| Dr. Mericle's Blog | about |
| home | login |
Recommended Reading
mad cowboy
diet for a new america
laurels kitchen new
laurels bread book
don't drink your milk
milk the deadly poison
save yourself from breast cancer
the china study
marcia anzell
fuel selection
for the marathon
for health fitness life
your fuel selection
You may be surprised to find out that everyday when you awaken in the morning, you have a choice of what fuel to burn. This isn't about being a "flex" fuel Ford where you can choose ethanol over gasoline or being a German TDI diesel getting fifty plus mpg choosing biodiesel over petrodiesel. This is about human flex fuels sugar/carbohydrate, protein or fat. Burning recently ingested sugar/carbohydrate is not optimal and associated with obesity, glucose intolerance and disease. We can burn protein but this occurs typically in starvation. Optimally we want to burn fat because this keeps us thin by using our stored energy/fat from the previous days. It also helps to keep our glucose tolerance normal and reduces our risk of serious disease and obesity.
your fuel selector
When you wake up in the morning, your fuel selector is already set to fat. Unless you have been eating in your sleep, when you awake you will be in glucagon metabolism. This is good because you will be burning fat, although not much since your caloric requirement is not all that significant when you are sleeping. However, as soon as you awake and start moving around, your fat burning will increase. If however, as the current rage about breakfast would suggest, you eat something first thing, what happens? Number one you stop burning fat (glucagon metabolism stops) and your insulin metabolism starts. What does insulin do? It starts to store the recently ingested energy as fat -just exactly the opposite what you need or want.
productive mornings
Instead of eating breakfast, don't eat anything, maybe have some coffee without cream or sugar, and get to work or exercise. You will not only be much more productive at work but you will burn a lot of fat. The amount of fat you burn can be enhanced by exercising in the morning. Exercise will increase your glucagon metabolism and also increase your catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine). This will further increase your utilization of fat by muscle. This spares glucose/glycogen. These are all positive for your health and aerobic fitness, as well as your general productivity, in addition to your marathon PR.
your choice of fuels for the marathon
Muscle/myosin is powered by ATP(adenosine triphospate). You don't need to understand or know what ATP is other than this: "it is the currency of energy exchange and utilization in the human." In order to run we must use our muscles, which use ATP to power the myosin in these muscles. When we show up at the start of a race like the marathon we have a choice, to eat before the race or not eat before the race. This is extremely important as what you do at this point determines what fuel you will utilize for the next several hours as you run the 26.2 miles.
sources of ATP
| rate of production | source | amount available |
| stored ATP in mucsle | 223 mmol | |
| 73.3 mmol/sec | creatine phoshate | 446 mmol |
| 39.1 mmol/sec | muscle glycogen to lactate | 6700 mmol |
| 16.7 mmol/sec | muscle glycogen to CO2 | 84000 mmol |
| 6.2 mmol/sec | liver glycogen to CO2 | 19000 mmol |
| 6.7 mmol/sec | adipose fatty acids to CO2 | 4,000,000 mmol |
100 meter sprint
The energy requirement for the 100 meter sprint is derived from muscle ATP, creatine phoshate and muscle glycogen. This is the fastest of the races we will discuss at 10.1 meter/second(well over 30 feet/second). The stored ATP decreases over the race from 5.2-3.7 mMol and creatine phosphate goes from 9.1 - 2.6 mMol. Due to the extreme speed of this race the utilization of muscle glycogen is completely anerobic thus the blood lactate increases from 1.6-8.3 mMol and the blood ph drops from 7.42 to 7.24.
1000 meter race
The pace of the 100 meter event cannot be sustained for the 1000 meter race. First, creatine phosphate would be exhausted in the first few seconds and anerobic metabolism (glycolysis) cannot be maintained for the two minutes plus it takes to complete the event. The amount of acid/lactate produced by this much anerobic metabolism would impair one's ability to run. This is known in track circles as "the rig." Therefore one must switch to more aerobic metabolism (oxidative phosphorylation -muscle glycogen to CO2) which however proceeds at a much slower rate (see above table). This means that the maximum velocity for the event must be slower than the 100m event (7.6 meters/second for the 1000 meter vs 10.1 meter/second for the 100 meters).
marathon
The marathon requires yet a different mix of fuels to accomplish this grueling two plus hour event. The current marathon record is 2:03:59 (4:42 minutes/mile average). The energy requirement for event is 150 mol ATP. The total body glycogen (carbohydrate) stores can only supply 103 mol ATP -thus requiring fuel(energy) from another source.
ATP generation from fat is essential!
In order to run 26.2 miles we must use some of our fat for energy. However, if all of the energy came from fat it would take over six hours to run the marathon. Elite runners consume a nearly 50/50 balance of glycogen and fatty acids to achieve a velocity of 5.5 meters/second. (approximately half of the 100m speed). Exactly how does an elite runner choose his fuels for the marathon?
never eat before a race
Despite all the hype about various "sugar" bars that you should eat at the start of the race, the accomplished elite runner knows that you never eat before a race. Show up at the race start with an empty stomach, your last meal should be the night before the race. This means you will have a "low blood sugar" at the start.
you want a low blood sugar at the start
Not eating the day of the event leads to a low blood glucose which in turn leads to a high glucagon/insulin ratio. This in turn mobilizes fatty acids so that some fat is burned from the very start of the race. This spares muscle glycogen and if you have trained your metabolism well, there will be some glycogen around at the finish of the race. Achieving this delicate balance will yield your fastest time for the marathon and really reduces your chances of having to walk at any time, especially after 20 miles.
my experience
I have been fortunate as I have never eaten before any event. This includes distances as short as the two mile track race to the marathon (29 marathons with a PR of 2:45 and a total of four marathons under 2:50) and beyond (long mountain runs including Mt. Lemon ascent, Mica Mountain round trip 28 miles and Pikes Peak round trip). This also includes long distance triathlons Kona, Hawaii Ironman (three times), Fountain Mountain long course (two times) and one 49 miles training run. I can guarantee you 100% that had I eaten anything before these events I would not have run as fast. You can tell how well your metabolism has been trained (how much time you have spent in glucagon metabolism) by how fast you can run the last 10K (6.2 miles). On my PR marathon of 2:45 I ran the last 10k in 38 minutes. I finished the race, turned around and ran out to meet my ex-wife who was running the same race. I encountered her when she had about four miles to go. I ran a total of another eight miles that day (a 34 mile day). When you can run the last six miles well (you don't perceive any switch from carbohydrate to fat) -you have done your metabolic homework well both on the days leading up to the event as well as the day of the event itself.
fuel selection for health, fitness and life
The following quote is from Stryer Biochemistry 4th Edition published in 1975, 1981, 1988 and 1995.
"A low blood sugar level leads to a high glucagon/insulin ratio, which in turn mobilizes fatty acids from adipose tissue." p779
Please commit the quote to memory. While it may sound very simple it is one of the most important principles of human biochemistry to understand. When you awake in the morning you are in a glucagon state and your glucagon/insulin ratio should be high. If the first thing you do is eat you will reverse this ratio and start to store rather than utilize energy. This will block glucagon from utilizing fat for energy and will also keep your catecholamine levels (epinephrine and norepinephrine) low which will cause more muscle glycogen to be utilized and less fatty acids will be metabolized.
if you want to "burn fat" with or without exercise
Fat burning has been tossed about now for years. Every weight loss and fitness guru has some magical mystical "metabolic fantasy" to burn fat. Oftentimes this involves eating something that will "activate your metabolism" without for the first nanosecond having any understanding of what metabolism they are talking about. The lifetime rule quoted above is "hard and fast" and not negotiable. The only way your body will burn fat is when you activate your "GLUCAGON" metabolism by not eating for at least three or four hours. Optimally one should get at least twelve to fourteen glucagon hours everyday.
some scientific proof of this principle
Twenty seven healthy males age 18-25 were fed a diet that was fat rich and sugar intense for six weeks. Ten were fed after a morning exercise, ten were fed before morning exercise and seven were controls and did not exercise. As would be predicted from elementary human biochemistry, the group that ate after exercise was the only group that did not put on weight and had no impairment of glucose tolerance.
Training in the fasted state improves glucose tolerance during fat-rich diet.
Van Proeyen K, Szlufcik K, Nielens H, Pelgrim K, Deldicque L, Hesselink M, Van Veldhoven PP, Hespel P.
Research Centre for Exercise and Health, Department of Biomedical Kinesiology, K.U. Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
remember ... it is up to you to "choose"
which fuel you burn every day
This decision can be adjusted depending on your current body fat percentage. If your body fat percentage is higher than you would like, you might want to set your fuel selector to fat. If however, you have very low body fat (ie one of those who can eat anything and everything and not put on weight) then recently ingested carbohydrates won't be all that bad. You can choose carbohydrates by eating when you awake, putting yourself in an insulin(fed) state and start storing energy as fat. Or, you can refrain from eating, maybe have some coffee without cream or sugar, and stay in a glucagon (fasting) state and continue burning fat. As you can easily see from the study above, there is solid scientific proof that burning some fat everyday will keep you thiner, faster and healthier.
keep it simple ...
being thin and fast is easy
for more information
special thanks to Stryer Biochemistry 4th Edition page 779
eat breakfast get fat part I
eat breakfast get fat part II
Metabolism101.com
MericleDiet.com
Thanks for your time and your attention.
Copyright © John Mericle M.D. D.A.B.R. 2000-2011 All Rights Reserved
Now Available For The First Time
Dr. Mericle’s
Definitive Guide to Health and Weight Loss
this includes
- the mericlediet (normally $47)
- glucagon and weight loss (normally $37)
- where the sugar freeway ends (normally $17)
- seven days of great tasting vegan meals(normally $17)
- significant articles from the first ten years(normally $17)
all for the special introductory low price of just
$21
you save $114 off the regular price
glucagon and weight loss ...page 6
- from starvation to obesity
- energy metabolism
- order of energy utilization
- fallacy of multiple feedings
- proper nutrition
- hunger control
- eat breakfast get fat parts I & II
- exercise myth
- fuel selection
- glucagon and aging
where the sugar freeway ends ...page 38
- high fructose corn syrup
- aspartame(Nutrasweet)
- honey and meli maenomenon
- brown sugar is not brown rice
- avoiding hypoglycemia
- stevia the safe sweetener
- angina doesn't care
- diabetes heart disease Monckeberg
- reduce your risk for diabetes
the MericleDiet ...page 65
- introduction
- MericleDiet kitchen
- medical basis
- carbohydrate confusion
- energy metabolism101
- role of exercise
- The Dangers of Sports Non-nutrition
Seven Days of Great Tasting Vegan Meals
- a different kind of potato salad
- a different kind of pasta salad
- organic green salad with black beans and tofu
- golden bowls
- brown rice salad
- hot and cold bowls
- a quick primer on tofu
- draining and marinating tofu
- MericleDiet Tofu
- Seiten
- Soba Tofu
- Tempeh Cutlet
- MericleDiet stir fry
- scalloped potatoes
- vegan macaroni and cheese
- pasta
- quickest possible pasta sauce
- black bean with potato soup
- vegetable soup
- gazpacho
- burritos and refried beans
- Mexican brown rice
- mock chicken salad sandwich
- eggless egg salad sandwich
- tofu rueben sandwich
- fakin Canadian bacon sandwich
select articles ...page 125
- Complications of Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
- Chunky Cole Slaw
- coconut oil good or bad?
- eleven dangerous food additives
- Fifteen Secrets of Safe and Easy Permanent Weight Loss
- Fats (triacylglycerols) and Essential Fatty Acids
- He Shou Wu
- Hypertension
- Hypertension II
- 14 Simple Things To Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer
- Osteoporosis
- What Really Causes Osteoporosis
- Macular Degeneration
- olive oil chest pain in a bottle
- Why Organic
- rugrat ... Lymphoma -The Dangers of New Carpet
- Your Stomach Knows Best The Dangers of Sports Nutrition
- Vitamin C
Act Now
Get Dr. Mericle's
Definitive Guide to Health and Weight Loss
Only $21!
Ordering Dr. Mericle's Definitive Guide to Health and Weight Loss e-book is simple, safe and secure on the Clickbank site. Simply click on the "add to cart" button.
60 Day No Questions Guarantee
If you are not completely satisfied you can obtain a full refund of the purchase price, no questions asked for 60 days following the date of your purchase.
System Requirements:
- college level or above reading ability
- one regular dictionary and one medical dictionary
- serious desire to improve your health
