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I'm really starting to believe in the effectiveness of a vlc/ketogenic diet on fat loss and improved performance. I just got "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living" & "Performance" by Volek and Phinney, and I'm super excited. But I was wondering how, if athletes have lots of triglycerides (TG) stored in their muscles so that it can be oxidized quickly, and if these TG's come primarily from dietary fat, is fat from adipose tissue ever used? Or would you have to exercise for so long that you run out of whatever is readily available and therefore have to tap into your stores of adipose? I can probably find this in one of those books, but I'm not there yet and I'm getting antsy. Thanks in advance.

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Yes, you burn fat as long as you are in functional ketosis and are an efficient fatburner. Get your nose in the book and get far superior information to that you have reaped in your responses. ;) – Atkins-witha-loincloth Oct 8 at 1:09

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It is very simple: if what you eat provides enough calories for your daily basal needs of energy, as well as the extra energy you need for running or whatever exercise you're doing, then no, unfortunately you will not magically lose weight. I.e. you have to eat less calories, in order for stored fat to be utilized.

alligator (I don't seem able to comment on an answer..), you've mixed a few things: ketones are typically made from fat, and sometimes possibly from ketogenic amino acids if you're eating a lot of protein. So when you burn ketones, you burn fat. Whether it's dietary or stored as I already said, depends on the amount of dietary.

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It is much easier to burn adiposity on carb controlled diet, rather than on a VLC/ketogenic diet. Why? Because when you eat just enough carbs to fuel exercise and daily mental function, when you are low on them, your body will turn to fat for energy.

However, if you are eating ketogenically, you are in starvation mode, and instead of burning adipose tissue when low on carbs, it will instead burn ketones (because this is much less efficient means of burning fat...so you survive longer).

Think about it- the leanest people on the planet (fitness models) overwhelmingly eat moderate carb diets with oatmeal/brown rice/sweet potatoes as daily occurances.

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and furthermore, the only effective way to lower your BF amount is via a reduced calorie diet. That means, to reduce your consumption of calories to less than TDEE. Running your body out of glycogen will not help this along the way you think – Bill1102inf Oct 7 at 13:58
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Oh yeah Bill? Maybe you could provide some refrences to randomized control trials that demonstrate how a "reduced calorie diet" is more effective than a low-carb diet for weight loss. Thought not... – borofergie Oct 7 at 17:57
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@ borofergie- We are not talking about low carb diets, and you know that. We are talking about KETOGENIC diets, which is VLC, high fat. And, actually there have been extensive studies comparing Atkins to other forms of diets, and it is not the reduced carbs that work, it is the reduced calories consumed due to the satiating effect of protein. – alligator Oct 7 at 19:05
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So I take it that's a "no" then? – borofergie Oct 7 at 20:46
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Boogiewoogie, you don't need a double blind randomized trial on everything to know what happens. If I cut myself I bleed. The metabolic advantage attributed to Atkins has been grossly exaggerated. It's the satiety from fat and proteins that work to reduce caloric consumption. One day, you'll come to your senses but you're giddy with enthusiam from apparent success from a VLC diet that you think everyone should be on it. The world is a lot more complex thant that. In the words of Matt Stone, if you're not confused by nutrition, you haven't studied it long enough. You clearly heaven't. – Mambo Oct 7 at 21:39
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