The document discusses the concept of metabolic flexibility and the role of carbohydrates. Metabolic flexibility refers to the ability to use fat or carbohydrates as fuel depending on insulin levels and energy needs. Maintaining metabolic flexibility provides survival advantages and decreases disease risk. The document argues that carbohydrates may act as a hormetic stressor to increase metabolic flexibility when consumed at the right times, such as during high intensity exercise when insulin levels are higher. Regular cycling between low and higher insulin states through diet and exercise choices can help optimize metabolic flexibility.

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

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Thank you to AHS
SCIENCE!

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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

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Survival is key

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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.

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Insulin – Paleo Man
• Woolley Mammoth
• Lots of food
• Higher insulin
• Still function
• Stealing Woolley mammoths?
• What happened to the Woolley mammoths?

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“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

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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

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• Crossover Effect (Brooks and Mercier 76 (6): 2253. (1994)

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How did we get here?
• Calories matter
• Fat cells on their fat butts
• Immune function
• Glucose
• Using less
• Toxic in high amounts

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Insulin – Leverage Point
• Intense exercise
• Use carbs
• Higher insulin
• Low Intensity
• Use fat
• Lower insulin

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• Use carbs during high intensity exercise
– Burning nitrous going to Walmart?

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• 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
• Mcardle’s 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!

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• Monday AM protocol
– Mostly lower carb
• Carbs pre /post training
• High insulin
– Still function
• Intermittent Fasting
• Low insulin
 still function!!

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• Questions?
• FREE 6 Part Fat Loss Video Training
www.MikeTNelson.com
THANKS!!