New Discovery on Best Diet to Lose Belly Fat vs Best Diet to Build Muscle

Summary

This video script explores the optimal timing for utilizing carbohydrates for muscle building and different dietary approaches for fat burning, as supported by a study in 'Advances in Medical Sciences'. It compares high carb vs. low carb diets over 15 weeks on trained individuals, revealing that low carb can lead to greater fat loss but also muscle loss, while high carb supports muscle gain but may hinder fat loss. The script suggests a flexible approach to diet, alternating between high and low carb intakes to maximize both muscle growth and fat oxidation, advocating for metabolic flexibility in diet strategies.

Takeaways

• 📚 A study in 'Advances in Medical Sciences' compared the effects of different diets on muscle building and fat burning, providing insights into the best times to consume carbs and adjust macronutrient intake.
• 🏋️‍♂️ The study involved well-trained individuals with similar backgrounds to ensure the results were comparable and not influenced by varying levels of fitness or experience.
• 🔍 Subjects on a low-carb, high-fat diet experienced a 10% drop in strength performance, particularly in squats, suggesting that low carb may not be ideal for maintaining strength.
• 🚫 The low-carb group lost more total body mass than the high-carb group, but this included a loss of 2 kilograms of muscle, which is a significant drawback for those looking to preserve muscle mass.
• 💪 The high-carb, low-fat group gained 5 kilograms of muscle while losing fat, indicating that high carb may be beneficial for muscle building.
• 🥗 Protein intake was identified as a crucial factor; the study subjects consumed only 100 grams of protein per day, which is below recommended levels, potentially impacting muscle preservation and strength.
• 🔄 Research suggests that with adequate protein intake, a low-carb diet can be beneficial for fat loss without significantly impacting muscle mass.
• 🔥 A study in 'Nutrition and Metabolism' found that a very low-carb, high-fat diet led to more fat oxidation, including visceral fat, even when calorie intake was higher.
• 🏃‍♂️ High-carb diets can improve performance, especially in high-volume activities, but may not make a significant difference for the average gym-goer.
• 🌡️ Carbohydrates can have an anabolic effect by increasing insulin levels, which may contribute to muscle growth, but their role in muscle building is still debated.
• 🔄 The concept of 'miniature bulks and cuts' throughout the week or month is proposed as a way to balance muscle building and fat loss, taking advantage of the benefits of both high-carb and low-carb diets.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the study published in 'Advances in Medical Sciences'?

The study focuses on comparing different diets to determine when they are most effective for building muscle versus burning fat, providing a context and a playbook for optimal muscle gain and fat loss.

Why is it important that the study participants had similar training backgrounds, weights, and muscle mass?

It's crucial to ensure that the results are comparable and not skewed by vastly different physical conditions or training experiences, which could lead to wildly different outcomes.

What dietary regimens were the subjects asked to follow in the study?

The subjects were asked to follow either a high carb low-fat diet or a low carb high-fat diet for 15 weeks while doing the same resistance training program.

What was the unexpected finding regarding the subjects' strength performance on a low carb diet?

Surprisingly, subjects on a low carb diet experienced about a 10% drop in performance, particularly in their squat strength, which was significantly affected.

How did the total body mass loss differ between the high carb low-fat group and the low carb high-fat group?

The low carb high-fat group lost more total body mass, with 5.49 kg compared to the high carb low-fat group, which lost 2 kg of fat.

What was the trade-off observed in muscle gain and fat loss between the two dietary groups?

While the low carb high-fat group lost more fat, they also lost 2 kg of muscle. In contrast, the high carb low-fat group gained 5 kg of muscle while losing a little bit of fat.

Why might the low carb group have lost more muscle mass in the study?

The low carb group might have lost more muscle mass because their protein intake was low, which is crucial for preventing muscle loss, and they were not consuming enough carbohydrates to provide an anti-catabolic effect.

What does the study suggest about the role of carbohydrates in performance and muscle building?

The study suggests that carbohydrates can improve performance, especially in high-volume activities, and may contribute to muscle building by increasing insulin levels, which can promote anabolic processes.

What is the significance of the findings from the 'Nutrition and Metabolism' study regarding calorie intake and fat oxidation?

The study found that despite trying to maintain a calorie deficit, the very low carb group ended up eating more calories but oxidized more fat, including visceral fat, suggesting that a low carb diet can enhance fat burning.

How does the 'Sports Science and Medicine' study on V2 Max and fat oxidation relate to the findings on diet and performance?

This study showed that even though performance outcomes were similar between high carb and low carb groups, the low carb group oxidized significantly more fat, indicating that low carb diets can be effective for fat burning even at high performance levels.

What is the proposed strategy for combining the benefits of both high carb and low carb diets?

The proposed strategy is to cycle between high carb and low carb diets, either on a weekly or monthly basis, to build muscle during the high carb phase and burn fat during the low carb phase, thus getting the best of both worlds.

Outlines

00:00

🏋️‍♂️ Optimal Diet for Muscle Building and Fat Loss

This paragraph discusses the findings of a study published in 'Advances in Medical Sciences' that compares the effects of different diets on muscle building and fat loss. The study focused on well-trained individuals with similar backgrounds, training experiences, and muscle mass. The subjects were put on either a high carb low-fat diet or a low carb high-fat diet for 15 weeks while following the same resistance training program. The results showed that the low carb group experienced a 10% drop in strength performance, particularly in squats, and lost more total body mass than the high carb group. However, the high carb group lost more fat and gained more muscle. The study also highlighted the importance of adequate protein intake, as the subjects were consuming only 100 grams of protein per day, which is below the recommended amount. The paragraph concludes by suggesting that carbohydrates play a crucial role in muscle building and strength performance, especially when protein intake is low.

05:01

🔥 The Impact of Diet on Fat Oxidation and Muscle Preservation

The second paragraph delves into the effects of diet on fat oxidation and muscle preservation, referencing studies from the 'Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism' and 'Sports Science and Medicine'. It explains that despite a calorie deficit, a very low carb group consumed more calories but oxidized more fat and lost more visceral fat compared to a high carb group. The importance of protein intake is reiterated, as higher protein levels seem to prevent muscle degradation during fat loss. The paragraph also discusses the role of carbohydrates in performance, suggesting that they can improve performance in high-volume activities. However, for average gym-goers, the impact is less significant. The study from 'Sports Science and Medicine' shows that low carb diets can lead to higher fat oxidation rates, even when performance outcomes are similar. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the potential benefits of alternating between high carb and low carb diets to achieve both muscle building and fat loss.

10:02

🏋️‍♀️ Periodizing Diets for Optimal Body Composition

In the final paragraph, the speaker proposes a strategy of periodizing diets throughout the week or month, alternating between high carb and low carb phases to achieve both muscle building and fat loss. The idea is to take advantage of the anabolic effects of carbohydrates for muscle growth during high carb phases and the fat oxidation benefits of low carb diets during cutting phases. The speaker suggests that this approach allows for metabolic flexibility, enabling the body to switch between burning fat and building muscle effectively. The paragraph also touches on the importance of not overdoing the high carb phase to avoid insulin resistance and the need to manage water manipulation to avoid negative effects. The speaker concludes by advocating for a balanced approach that allows for both muscle growth and fat loss, rather than focusing solely on one aspect.

Keywords

💡Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are a primary source of energy for the body and play a significant role in the video's theme of muscle building and fat loss. The script discusses the impact of high and low carbohydrate diets on performance and body composition. For example, the study mentioned in the script found that a low carb diet resulted in a 10% drop in strength performance, indicating the importance of carbohydrates for fueling high-intensity workouts.

💡Fat Loss

Fat loss is a central theme in the video, which explores different dietary approaches to reduce body fat. The script references a study showing that a low carb, high fat diet resulted in more total body mass loss compared to a high carb, low fat diet. However, it's noted that the low carb group also lost muscle mass, suggesting a trade-off between fat loss and muscle preservation.

💡Muscle Building

Muscle building is a key concept in the video, with the script discussing how different diets can influence muscle growth. The study mentioned found that a high carb, low fat diet led to a gain in muscle mass, while a low carb, high fat diet resulted in muscle loss. This highlights the role of carbohydrates in supporting muscle synthesis.

💡Protein

Protein is essential for muscle repair and growth, and the script emphasizes its importance in the context of dietary strategies. It points out that the subjects in the study were consuming only 100 grams of protein per day, which is below the recommended amount, potentially contributing to muscle loss on a low carb diet.

💡Insulin

Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels and plays a role in the video's discussion of anabolic processes. The script suggests that high carbohydrate intake can increase insulin levels, which may promote muscle growth by enhancing anabolic signaling. However, it also implies that high insulin levels can make it harder to lose fat.

💡High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Although not explicitly mentioned, the concept of HIIT is implied in the discussion of performance and the use of V2 Max testing. The script suggests that carbohydrates can be particularly important for maintaining high performance levels during intense, explosive workouts, which is a characteristic of HIIT.

💡V2 Max

V2 Max, or the maximum rate of oxygen consumption, is a measure of an individual's aerobic fitness. The script uses V2 Max testing to illustrate that low carb diets can lead to higher rates of fat oxidation during exercise, even when performance levels are similar to those on a high carb diet.

💡Metabolic Flexibility

Metabolic flexibility refers to the body's ability to switch between different energy sources (carbohydrates, fats) depending on availability. The script proposes the idea of cycling between high and low carb diets to take advantage of both muscle-building and fat-burning effects, demonstrating the concept of metabolic flexibility.

💡Bodybuilding

Bodybuilding is used as a reference point in the script to illustrate traditional practices of bulking (high carb intake for muscle growth) and cutting (low carb intake for fat loss). It suggests that these practices have been effective for bodybuilders, indicating the potential benefits of periodized dietary strategies.

💡Fasting

Fasting is mentioned in the context of low carb, high fat diets and its potential benefits for fat oxidation. The script suggests that fasting, or caloric restriction, can increase the body's reliance on fat for energy, which aligns with the low carb diet's goal of promoting fat loss.

💡Probiotics

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for digestive health. The script briefly discusses a probiotic product called 'Seed' and its potential benefits for gut health and performance, which, while not central to the main theme, adds context to the broader discussion of health and fitness.

Highlights

Study in 'Advances in Medical Sciences' compares muscle building and fat burning with different diets.

Findings provide a context and a playbook for when to consume more carbs and when to increase protein and fats.

Study involved well-trained individuals with similar backgrounds, weights, and muscle mass for accurate comparison.

Subjects experienced a 10% drop in strength performance on a low carb diet.

Low carb high fat diet resulted in more total body mass loss compared to high carb low fat.

High carb low fat group lost fat and gained muscle, while low carb high fat group lost fat but also muscle.

Subjects consumed only 100 grams of protein per day, which is below recommended levels.

Low carb diets may lead to muscle loss if protein intake is insufficient.

Study in 'Nutrition and Metabolism' shows low carb diets lead to more fat oxidation even with higher calorie intake.

High protein intake with low carb diet does not degrade muscle during fat loss.

High carb diets improve performance in high volume activities.

Carbohydrates play a role in anabolic processes through increased insulin levels.

Study in 'Sports Science and Medicine' shows low carb diets oxidize more fat during exercise.

Low carb diets increase the rate of fat oxidation significantly compared to high carb diets.

Proposed approach of alternating between high carb and low carb diets for muscle building and fat loss.

Metabolic flexibility, the ability to switch between high carb and low carb states, is beneficial.

Daily or weekly alternation between high carb for bulking and low carb for cutting could yield the best results.

Transcripts

there is an appropriate time to use

carbs to build muscle and to use a

different style of eating to burn fat

before we just kind of had to guess it

and honestly take some playbooks out of

the bodybuilding world for a while

because maybe they've been doing things

right for the last 30 years but now

there's a study published in advances in

medical sciences that actually compared

when certain diets build muscle versus

when certain diets burn fat and it's

amazing because it gives us a context

and it gives us almost a Playbook so by

the end of this video I'll give a

breakdown of when you should be eating

more carbs when you should be maybe

cranking the carbs down and increasing

the protein and fats it spells it out

for us perfectly so we can get the most

muscle building and the most fat loss so

let's go ahead and break it down now the

study was interesting because it took a

look at well trained people people with

similar backgrounds with similar

training experiences at similar weights

and muscle mass so important because you

can't compare someone that's been

training for 10 years to someone that is

obese and has never trained you're going

to get entirely wildly different results

so this study shows us a lot after

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below so what they did with these

subjects that had very similar training

experiences is they had them

go on either a high carb lowfat diet or

a low carb high fat diet for 15 weeks

okay so decently length of time they had

them do the exact same resistance

training program okay but what they did

do is they made sure that they did not

do any other kind of training that would

act as like a a variable within the

results so let's just jump right to what

they ultimately found because this is

what's interesting first and foremost

surprisingly they found that when

subjects went low Barb they ended up

having about a 10% drop in performance

in their strength and that's like 10%

Plus in their squat specifically which

is the one that was really affected

that's not very good news for low carb

at first but we do need to unpack it a

little bit more because so much more of

this makes sense later on additionally

with the low carb high fat group there's

a 5.49 kgam total body mass loss

more than the high carb low fat so they

lost lost a lot more mass but this needs

to be contextualized we need to

understand more because what they did

find is that the high carb lowfat group

also lost weight they lost 2 kilg of

fat compared though to the low carb high

fat which trumped it at almost 7 kg of

total body fat lost here's the caveat

though the low carb high fat group

although they lost way more fat they

also lost 2 kilograms of muscle the high

carb group ended up losing a little bit

of fat but gained 5 kilograms of muscle

so at first you're like well I'm just

going to preserve my muscle go high carb

all the way well we need to understand

more because when you actually look at

the particulars of the study it makes

some sense and this is not coming from

like a low carb perspective I'm not

trying to say you should do low carb

because what I'm actually going to find

in this video and what I'm going to

explain to you is going to probably

surprise you ultimately though the

subjects were only eating 100 grams of

protein per day and they weighed 85

kilogram that's barely above the already

dismal recommended daily allowance of

protein which is 0.8 grams per kilogram

like I would never recommend that I

almost always recommend a minimum we

double that so we have a problem to

begin with right we definitely aren't

equating for the fact that protein was

low so in this particular context we

have seen in other literature that when

protein is low carb hydrates do provide

sort of an anti-catabolic effect so the

only reason perhaps the low carb group

lost so much muscle was because their

protein was so low now what about the

strength piece that's valid we do

understand in other contexts and other

studies with like CrossFit when volume

is high enough carbohydrates do matter

but not in the short term they matter

for keeping glycogen stores high but if

you're training at relatively low volume

probably doesn't matter but if you're

looking to get that extra 5 10%

performance for yeah in strength stuff

and explosive stuff carbohydrates are

going to matter especially when your

volume's high but if you look at like

Jeff fick's work and and Finn's work we

do understand also that over time

subjects get more fat adapted and when

that

happens your low carb for a long time

your body gets efficient at creating

carbs from other substrates and can put

it into glycogen storage almost just as

efficiently as if you were straight up

eating carbs but I'm not here to just

justify low carb right because we need

to understand more stuff here first

let's look at a study that was published

in the journal nutrition and Metabolism

they had subjects go very low carb high

fat or high carb low fat and they had

them try to get in like a 500 calorie

deficit what they found is that despite

trying to put them in a deficit the very

low carb group ended up eating 1,800

calories so ended up eating 300 calories

more than the high carb Group which ate

1500 calories interestingly enough

though the low carb group despite higher

calories oxidized more fat they burned

more fat not only did they burn more fat

but they burned more visceral fat as a

ratio to their total fat that they lost

too and interesting about this study is

that protein was higher so seems as

though when protein's high the fat loss

aspect doesn't seem to degrade muscle

and also seems to be still more of an

advantage for fat loss versus higher

carb but where does the high carb play

in because if you look at evidence with

high carb you see studies published

about crossfitters and other high

performance

that the more carbohydrates they consume

basically the higher performance up to a

certain point like 10 to 15% increases

in performance but that's with pretty

high volume stuff so we do know from a

performance perspective that yes the

carbohydrates will probably help there's

even some evidence now that just

swishing carbohydrates in your mouth can

have an effect on performance so we're

not entirely sure if it's glycogen

related or if it's psychosomatic or what

it is but carbohydrates over the Long

Haul for high amounts of volume can

improve performance there's no one

really denying that anymore but if

you're just an average gym goer it

doesn't seem to make much of a

difference but for muscle

building one thing we've seen is that

when protein is lower carbohydrates can

be anti-catabolic but protein and

carbohydrates both do one real important

thing what they do is they increase

impor kyes so they increase so these

mechanistic growth signals for cells to

actually like grow so because carbs can

have that insulin signaling insulin

mediated sort of signaling one could

argue that they're definitely more

anabolic however when you look at it

from a ribosomal aspect like R RNA which

gets into the weeds we've seen recent

literature that shows that carbs don't

Aid in muscle building but what they do

is they do increase insulin levels and

insulin levels might make it so that you

can build more muscle because we do see

in some anecdotal evidence that

bodybuilders that use copious amounts of

insulin can put on more muscle right so

we see it in extreme cases so perhaps

eating carbohydrates will lead to more

muscle building and that makes some

sense right so if protein is high and

carbs are high you'll build muscle but

it's also pretty evident that it's going

to be harder to lose fat that way so

with that we need to jump over really

quick on another side of the performance

spectrum and look at V2 Max with fat for

a second because this is really

interesting and it's kind of a

tiebreaker here so this study was

published in a journal sports science

and medicine so what this study did is

it took two groups of people and for six

weeks it had them eat very low carb or

very high carb with equal everything

else okay now what they found with this

when they had them do V2 max testing or

four separate 5 km time trials

performance effects were about the same

high carb low carb they performed about

the same no real difference on the time

trial or the V2 Max but here's what's

really wild what they found is that

those that were in the low carb group

ended up oxidizing significantly more

fat as a matter of fact

94% oxidation of carbs in the high carb

group compared to 65% oxidation of car

carbs in the low carb group so the low

carb group used much more fat even

though they had equal performance

outcomes on their V2 Max so they

performed at the same level same energy

demand same output but oxidizing more

fat case in point they're going to burn

more fat some arguments could be had

that maybe the carbohydrate group would

have more in their tank to push harder

maybe but the bottom line is the fat

group was burning more fat and here's a

quote from an advanced in medical

Sciences study the maximum rates of fat

oxidation is approximately 0.6 G per

minute in a high carb group and with low

carb high fat it increases to 1.54 G per

minute we're talking almost a threefold

increase in the rate of fat oxidation

and this has to do with lower levels of

insulin at the time insulin is not bad

and mitochondrial adaptation I noticed

this with my own V2 Max test I didn't

even reach my reer until I waso my re R

over one until I was close to the end of

my V2 Max test and I ended up scoring

almost a 60 a 599 but Dr Andy Galpin

officially SS me as a 60 point is is

that I was low carb I was actually

fasted I performed great on an Anor

robic V2 Max test when pushing it to

that limit but my fat oxidation was Sky

High so with that and I preserve muscle

just fine what do we take away from all

this how do we put it together high carb

is probably better for bulking but know

that it will attenuate some of your fat

loss it actually will you might even

gain some fat it's going to be harder to

stay lean let's put it that way okay low

carb is definitely better for cutting in

this context and we see bodybuilders do

this all the time they come off the

carbs when it's time to prep for a show

and you know what as much as we bag on

them sometimes because they're funny

I've been one and I see them all the

time they get shredded and they know

what they're doing as long as you don't

ruin your metabolism but there's other

factors that play like water

manipulation things that may not be good

right all that aside they know what

they're doing with that and it works

but I propose something different I

propose that we go in these miniature

bulks and cuts throughout the course of

the week or the course of the month one

week of high carb with some bulking one

week of low carb with some cutting

nothing out there shows that we cannot

do this nothing out there shows that we

cannot build muscle and burn fat in the

same month by periodizing our bulks and

our cuts into shorter time frames versus

going very high carb developing maybe

small levels of insulin resistance or at

least tolerance and then having to gain

fat and then STM it off why can't we go

one week or two weeks of high carb High

your carb build muscle and then two

weeks of more focus on increase fat

oxidation and maintaining muscle and

burning some fat getting The Best of

Both Worlds or better yet even in the

daily focus on okay I can go very low

carb high fat by essentially fasting

because my body's pulling from my body

fat and I'm essentially low carb because

I'm not eating and then go higher carb

during our eating period like nothing

says the clock is the body's looking at

a 24-hour clock like it doesn't say okay

you had x amount of carbs today so

that's your that's your carb count

you're a high carb person what if you're

low carb in the morning by not eating

and fasting that's the whole premise

there increasing fat oxidation via some

fasting or increasing fat oxidation via

you know caloric restriction and then

put it into a surplus with more

carbohydrates as well to induce muscle

growth I think on The Daily it might be

a little bit much but you can certainly

do it on the weekly and there's nothing

to say that having a little metabolic

flexibility although it's kind of a

cheeky term sometimes you know is a bad

thing being able to flip-flop back and

forth between high carb and low carb

without feeling doggish or sluggish

either direction is really the goal

right I justify it as like I want to be

able to run and oxidize fat and I also

want to be able to lift and oxidize

carbs I don't want to be a one-trick

pony so this just gives evidence that

carbs probably do help us bulk more but

low carb probably does help us cut more

as much as it might be hard to swallow

sometimes I'll see you tomorrow