DreamStalker wrote:I had an interesting experience today. I did an HIIT workout at the gym on a stationary bike ... it's been over 2 months since I last did an HIIT workout. Well first I did a warm up with a quick 15 minute circuit training on the weight machines with four upper body push and pull exercises along with some leg presses (heart rate got up to aerobic threshold in low 130's and stayed there). Then I took a few minutes to rest and allow HR back to low 100's before getting on the stationary bike for a 15 minute high intensity interval training session (3 x 30 second intervals with 4.5 minute slow aerobic recoveries). For the slow aerobic recovery portions I would try and keep HR in the 120's and for the lactic anaerobic high intensity portions I gave it all I had for 30 second intervals.
The interesting thing is that I was maxing my HR into the upper 180's to lower 190's for the high intensity intervals. Considering my age, my max HR is supposed to be at 169 ... so my heart now seems to be conditioned to what my max HR should have been about 20 years ago.
I did have a nuclear stress test done about a year and a half ago, a couple of months before my heart ablation procedure, and they managed to get my HR to 186 on the treadmill ... but I was panting and gasping for air like I was going to die and it took like 10 minutes for them to gradually get me to that point. They did say at the time that my heart was as strong as a horse.
Anyway, today's workout got my HR above the stress test 3 times in less than 30 seconds with half the panting and gasping for air. My only explanation is that I have achieved a fairly decent ketogenic adaptation. I checked 15 minutes before the workout and had ketones of 1.2 mmol/L and glucose of 86 mg/dL as I was well into 24 to 25 hour fast. When I got back home about 20 minutes after workout, I rechecked and ketones were 0.5 mmol/L and glucose was 94 mg/dL ... so my workout was mostly sourced on fat and ketone energy and I'm developing very good heart rate variability (a sign of good heart health). As I recall, Dr. Veech had stated that a heart well adapted to ketosis is like 28% more efficient than a heart adapted to glucose. My workout experience today seems to bear that out.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that since going deeper into ketosis using intermittent fasting and a couple of week-long fasts during the last couple of months has made my workout routines somewhat easier on the heart. So if you're still trying the ketotic diet, keep at it and I think you will see some improved physical performance.
Thanks for sharing - I am a big fan of HIIT. It's good to know that the diet is helping with physical performance; I am experiencing this too - I think it goes beyond the weight loss (I'm now down to 210 from 220 about four weeks ago). Mental clarity also seems to be improving, probably a combination of CPAP and diet. The area where I notice this most is
driving - I didn't realize it but I was starting to drive like a 90yr-old.
I've done some fairly serious endurance sports as a youth (multi-day bicycle stage races, xc-ski loppets at 50km+) and while I loved those activities, I now find the time commitment and monotony of prolonged endurance training to be intolerable. I resolved quite a while ago that any exercise I do is going to have to be some combination of 1) fun; 2) intense/short duration; 3) useful/save money (like biking to work). These days I do a daily 15 min circuit workout with 15lb dumbbells (cycling through muscle groups with 15 reps each, no rests) and do Parkour with my 9yr old son (my version is basically to run around the gym like crazy while vaulting over obstacles and climbing - I'm not as stylish as the teenagers but it's an absolute blast and a great workout). I also go out for walks with my sons and we call surprise sprints for landmarks around the neighbourhood - way more fun than 'jogging'.
Just finished Fung's book, and was quite impressed. Have been ramping up with skipping some unnecessary meals, and will definitely give some fasting a shot. I also noticed that Fung's philosophy is more flexible regarding food types - the real focus is on total elimination of
refined carbs, with de-emphasis/moderation on other carb sources. This may make it easier with my wife, who has made it clear she's not prepared to stop eating bread, pasta, or whole grains. She is also extremely skeptical/concerned about the replacement of carb calories with fat calories - I've been eating Mediterranean yoghurt (in moderation) and putting cream in my coffee and I don't think she can shake the notion that this is lunacy.
Still monitoring my blood ketones - have been steadily above 1 and as high as 1.7 mmol/L.
