Training Topics visited and revisited: What is METABOLIC Training?

I will in the next month be working to bring both my FB page and the blog together with a series of short articles on training. I'll also be announcing the next Tipcast for Feb and we should be releasing our next podcast with Tom Swensen early March.

For now here's a recent email I received from Graeme Street. Yeah, I like to subscribe to lots of stuff, some of its useful, then other stuff is, well wrong. First, I REALLY HATE THE TERM <em><strong>METABOLIC TRAINING</strong></em>. Its just non-sense. First, everything is metabolic; our metabolism involves the burning of fat, carbohydrate and protein either using oxygen directly (aerobic) or indirectly ("anaerobic"-this term is itself misleading, but that's another topic). The idea that we're doing metabolic training should mean anything. Second, there are many ways to burn fat, but all things aside, expending more calories will ultimately leading to more fat loss. However, what about that email I mentioned? Well, here's the truth and fiction of what I read:

Now, let's get "Metabolic" with your training!

These are "advanced techniques" and never replace the need for
consistent training or good nutrition--BUT THEY HELP A LOT!

Nothing advanced about this. At least if you read the literature and associate with good coaches/trainers. 

  TIP 1:  When possible, use the HIT30 workouts in the morning before
  you have any food, on an empty stomach.  This will allow more use
  of stored sugars, and further use of stored fat--AFTER the workout. 

MAYBE. Performing HIT glycogen depleted has been shown to enhance endurance training adaptations at the mitochondria, but not conclusively. Most of this research has used a two session per day training model which has been criticized for perhaps showing the benefits of training twice daily. That said, I believe that it has a lot of merit, but not eating wil not likely impact fat burning after training any more than HIT normally would.

  TIP 2:  Use water only, no sugar during the workout.  This may take
  a few times for your body to adjust for this, but we want INSULIN
  NOT PRESENT, so your body can use stored energy and elevate Growth
  Hormone production, the gateway to getting you leaner!

Ha ha! No this really did make me laugh. FIRST, insulin is NEVER not present, and second, SECOND, it REALLY DOES NOT increase during exercise. Ever wonder why a Type 1 diabetic has a dangerous HYPOGLYCEMIC crash? Its largely because they have mistimed their insulin. If insulin increased during exercise we would all likely die. Seeing that does not happen its safe to say this claim is bogus. Furthermore, the reason we advise athletes to refuel within the "glycogen window" is because we DO NOT even need insulin to take up sugar around activity. As for growth hormone, that increases during training, and increases most during HIT.

That being said, if your workout is under 1 hr you don't need any carb drinks.

  TIP 3:  After the workout, delay food coming in for about 15-30 minutes
  if possible.  This will allow your NATURAL GROWTH HORMONE to stay
  elevated from the workout and increase your metabolic rate for longer.

Again, this is non-sense, and, there is actually published research that suggests the opposite. Studies abound relating to resistance training that show that a combo of protein and carbs increases protein synthesis after exercise. Waiting an extra 15 or 30 min isn't going to do sh!t if you don't have the building blocks to build from! Moreover, remember insulin? Well it turns out the insulin is highly ANABOLIC and when combined with hGH, it has a synergistic effect on protein sysnthesis (that one is pulled right out of Guyton's Textbook of Medical Physiology). How do you get insulin to spike (it will go up anyway in recovery)? Sugar helps and adding protein increases uptake into the cell.

  TIP 4:  You can do the same for the TRAINER and CORE workouts, but the
  HIT 30 workouts are the secret to training your metabolism to be more
  "fat burning efficient."

I don't think anyone who listens to my podcast would believe this last one!

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"If you're not thinking ahead, you're falling behind!"