The Official “Ask Me Anything About Ketosis & Ironman” Premium Podcast with Ben Greenfield

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Low Carb & Ketogenic Diet, Podcast

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If you read my article “The Great Ketogenic Ironman Experiment – Can You Go Low-Carb And Be A Fast Endurance Athlete Without Destroying Your Body?”, then you may know that I'm just 3 weeks out from Ironman Canada – and a 12 week experiment with a very low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet leading up to that race.

Want to know how that experiment is going, and what happens when you combine extreme endurance training with ketosis?

You're about to find out.

Today, I released a Premium podcast episode in which I answered questions submitted on the BenGreenfieldFitness Facebook page, including questions about ketosis, Ironman training, nutrition and more, including:

-Do you use bitter melon to help buffer blood sugar spikes in a effort to continue producing blood ketones? If yes, how important is the timing of taking the bitter melon for this and how much do you take each time?

-Have you had any breaks from ketosis where you carb binge?

-Please let us know about your experiences with oxaloacetate — most importantly about the safety of it and how much (in your opinion) it boosted your performance.

-I'm doing your TriathlonDominator.com plan, and am curious as to how you typically train right now… Are you still doing predominantly H.I.I.T. with long Z2 efforts sprinkled in?

-How much does it cost you a month to eat that way? Carbs are so cheap and yummy.

-Is there any advantage to adding hard to find meat like lamb and bison to my diet?

-What are your thoughts on barefoot/minimalist running?

-Do you recommend anything for me in my first 5K? So far I’ve been working out for the last 2 months, 6 days a week, eating ok, I do cheat but I just pray I make it to the end.

-What do you think of Ezekiel bread? I haven’t heard much, but I love bread and people say it is better for you.

-I just read some good protein things with brewer’s yeast? Yay or nay?

If you don't yet subscribe as a Premium podcast listener, you're missing out. It's $9.99 for the whole year (yes, the entire year), and includes bonus video and audio podcasts such as this one, as well as “The Naked Truth” episodes with my wife Jessa (in which we drink copious amounts of wine and say shocking things) – and a bunch of other bonus workshops and videos. And don't even need the phone app to access premium content.

Click here to go Premium and listen to this episode now.

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Ask Ben a Podcast Question

12 thoughts on “The Official “Ask Me Anything About Ketosis & Ironman” Premium Podcast with Ben Greenfield

  1. Andrew Pearce says:

    Hi Ben…quick background. Had a spinal fusion 10 yrs ago from motorcycle accident. Chronic pain made life not worth living, but had 4 children and a loving wife…so kept trying. Came across water fasting to address inflammation, started with a 3 week goal…that turned to 60 days. I went from 240 down to 180. Took 8 days to see color on ketone strips, by day 10 I was feeling zero pain throughout. I did a walk run for 3 miles. I have no background in running. I ran atleast every other day. I celebrated day 60 by running 26.2 miles. It took 5 1/2 hours, was 19 degrees out, I was wet and dehydrated…but grateful. I am living a keto lifestyle and want to do a half ironman in 22 weeks and a full in 40 weeks. I have listened and read alot but feel somewhat overwhelmed. I’d like to train/race low carb so as to backup my new painfree lifestyle. I have a limited budget and wanted to know what combo of your products you might suggest regarding training and diet?

    Thanks to say the least:)

    1. I recommend scheduling a consult: BenGreenfieldFitness.com/coaching

  2. rcaiken says:

    Hey Ben, a recent peer reviewed article just published yesterday (October 2, 2014) in the European J of Sport Science titled "Rethinking fat as a fuel for endurance exercise," supports your findings. Here is a link to it: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/174613…

  3. DerekMan73 says:

    I know this is kinda late, but I was wondering do you experience insomnia in ketosis? If so what do you do about? My personal experiments with ketosis (been doing it for a while) make me feel great and give me endless stamina but absolutely prevent me from sleeping. What has been your experience with ketosis and insomnia?

    1. That's usually hypoglycemia or hypercortisolism. I find SMALL amounts (10 grams-ish) of proteins with coconut milk in the evening helps.

  4. rwolansky says:

    Ben,

    Can you explain the science behind your positive experience of cheating and then having a above average training day.

    My assumption was that if you eat 50-100g of carb a day, as I do, and you speak of doing under your keto protocol, that your liver glycogen is still usually full and intramuscular storage is ample enough. I may be wrong on this assumption but any reply will be greatly appreciated. I.E. how does eating a large carb heavy meal – yams sweet potatoes etc… – help. and where is the energy stored.

    see you at IMC props to all the amazing work, and podcasting you do, its truly a pleasure to listen and implement some biohacks.

    1. Basically, I've only been in ketosis 9 weeks. My body is nowhere near fully adapted. I've spent the better part of 31 years not being in ketosis.

      I think that there may have been a hormonal response, but I haven't gotten my blood results for that week back from Talking20 yet…

      I also wish I had an at home muscle biopsy kit just to *see* about that glycogen thing….tough to say!

      See you at IMC…

  5. Bonnk says:

    Hey Ben, I'm also following a ketogenic diet in preparation for a marathon at the end of August. I'm trying to break 3 hours (I ran 3:01 at Boston in 2011). After listening to your podcast, I'm tempted to eat some good carbs the day or two before the race given how great you felt working out after you had some carbs. What do you think, to be safe would you go back to carbs for the race or try and stick with ketosis? Are you going to play it safe and eat some carbs before Ironman Canada? P.S. love your podcast and have followed your Triathlon Dominator program to race IM Mont Tremblant last year.

    1. Practice it in your training before your do it before a race, my friend. ;)

      I have not personally yet decided on how many carbs I'll eat those last couple days before Canada…still experimenting.

  6. geek_fit says:

    Thanks for answering my question about "carb binging." As you know, I'm not doing the Ketosis thing but I try to eat under 110 grams of carbs per day.

    I had the exact same reaction as you. When I broke down (I mowed through an entire pineapple, 2 mangos, and 4 fish tacos) I crushed my workouts the next 2-3 days.

    Guess what I'll be eating the 2 days prior to Ironman Canada…

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