Fuel for the Work Required

I am including this paper as it was part of the inspiration for the Tinlane system. James Morton and Graeme Close were lecturers of mine in London and their research has been a major influence on my approach to nutrition with clients. In this paper it describes how macronutrients, in particular carbohydrates, can be periodised in a similar fashion to exercise training and that the fuel being consumed should reflect the work that is to be done and also what the intended goal of that session is to achieve.For me, this makes complete sense and really helps me describe to clients what my strategy is with regards to carbohydrates as a fuel source. 

Conventional Wisdom

What is frustrating in the nutrition world is the notion that only one approach can be utilised when it comes to creating a meaningful change in an individual. This may be the result of research often investigating single nutrition strategies and then those results being misinterpreted or misrepresented to the wider public, especially when a marketing label can be applied. 

Tinlane Perspective

Something I tend to repeat is that carbohydrates and fat are both worthy fuel sources for the right type of training. Science has shown that depending on intensity, differing fuel substrates will be used. If you manipulate those fuel sources in line with your training then you can achieve many differing goals, whether that be fat loss, peak power output, time to fatigue or gut training. 

Key Takeaways

• A higher fat diet can assist with body composition goals, inducing improved FATMAX and higher maximal fat oxidation (MFO) yet it will likely reduce your ability to oxidise carbs, hit peak work numbers and perform at your absolute maximal capacity. 
  
• A higher carb diet could induce unfavourable body composition results if the intake is above what is required yet could result in peak performance during training and racing. 
  
• It is possible to structure a nutrition plan that meets both these goals.
  
  
  

Take your time and read this free article online. It makes a lot of sense to me and hopefully to you as well.

1. Impey, Samuel G et al. “Fuel for the Work Required: A Theoretical Framework for Carbohydrate Periodization and the Glycogen Threshold Hypothesis.” Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) vol. 48,5 (2018): 1031-1048. doi:10.1007/s40279-018-0867-7