broscience. In doing so, it will hopefully convince you that some of the things you’re currently doing in order to reach your body composition goals are pointless or ‘bro’. The elimination of these unnecessary practices will therefore make your life easier with respect to attaining whatever goal(s) you may have. To keep this article short, and because I’m a nutritionist, this article will focus primarily on aspects of nutrition, as opposed to the training side of things.

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An Objective Review of John Kiefer’s Carb Back-Loading (Part 2)

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An Objective Review of John Kiefer’s Carb Back-Loading (Part 2)

The Limitations of CBL

Some general concerns with CBL

Firstly, I don’t think that eliminating carbs all day is needed for most people, and is potentially detrimental to some, especially those who generally don’t feel good on low carbs, or athletes with high carb requirements. Given the requirement to train in the late afternoon/early evening, CBL is also not practical for those who train in the morning or afternoon. However, Kiefer does address this issue and adapts CBL for people who have work/family commitments that would clash with early evening training. To me, this somehow contradicts all what is said in the rest of the book with regards to physiology and circadian rhythms.

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