The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance

Perfect companion to The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living: An Expert Guide to Making the Life-saving Benefits of Carbohydrate Restriction Sustainable and Enjoyable! I can only repeat what I've said about the book listed above. Having been interested in the topic of "how does food intake relate to physical health and optimum body chemistry" for more than a quarter of a century now (Yes! 28 years+ to date, to be precise!) both my husband Gordon Kay and I would without hesitation recommend this book (and its twin!) since following the preachings and lessons therein has led to a total change of our eating habits with amazing results to both of us. We thought we were already in "pretty good nick" (something which was confirmed by a full medical with full blood works during the summer of 2013) but we decided to switch to the "ketogenic Diet" for at least 6 months to see what it would do to our bodies and our wellbeing in general. All we can say from a personal point of view - and I do speak for my husband too - is that we have never felt healthier! Considering that we were already on top of the world before, I suppose that's put us now out there, in the stratosphere-of-good-health! Although perhaps a trifle "scientific" for the ordinary lay-person, the book perfectly complements its companion, and for anybody who is interested in a more technical explanation behind it all, the book will be a didactic eye-opener. With all the material that is nowadays availabe to help us on the way to optimum health, the teachings in these books have most certainly had a tremendous impact on our wellbeing and anyone seriously considering a change of lifestyle toward improved wellbeing can only benefit from them. Smiles, Emm :) :) Illustrator of Provost: The Unfinished Manuscript

First up - this book helped me lose 6kg and halve my total body fat (27% - 14%). Keto-adaptation, carbohydrate restriction and nutritional ketosis all seem to work. This short book gave me the comfort that what at first appeared to be an extreme diet is in fact based on sound principles. Without the information in the book, I doubt I would have been as targeted in my approach (or successful in result). Secondly, I strongly believe that there is benefit to athletes. I am a Type 1 diabetic (and avid cyclist) and therefore very sensitive to the role carbohydrates play in sporting endurance. I know all about "bonking" (as both cyclists and T1 diabetics do!). On a carb restricted diet, I feel better, and can maintain exertion for longer. I believe strongly that this is due to a decreased reliance on carbohydrates for energy stores. This book has opened a new world of training and endurance for me. I strongly recommend it!

I've been eating a ketogenic diet/LCHF (≤ 5 E% carbs, 15-20 E% protein and 75-80 E% fat) for appr. 15 months now and haven't been in a better physical shape in my entire adult life. I'm 45 yo. From the beginning (jan 2012) it was an experiment and I didn't know much about low carb until a friend of mine told me ha was on a LCHF diet/lifestyle and felt so good. The first few days on LCHF my body just calmed down and my cravings for snacks disappeared, after five days my IBS-problems (since appr. 15 years) disappeared and after five months I had lost 10 kg (22 lbs) from my original 68 kg (150 lbs) to 58 kg (128 lbs), without hunger. After six months I coldn't sit still anylonger and took up running for the first time in 13 years. Slowly but surely I got back my fitness and strength and now I run 12-15 km comfortably. At that time I didn't know much about a ketogenic diet but felt great even during longer runnig sessions. I've read a lot of books (by Gary Taubes and others) and blogs on the internet (mostly Peter Attias [... and primalnorth.blogspot.ca) and have been building on my "knowledge database". A month ago I started training CrossFit and was a little worried that my very low carb diet wouldn't be enough (too little carbs) to let my muscles and body recover, but boy was I wrong. I'm doing three to four WODs a week and I feel great. I bought and read "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance" to understand how the body works in a ketogenic state and when doing hard workouts. The book is an easy read but will challange your beliefs if you've been living with the dogma that a lot of carbs are necessary to keep your body going for a long time or to do hard workouts. Volek and Phinney explains why and how low carb performance works, and if you have an open mind and try it out yourself you will never go back to carb loading and filling your body with junk. Read and learn, and have the body and fittness of a healthy 20 yo. It's absolutely possible!

There are quite a few good books on low carb diets and their benefits for the general population, reducing metabolic syndrome etc. I'd been given the Taubes book (also highly recommended) by a friend, but wondered if this would be useful to me, as a keen long-distance/marathon runner. I am lucky enough not to hit the wall as long as I stay well-fuelled, and don't tend to suffer from the digestive side-effects of the gels etc. But I'm interested in lowering body fat, and decreasing the inflammatory response to exercise too..... So, this book is very well written. I'm a doctor, with a personal interest in nutrition, and the science is both well explained for non-medics and well-referenced etc for those with a scientifically critical approach. The science does make sense as a stand alone, but if you want lots of detail then go back to the Taubes or the first Art&Science book in support. If you think that low carb for endurance is rubbish, then read this to challenge your thinking and if you are interested in any aspect of endurance training, then have a read and think about it...... go on...............

While there are authorative works on low carb approach in general (see Gary Taubes and Loren Cordain in particular), this book fills an important gap for athletes. It is written in an engaging style, with enough science to be convincing but without being too long. It explains why a low-carb approach makes perfect sense even for those undertaking endurance effort, particularly why carbs are not necessary during or after exercise in those adapted to this type of diet. Much advice for athletes in the past advocated switching to carbohydrates in training while reducing their intake in other times. Authors provide practical advice, including specific recipes, on how to personalise a low card diet and ensure adequate intake of micronutrients. A very good read and an invaluable short practical reference.

This is a very interesting read that will challenge the beliefs that many of us have about diet and fuelling during athletic activity. It is well written and quite an easy read even though there is a reasonable amount of basic science within the book. It has certainly got me thinking about my own diet and fuelling and I will definitely read more into the topic to gain a full understanding of the benefits and potential pitfalls of a low carbohydrate diet.

I purchased this book in order to get some scientific knowledge and understanding of the ketogenic diet for athletic performance. The authors provide a lot of detail in how the ketogenic diet works for performance and the benefits associated with this way of eating. There are are some excellent pointers which is great for a beginner to understanding how the body uses fuel provided for energy. I feel a lot more confident having read this detailed book and it has helped me to take on this way of living. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to improve their athletic performance by turning to the ketogenic way of eating. It also provide some recipes at the end of the book which is really helpful in providing ideas on what to eat.

Lots of science here, which I like, but not to everybody's taste. Howerver, the implications for the nation's eating habits are massive. The conclusions are inescapable, and I can vouch for them personally. Reduce your carbohydrate intake, increase good fat and you lose weight - yes, you really do! - and your performance levels go up. It's counter-intuitive and extraordinary. The research is of a very high quality and well described, but is sufficiently measured and hypeless to generate real gravitas. If you need scientific proof that a low carbohydrate lifestyle is the way to go, this is for you. It has improved my performance on the bike markedly.

porém um pouco complicado para quem não é da área da saúde, pois é bastante técnico claro que este tipo de livro é tão essencial quanto para os leigos como eu excelente para nutricionistas, educadores físicos e médicos lerem

This is a really helpful book for anyone who wants to truly understand the science behind a ketogenic diet. Dr.s Volek and Phinney are very clear and explain in detail a lot of the nitty-gritty biology that many of the other books skim over. This book has really helped me feel like I can make an informed decision about my diet, rather than blindly following whatever the author says just because they say it will help me lose weight. I am not a high performance athlete, by any means, and though this book is geared toward athletes, it has a lot of valuable information that can be applied even if your idea of a "marathon" is a 20 minute jog - or just getting up in the morning! I found out as I read this book, that the same authors have another offering: "The art and science of low carbohydrate living" which might have been a better starting point. I plan to read that one next. The book does occasionally feel like it presumes a background in biology or human anatomy, which had me running to google a few times, but personally, I would much prefer a challenging read than some fluff that doesn't contain a lot of information. While the scientific detail might be a bit boring for those with less of a thirst for knowledge (AKA, non-nerds) I personally really appreciated the attention to detail and willingness to delve into the nitty gritty. I will also say, on behalf of the diet, that it has had an incredible impact on my life. I have suffered with chronic fatigue and pain since I was a teenager, I was exhausted and achy all the time and was barely able to keep up with basic day-to-day activities. After so long being sick, I had given up hope of improving, and had merely learned to accept that I'd never be able to function as well as a "normal" person. About two months ago I decided to try a low-carb diet. I didn't expect any medical miracles, I just wanted to get in shape for bikini season. The first two weeks were horrible. I could barely move and just floundered around the house all day. After that though, I suddenly had more energy than I have in years. I am able to function while only sleeping 7-8 hours a night (before I needed 10 or so!), I actually enjoy exercising because it doesn't feel like my heart is going to explode, and I can actually do things without crashing for hours after. I finally have my life back and it's completely amazing. I can't say that everyone will have the same experience, of course, maybe some of you will just lose a few pounds, or for others, it won't help at all, but it's absolutely worth a shot!

Excellent book on LCHF. I bought both this and their other book "The Art and Science of Low Carb". This book is shorter, covers everything and has what you need to get started. I also really liked how it addressed physical activity and athletic training whilst on LCHF. I would also recommend their other book although it can be pretty heavy on the science at times. I am a few weeks into LCHF so yes a while to go but already I feel really good. The best part has been that I am no longer a slave to hunger and sugar/carb cravings. Do you know how great it is to NOT have invasive food thoughts all the time. So liberating. This book has given me freedom and I look forward to how it goes over the next few weeks/months/years.

Stephen Phinney und Jeff Volek, als international renommierte und engagierte Vorkämpfer und Experten auf diesem Gebiet, geben hier - als Erweiterung ihres Grundlagenleitfadens - einen wunderbaren Leitfaden für Sportler an die Hand, um mit Low-Carb-Ernährung gesund, leistungsfähig und verständlich zu leben. Alle (potentiellen) Fragen von Hobby-Sportlern wie auch Profi-Athleten werden beantwortet, die Kapitel sind kurz und klar gehalten, immer mit einer sehr hilfreichen Zusammenfassung. Definitiv eine wärmstens zu empfehlende Pflichlektüre für alle Sportler und Low-Carb-Interessierten, Anfänger wie Fortgeschrittene.

Super recomendado, llego muy bien