Fat-Adapted Athlete’s Brutally Honest Advice: From PREDIABETES to PEAK Performance at 50

Key wellness + metabolic strategies (nutrition)

Diagnose and target metabolic health

• Pre-diabetes was identified via:
  • Persistent fasting glucose > 100 mg/dL
  • Later A1C in the prediabetes range

“All day, every day” carb reduction (outside training)

• Core belief: modern life creates an environment of constant sugar/carbohydrates (hotel breakfasts, snacks, desserts), driving insulin resistance.
• Strategy: eliminate/avoid visible carbs most of the day

Ketogenic/low-carb daily pattern (with flexibility)

• For ~2012/2013 onward, he follows low carbs outside hard workouts:
  • ~100 g carbs/day or less
  • Mostly from leafy greens and high-starch vegetables in smaller amounts, plus some dairy/nuts
• He emphasizes he often stays near/within nutritional ketosis, even while training with some carbs.

Training carbs, but only during hard efforts

• Outside racing:
  • No carbs for easy workouts
• For hard workouts (tempo/sweet spot/threshold-type):
  • Take carbs during the session only (no “carb before” philosophy)
  • Amount is roughly ~1/3 of the workout’s caloric burn
    • Often ~200–300 kcal worth in longer hard sessions
  • Forms mentioned:
    • Maltodextrin + table sugar + fructose
    • Simple commercial gels/drinks or DIY sugar-water
• He contrasts this with typical endurance fueling where carbs are used more continuously.

Post-workout: prioritize protein, avoid carbs

• Typical post-workout routine:
  • Water + sodium, then protein
• No carbs after training (unless special family circumstances)

Meal structure (practical daily template)

• Morning/Pre-workout: coffee + ~30–35 g protein (often whey)
• During easy workouts (1–1.5 hrs): nothing
• Light lunch: salad + chicken + olive oil/fats for satiety
• Afternoon snack: nuts / meat snacks (e.g., jerky)
• Early dinner: large salad + protein (often grass-fed ground beef, with eggs/chicken as part of the portion) + olive oil, avocado/guacamole, plus:
  • Berries
  • Full-fat dairy/cream later
• Sweeteners: monk fruit (sometimes stevia or erythritol-based alternatives)

Observed “why this works” outcomes

• Over ~10 years:
  • Low inflammation markers
  • Low/near-undetectable CRP and WBC
  • Fewer illnesses
• Training and “metabolic health markers” reportedly stayed very stable into age 50

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Key training + productivity-style strategies (endurance performance)

Train using simple principles (4-part framework)

• Consistency: progress compounds over years; “take a year minimum.”
• Progressive overload: gradually do more/faster/more intensity, avoiding random or flat training
• Specificity: train the energy systems relevant to the event (marathon vs sprint differs)
• Fun + perceived effort: perceived difficulty must feel appropriate; pull back if it feels wrong or recovery/fun is missing

Easy vs hard fueling approach

• Make easy days truly easy (metabolically and practically)
• Use carbs only for hard sessions
• He describes getting off the “sugar crutch,” noting mental dependence on carbs/gels when consumed constantly

Recovery management (masters-athlete mindset)

• Sleep and overall life stress matter: “stress is stress is stress.”
• Avoid stacking high stress (travel, all-nighters) right before hard training

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Time-in-training / zone awareness (not fully “methodology,” but a warning)

• The host discusses the risk of using generic heart-rate formulas for “zone 2.”
• Suggestion from the host:
  • Zone 2 should reflect an individual physiological tipping point where fat oxidation peaks before shifting to heavier carb reliance.
  • Breathing/ventilatory thresholds may be more individualized than HR/lactate (as argued by the host).

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Presenter / sources

Presenter / guest

• Sami Inanan (CEO & co-founder, Verta Health)

Other referenced/mentioned sources (by the host during an ad segment)

• TimeWare (founder Anar Larosen mentioned)

Brand/company mentioned

• Endurance Lab (Endurance Lab podcast / “Endurance Lab Inner Circle” referenced by the host)