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How does the body fuel itself?
System
Posts: 1,900 MFP Staff
This discussion was created from replies split from: brain fog & dieting. Here are the posts that got the whole things started:
[quote="bustercrabby;c-42124280"][quote="nardo1kr;d-10672924"]For the past three weeks, I’ve been on a health kick, tracking calories and doing cardio & strength training 4x a week. I eat a pretty balanced diet, lots of vegetables, some eggs & fish & tofu, some dairy & whole grains. But the past two weeks I have had severe brain fog. I am always zoned out, I sleep 8 hours and still feel tired. I eat 200-500 calories under maintenance, however I haven’t been losing much weight. I would understand brain fog from cutting too much, but I’m barely cutting, just eating a lot healthier. I was wondering if anybody has experienced this and ways to make it better? I do find eating helps somewhat but I haven’t been fully myself in a couple weeks. [/quote]
Sounds like you may not be getting enough fat, which is what fuels the brain.
A lot of water will indeed flush all sorts of nutrients. However, I would not take my advice nor anyone else's because it sounds like you have a lot of issues, a lot of things of which you are not sure. You might consider starting with some blood work, so that you have a benchmark. You say "I eat 200-500 calories under maintenance". What does that mean? Males should be eating [i]at least[/i] 1200 cals/day. Weight trainers should probably be up around 1600 - 2000 cals/day. [i]Or[/i], you could just stop what you started three weeks ago and see if the fog lifts. If it does, that will be a sure sign that some part of what you are doing is wrong.
You should know exactly what your nutrient/macro counts are because you're tracking it here. If you increase salt intake, make sure you use only sea salt because the minerals have not been processed out. These minerals help regulate your heart.
On top of all this, you are weight training quite a bit, which means you have to pay particular attention to your protein intake.
I am not a dietician, nor do I pretend to be.
[/quote]
[quote="AnvilHead;c-42124309"][quote="bustercrabby;c-42124280"]Sounds like you may not be getting enough fat, which is what fuels the brain...
[/quote]
This is false. Fat does not fuel the brain. The brain is fueled exclusively by glucose.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22436/
[i]"[b]Glucose is virtually the sole fuel for the human brain, except during prolonged starvation. The brain lacks fuel stores and hence requires a continuous supply of glucose.[/b] It consumes about 120 g daily, which corresponds to an energy input of about 420 kcal (1760 kJ), accounting for some 60% of the utilization of glucose by the whole body in the resting state...
...[b]Fatty acids do not serve as fuel for the brain[/b], because they are bound to albumin in plasma and so do not traverse the blood-brain barrier. In starvation, ketone bodies generated by the liver partly replace glucose as fuel for the brain."[/i][/quote]
As always, please remember to be respectful towards one another in your debating.
4legsrbetterthan2
MFPmod
[quote="bustercrabby;c-42124280"][quote="nardo1kr;d-10672924"]For the past three weeks, I’ve been on a health kick, tracking calories and doing cardio & strength training 4x a week. I eat a pretty balanced diet, lots of vegetables, some eggs & fish & tofu, some dairy & whole grains. But the past two weeks I have had severe brain fog. I am always zoned out, I sleep 8 hours and still feel tired. I eat 200-500 calories under maintenance, however I haven’t been losing much weight. I would understand brain fog from cutting too much, but I’m barely cutting, just eating a lot healthier. I was wondering if anybody has experienced this and ways to make it better? I do find eating helps somewhat but I haven’t been fully myself in a couple weeks. [/quote]
Sounds like you may not be getting enough fat, which is what fuels the brain.
A lot of water will indeed flush all sorts of nutrients. However, I would not take my advice nor anyone else's because it sounds like you have a lot of issues, a lot of things of which you are not sure. You might consider starting with some blood work, so that you have a benchmark. You say "I eat 200-500 calories under maintenance". What does that mean? Males should be eating [i]at least[/i] 1200 cals/day. Weight trainers should probably be up around 1600 - 2000 cals/day. [i]Or[/i], you could just stop what you started three weeks ago and see if the fog lifts. If it does, that will be a sure sign that some part of what you are doing is wrong.
You should know exactly what your nutrient/macro counts are because you're tracking it here. If you increase salt intake, make sure you use only sea salt because the minerals have not been processed out. These minerals help regulate your heart.
On top of all this, you are weight training quite a bit, which means you have to pay particular attention to your protein intake.
I am not a dietician, nor do I pretend to be.
[/quote]
[quote="AnvilHead;c-42124309"][quote="bustercrabby;c-42124280"]Sounds like you may not be getting enough fat, which is what fuels the brain...
[/quote]
This is false. Fat does not fuel the brain. The brain is fueled exclusively by glucose.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22436/
[i]"[b]Glucose is virtually the sole fuel for the human brain, except during prolonged starvation. The brain lacks fuel stores and hence requires a continuous supply of glucose.[/b] It consumes about 120 g daily, which corresponds to an energy input of about 420 kcal (1760 kJ), accounting for some 60% of the utilization of glucose by the whole body in the resting state...
...[b]Fatty acids do not serve as fuel for the brain[/b], because they are bound to albumin in plasma and so do not traverse the blood-brain barrier. In starvation, ketone bodies generated by the liver partly replace glucose as fuel for the brain."[/i][/quote]
As always, please remember to be respectful towards one another in your debating.
4legsrbetterthan2
MFPmod
0
Replies
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bustercrabby wrote: »Sounds like you may not be getting enough fat, which is what fuels the brain...
This is false. Fat does not fuel the brain. The brain is fueled exclusively by glucose.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22436/
"Glucose is virtually the sole fuel for the human brain, except during prolonged starvation. The brain lacks fuel stores and hence requires a continuous supply of glucose. It consumes about 120 g daily, which corresponds to an energy input of about 420 kcal (1760 kJ), accounting for some 60% of the utilization of glucose by the whole body in the resting state...
...Fatty acids do not serve as fuel for the brain, because they are bound to albumin in plasma and so do not traverse the blood-brain barrier. In starvation, ketone bodies generated by the liver partly replace glucose as fuel for the brain."
Unless one eats very few carbs (as in a ketogenic diet, even at a deficit, or starvation) in which case the brain is fueled by ketones.20 -
bustercrabby wrote: »Sounds like you may not be getting enough fat, which is what fuels the brain...
This is false. Fat does not fuel the brain. The brain is fueled exclusively by glucose.
This statement is ^^^^ false and misleading! The brain is not fueled exclusively by glucose.
https://www.fasebj.org/doi/abs/10.1096/fj.08-106104
http://www.jneurosci.org/content/31/20/7477
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3247678/?tool=pubmed
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2010-11-lactate-shuttle-fuel-brain.html
19 -
^^^ exactly right.14
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the brain and body's preferred source of energy IS glucose though. our body has to create ketones to run sufficiently on a low carb diet.10
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pinggolfer96 wrote: »the brain and body's preferred source of energy IS glucose though. our body has to create ketones to run sufficiently on a low carb diet.
Only if glucose is your main fuel. The preferred energy source appears to depend on what its primary fuel is.
If ketones is the main fuel, it happily uses ketones while apparently improving mitochondrial numbers and reducing ROS's.
This rat study suggests that glucose consumption by the brain is suppressed when ketones are present. Seems reasonable since ketone production is suppressed when glucose consumption is higher.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2874681/
More rats.
"Blood ketones become elevated during prolonged fasting or with a ketogenic diet reaching a state [of] ketosis and glucose sparing. During this process, monoca[r]boxylic transporters upregulate at the blood–brain barrier with increasing demand for ketone utilization by brain."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3734783/
17 -
pinggolfer96 wrote: »the brain and body's preferred source of energy IS glucose though. our body has to create ketones to run sufficiently on a low carb diet.
Preferred and exclusive are two totally different things!
12 -
tennisdude2004 wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »the brain and body's preferred source of energy IS glucose though. our body has to create ketones to run sufficiently on a low carb diet.
Preferred and exclusive are two totally different things!
Sorta like essential vs optimal..
But glucose is definitely preferred. But like all things with our bodies, they have the ability to survive in varies conditions.
OP, I'd add some more sodium and potassium. That could help19 -
tennisdude2004 wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »the brain and body's preferred source of energy IS glucose though. our body has to create ketones to run sufficiently on a low carb diet.
Preferred and exclusive are two totally different things!
Sorta like essential vs optimal..
But glucose is definitely preferred. But like all things with our bodies, they have the ability to survive in varies conditions.
OP, I'd add some more sodium and potassium. That could help
Glucose is the preferred fuel when carbs/glucose is the primary fuel. When fat is the primary fuel, fat and ketones is preferred.
25 -
tennisdude2004 wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »the brain and body's preferred source of energy IS glucose though. our body has to create ketones to run sufficiently on a low carb diet.
Preferred and exclusive are two totally different things!
Sorta like essential vs optimal..
But glucose is definitely preferred. But like all things with our bodies, they have the ability to survive in varies conditions.
OP, I'd add some more sodium and potassium. That could help
Glucose is the preferred fuel when carbs/glucose is the primary fuel. When fat is the primary fuel, fat and ketones is preferred.
Ketones are a starvation and glucose deprived response. So the brains will prefer to run off of glucose as much as it can. It doesn't even consider many other parts of the body can only run on glucose, which is why our body can convert fatty acids and amino acids into glucose.
Overall, the body runs on fats and carbs. And it sucks trying to use protein.16 -
tennisdude2004 wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »the brain and body's preferred source of energy IS glucose though. our body has to create ketones to run sufficiently on a low carb diet.
Preferred and exclusive are two totally different things!
Sorta like essential vs optimal..
But glucose is definitely preferred. But like all things with our bodies, they have the ability to survive in varies conditions.
OP, I'd add some more sodium and potassium. That could help
Glucose is the preferred fuel when carbs/glucose is the primary fuel. When fat is the primary fuel, fat and ketones is preferred.
Not even close.
When both are available, glucose is used. That's what the word "preferred" means.17 -
tennisdude2004 wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »the brain and body's preferred source of energy IS glucose though. our body has to create ketones to run sufficiently on a low carb diet.
Preferred and exclusive are two totally different things!
Sorta like essential vs optimal..
But glucose is definitely preferred. But like all things with our bodies, they have the ability to survive in varies conditions.
OP, I'd add some more sodium and potassium. That could help
Sorta nothing like your example.
To claim something is exclusive is claiming it is the only source and as we all know that is incorrect.
The brain functions just as optimal with a mix of ketones, glucose and lactate.
If anything studies have suggested that during exercise the brains preferred fuel is lactate.
16 -
tennisdude2004 wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »the brain and body's preferred source of energy IS glucose though. our body has to create ketones to run sufficiently on a low carb diet.
Preferred and exclusive are two totally different things!
Sorta like essential vs optimal..
But glucose is definitely preferred. But like all things with our bodies, they have the ability to survive in varies conditions.
OP, I'd add some more sodium and potassium. That could help
Glucose is the preferred fuel when carbs/glucose is the primary fuel. When fat is the primary fuel, fat and ketones is preferred.
Ketones are a starvation and glucose deprived response. So the brains will prefer to run off of glucose as much as it can. It doesn't even consider many other parts of the body can only run on glucose, which is why our body can convert fatty acids and amino acids into glucose.
Overall, the body runs on fats and carbs. And it sucks trying to use protein.
Which many other parts of the body can only run on glucose?
10 -
tennisdude2004 wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »the brain and body's preferred source of energy IS glucose though. our body has to create ketones to run sufficiently on a low carb diet.
Preferred and exclusive are two totally different things!
Sorta like essential vs optimal..
But glucose is definitely preferred. But like all things with our bodies, they have the ability to survive in varies conditions.
OP, I'd add some more sodium and potassium. That could help
Sorta nothing like your example.
To claim something is exclusive is claiming it is the only source and as we all know that is incorrect.
The brain functions just as optimal with a mix of ketones, glucose and lactate.
If anything studies have suggested that during exercise the brains preferred fuel is lactate.
That is why there are so many low carb and keto athletes.. oh wait..
Also, most vitamins and minerals are generally acquired by plant based source.. which are carbs.14 -
tennisdude2004 wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »the brain and body's preferred source of energy IS glucose though. our body has to create ketones to run sufficiently on a low carb diet.
Preferred and exclusive are two totally different things!
Sorta like essential vs optimal..
But glucose is definitely preferred. But like all things with our bodies, they have the ability to survive in varies conditions.
OP, I'd add some more sodium and potassium. That could help
Sorta nothing like your example.
To claim something is exclusive is claiming it is the only source and as we all know that is incorrect.
The brain functions just as optimal with a mix of ketones, glucose and lactate.
If anything studies have suggested that during exercise the brains preferred fuel is lactate.
That is why there are so many low carb and keto athletes.. oh wait..
Also, most vitamins and minerals are generally acquired by plant based source.. which are carbs.
Are you suggesting there are not many low carb athletes?12 -
tennisdude2004 wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »the brain and body's preferred source of energy IS glucose though. our body has to create ketones to run sufficiently on a low carb diet.
Preferred and exclusive are two totally different things!
Sorta like essential vs optimal..
But glucose is definitely preferred. But like all things with our bodies, they have the ability to survive in varies conditions.
OP, I'd add some more sodium and potassium. That could help
Sorta nothing like your example.
To claim something is exclusive is claiming it is the only source and as we all know that is incorrect.
The brain functions just as optimal with a mix of ketones, glucose and lactate.
If anything studies have suggested that during exercise the brains preferred fuel is lactate.
That is why there are so many low carb and keto athletes.. oh wait..
Also, most vitamins and minerals are generally acquired by plant based source.. which are carbs.
Are you suggesting there are not many low carb athletes?
There aren't. There are a trivial number of vocal ketoevangalist amateur athletes, but the overwhelming majority of professional athletes are not low carb.17 -
johnslater461 wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »the brain and body's preferred source of energy IS glucose though. our body has to create ketones to run sufficiently on a low carb diet.
Preferred and exclusive are two totally different things!
Sorta like essential vs optimal..
But glucose is definitely preferred. But like all things with our bodies, they have the ability to survive in varies conditions.
OP, I'd add some more sodium and potassium. That could help
Sorta nothing like your example.
To claim something is exclusive is claiming it is the only source and as we all know that is incorrect.
The brain functions just as optimal with a mix of ketones, glucose and lactate.
If anything studies have suggested that during exercise the brains preferred fuel is lactate.
That is why there are so many low carb and keto athletes.. oh wait..
Also, most vitamins and minerals are generally acquired by plant based source.. which are carbs.
Are you suggesting there are not many low carb athletes?
There aren't. There are a trivial number of vocal ketoevangalist amateur athletes, but the overwhelming majority of professional athletes are not low carb.
I don't disagree that a majority of athletes are not low carb, but to suggest there aren't many professional athletes that eat low carb is extremely disingenuous.
There are athletes at the top of their field, who are house hold names within most sports that have chosen a low carb model of eating.
Tennis - Novak Djokovic switched to low carb before he reached his pinnicle of No 1 in the world.
Cricket - Shane Watson and David Warner
MMA - Frank Mir
Rugby - Parramatta Eels (team)
etc.....
Even Prof Tim Noakes changed his scientific judgement on the effects of a Low Carb diet model for the professional running world.
21 -
tennisdude2004 wrote: »johnslater461 wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »the brain and body's preferred source of energy IS glucose though. our body has to create ketones to run sufficiently on a low carb diet.
Preferred and exclusive are two totally different things!
Sorta like essential vs optimal..
But glucose is definitely preferred. But like all things with our bodies, they have the ability to survive in varies conditions.
OP, I'd add some more sodium and potassium. That could help
Sorta nothing like your example.
To claim something is exclusive is claiming it is the only source and as we all know that is incorrect.
The brain functions just as optimal with a mix of ketones, glucose and lactate.
If anything studies have suggested that during exercise the brains preferred fuel is lactate.
That is why there are so many low carb and keto athletes.. oh wait..
Also, most vitamins and minerals are generally acquired by plant based source.. which are carbs.
Are you suggesting there are not many low carb athletes?
There aren't. There are a trivial number of vocal ketoevangalist amateur athletes, but the overwhelming majority of professional athletes are not low carb.
I don't disagree that a majority of athletes are not low carb, but to suggest there aren't many professional athletes that eat low carb is extremely disingenuous.
There are athletes at the top of their field, who are house hold names within most sports that have chosen a low carb model of eating.
Tennis - Novak Djokovic switched to low carb before he reached his pinnicle of No 1 in the world.
Cricket - Shane Watson and David Warner
MMA - Frank Mir
Rugby - Parramatta Eels (team)
etc.....
Even Prof Tim Noakes changed his scientific judgement on the effects of a Low Carb diet model for the professional running world.
Wow. Four.
Out of several million professional athletes.
Less than a fraction of 1% is not "many".
23 -
johnslater461 wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »johnslater461 wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »the brain and body's preferred source of energy IS glucose though. our body has to create ketones to run sufficiently on a low carb diet.
Preferred and exclusive are two totally different things!
Sorta like essential vs optimal..
But glucose is definitely preferred. But like all things with our bodies, they have the ability to survive in varies conditions.
OP, I'd add some more sodium and potassium. That could help
Sorta nothing like your example.
To claim something is exclusive is claiming it is the only source and as we all know that is incorrect.
The brain functions just as optimal with a mix of ketones, glucose and lactate.
If anything studies have suggested that during exercise the brains preferred fuel is lactate.
That is why there are so many low carb and keto athletes.. oh wait..
Also, most vitamins and minerals are generally acquired by plant based source.. which are carbs.
Are you suggesting there are not many low carb athletes?
There aren't. There are a trivial number of vocal ketoevangalist amateur athletes, but the overwhelming majority of professional athletes are not low carb.
I don't disagree that a majority of athletes are not low carb, but to suggest there aren't many professional athletes that eat low carb is extremely disingenuous.
There are athletes at the top of their field, who are house hold names within most sports that have chosen a low carb model of eating.
Tennis - Novak Djokovic switched to low carb before he reached his pinnicle of No 1 in the world.
Cricket - Shane Watson and David Warner
MMA - Frank Mir
Rugby - Parramatta Eels (team)
etc.....
Even Prof Tim Noakes changed his scientific judgement on the effects of a Low Carb diet model for the professional running world.
Wow. Four.
Out of several million professional athletes.
Less than a fraction of 1% is not "many".
Why don't you list 'all' the athletes who do not eat low carb and we can get an accurate figure.
There are many more than 4, those were just a quick example.
The point is athletes in a majority of sports can compete at the same level whether they are low carb or high carb. Which one they follow is a personal choice.
To suggest a professional athlete cannot compete at their highest level because they follow a low carb diet is false and disingenuous.
18 -
I notice that none of these are marathon runners. I wonder how good ketosis is at fuelling sustained endurance.19
-
tennisdude2004 wrote: »johnslater461 wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »johnslater461 wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »pinggolfer96 wrote: »the brain and body's preferred source of energy IS glucose though. our body has to create ketones to run sufficiently on a low carb diet.
Preferred and exclusive are two totally different things!
Sorta like essential vs optimal..
But glucose is definitely preferred. But like all things with our bodies, they have the ability to survive in varies conditions.
OP, I'd add some more sodium and potassium. That could help
Sorta nothing like your example.
To claim something is exclusive is claiming it is the only source and as we all know that is incorrect.
The brain functions just as optimal with a mix of ketones, glucose and lactate.
If anything studies have suggested that during exercise the brains preferred fuel is lactate.
That is why there are so many low carb and keto athletes.. oh wait..
Also, most vitamins and minerals are generally acquired by plant based source.. which are carbs.
Are you suggesting there are not many low carb athletes?
There aren't. There are a trivial number of vocal ketoevangalist amateur athletes, but the overwhelming majority of professional athletes are not low carb.
I don't disagree that a majority of athletes are not low carb, but to suggest there aren't many professional athletes that eat low carb is extremely disingenuous.
There are athletes at the top of their field, who are house hold names within most sports that have chosen a low carb model of eating.
Tennis - Novak Djokovic switched to low carb before he reached his pinnicle of No 1 in the world.
Cricket - Shane Watson and David Warner
MMA - Frank Mir
Rugby - Parramatta Eels (team)
etc.....
Even Prof Tim Noakes changed his scientific judgement on the effects of a Low Carb diet model for the professional running world.
Wow. Four.
Out of several million professional athletes.
Less than a fraction of 1% is not "many".
Why don't you list 'all' the athletes who do not eat low carb and we can get an accurate figure.
There are many more than 4, those were just a quick example.
The point is athletes in a majority of sports can compete at the same level whether they are low carb or high carb. Which one they follow is a personal choice.
To suggest a professional athlete cannot compete at their highest level because they follow a low carb diet is false and disingenuous.
Ask fans of the L.A. Lakers what low carb does for athletics, says Alan Aragon. He pointed out how the team went low carb paleo at the recommendation of keto dieting advocate Dr. Cate Shanahan (Shanahan is a physician, not a registered dietitian – read my article here about why MDs are usually a terrible choice for dietary advice.) And guess what happened? The team tanked in the rankings. The season that followed the decision to go paleo was the worst in the 67 years of the franchise, with 61 losses and only 21 wins.
http://www.bodyforwife.com/keto-and-low-carb-diets-kill-performance/17
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