With so many diet fads hitting the market, it can be confusing to decide which will work the best. Luckily, the fitness community has many members who are well-versed in maximizing the body’s potential. This includes Dr. Layne Norton, who shares some of his opinions on the carnivore diet and the ketogenic diet in a recent YouTube video.
In the world of dieting, everyone thinks they have the ticket to looking the best. The problem with that is oftentimes these diets need extensive research and testing and even after all that, understanding the results can get tricky.
Even professional bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger have shared their experiences with extreme dieting. Schwarzenegger is a firm believer that you don’t need to count macros and micros or punish yourself when trying to lose weight or just stay in shape.
Nutrition coach Stan Efferding, on the other hand, has done extensive research on the effects of intermittent fasting and found that there wasn’t significant evidence to suggest it led to weight loss or health benefits. Coining the term ‘simple, sensible, and sustainable,’ Efferding likes to give as many options as possible based on an individual’s needs.
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Dr. Layne Norton Discusses Science Behind The Carnivore Diet And The Ketogenic Diet
Dr. Layne Norton touched on the carnivore diet and discussed the way in which lipids are processed in the body.
“Paul Salidino who is a big proponent of the carnivore diet and a big seed oil destroyer and seed oil disrespect and I cited these studies and he said ‘Well look at this study though,’ which was a human randomized control trial where they showed polyunsaturated fats versus saturated increased lipid oxidation or peroxidation, that’s a negative thing but that’s what we call a mechanism” Norton says.
“When we look at human outcomes, cardiovascular disease risks, cancer, insulin sensitivity, body fat gain, these are like hard endpoints. A mechanism is basically you are saying it activated this pathway, it did this thing which may be negative but that doesn’t necessarily mean there will be an outcome from it.”
Another very popular diet is the ketogenic diet. While it does burn considerable fat, Dr. Layne Norton explains that it doesn’t always equate to the best results. This is because while you burn fat you are also storing fat simultaneously.
“People say well on the Keto diet ‘you burn way more fat’ which is true you burn way more fat but fat burning or fat oxidation and the loss of body fat are not the same thing.
So with gaining muscle, it is the balance of protein synthesis and protein degradation. You have to synthesize more tissue than you are breaking down but both are always happening at the same time.”
He also discussed storing fat in a calorie deficit versus surplus:
“Loss of body fat is the balance between the amount of fat you store versus the amount of fat you burn. Both things are always happening simultaneously so even in the calorie deficit you are still storing fat you are just burning more fat. In a calorie surplus you are still burning fat you are just storing more fat.”
Layne Norton isn’t the only one calling out diet superstitions. Just recently, bodybuilding veteran Tom Platz spoke out on the differences between using real butter and margarine, which stays in the body for over 50 years. In addition, he brought attention to the notion that removing excess sugar helped reduce signs of aging.
As a nutrition coach and former IFBB Pro bodybuilder, Stan Efferding has emphasized the fact that diets are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, the main focus should be doing what feels best to increase the chances of success.
Given his background in science-based training and nutrition, it’s always an insightful exchange of ideas when Dr. Layne Norton takes to a podcast.
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