Carbs vs. Keto: Fueling Optimal Performance with Louise Burke, Ph.D.

What’s the most efficient way to fuel human performance during endurance sports?

Australian Louise Burke is one of the best-known sports nutritionists on the planet, known for her Supernova race-walking studies that showed that keto- and low carb, high fat diets don’t fuel endurance athletes as well as carbohydrate-burning approaches. She also practices what she researches, holding the women’s Australian marathon record in her age group—the age group, she jokes, of “never you mind.” 

In this episode Dr. Burke walks Stu and Marty through her research that found carb-based approaches to fueling yield about 5% more of the muscle cell’s energy currency, ATP, compared to fat-burning approaches, with carb-burning also yielding 7-8% better performance.

She also:

—discusses her own approach to fuelling endurance events

—provides tips on carbohydrate periodization

—answers a listener question about carb-loading

—shows that carbs during a race are good for the brain 

GUEST BIO

Professor Louise Burke OAM, PhD, APD is a sports dietitian with 45 years of experience in the education and counselling of elite athletes. She worked at the Australian Institute of Sport for thirty years, rising to Chief of Nutrition Strategy. She has attended 6 Summer Olympic Games with the Australian Olympic Team. She was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2009. Louise is the Chair in Sports Nutrition at Australian Catholic University .

SOCIALS

X: 

@LouiseMBurke

IG: 

https://www.instagram.com/louiseburke4

Send us ideas for future episodes, comments and listener questions at [email protected]

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EPISODE LINKS

Re-examining high-fat diets for sports performance: Did we call the "nail in the coffin" too soon?

Low carbohydrate, high fat diet impairs exercise economy. J Physiol. 2017

Organization of dietary control for nutrition-training intervention. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2018

Crisis of confidence averted. PLoS One. 2020

Swimmer Eva Buzo’s trans-Adriatic swim chronicled here and in Balkan Insight. 

SHOW LINKS

Follow or subscribe at your favourite platform @realexercisescience: Substack. YouTube. TikTok. Instagram. Apple Podcasts. On X you can find us @realexscience. 

Stu is everywhere, too, but mostly on Instagram and X. Follow him on TikTok too!

Marty is on Instagram. He’s also on X!

Exercise Science is produced by Ghost Bureau. 

DISCUSSION POINTS

00:00 Cold open

02:33 Louise Burke intro

03:45 Field Origins

04:55 Glycogen Supercompensation

06:53 Carbohydrate Periodization

09:02 High-Fat Diets

11:56 Carbohydrate Downregulation

13:49 Keto Diet Hype

17:02 Supernova Program

21:18 Study Results

24:12 Carb vs. Keto

26:45 Recreational Application

30:37 Burke Uses Keto

32:06 LQ: Race Fueling

DISCLAIMER

The Exercise Science podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Strength training and fitness carry inherent risks. Always consult with a physician or qualified healthcare provider before starting any new exercise program or making changes to your diet. The hosts, producers, sponsors and guests of this podcast disclaim any liability for any injuries or losses connected with the information discussed in this show.

Martin Gibala is an advisor to and holds equity in Longevity League Ltd., a US-based company whose services in part relate to exercise.