Fat adaptation in well-trained athletes: effects on cell metabolism

High-fat, low-carbohydrate diets may enhance fat oxidation during endurance exercise while reducing glycogen use.

• Prolonged endurance exercise performance can be limited by the body's carbohydrate stores.
• Short-term diet-training interventions can increase the availability of fat and alter how the body uses fuel during exercise.
• Fat adaptation involves endurance athletes following a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet for up to 2 weeks, followed by a carbohydrate-rich diet before competition.
• This dietary strategy has been shown to increase fat oxidation rates and decrease muscle glycogen usage during submaximal exercise.
• The effects of fat adaptation on metabolism may persist even when carbohydrate stores are replenished and external carbohydrate intake is increased.

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