Uploaded October 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
The Iron Culture universe is expanding! In this crossover episode the host of Sigma Nutrition Radio, Danny Lennon, joins Eric Helms to co-host! Dr. Cliff Harvey, who did his PhD on ketogenic diets at AUT, joins Danny and Eric to discuss the often conflicting research and anecdotes on the effect of carbohydrates on lifting performance, adaptations and body composition change. Eric, Danny and Cliff are all on the Sports Nutrition Association (SNA) advisory board - an organisation dedicated to supporting the profession of sports nutrition. The board is packed with nutrition experts with a ton of experience. This is the first of many crossover episodes to come where Iron Culture, Sigma Nutrition Radio, and the SNA combine forces to bring you the best practical, science-based nutrition content possible!
00:00 Danny? Entering the multiverse (Sigma Iron Culture Nutrition Radio Ultra Podcast Show)
02:00 An update on carbohydrates for resistance training performance
05:34 The spectrum of carbohydrate intake related to work demands and Cliff’s approach
15:13 The complexities of substrate utilisation and glycogen replenishment
Hokken 2021 Subcellular localization- and fibre type-dependent utilization of muscle glycogen during heavy resistance exercise in elite power and Olympic weightlifters pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32961628
King 2022 The Ergogenic Effects of Acute Carbohydrate Feeding on Resistance Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35809162
Naharudin 2019 Breakfast Omission Reduces Subsequent Resistance Exercise Performance pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30707135
Naharudin 2020 Viscous placebo and carbohydrate breakfasts similarly decrease appetite and increase resistance exercise performance compared with a control breakfast in trained males pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32174286
28:10 Intrasession carbohydrate intake and mouth rinsing
King 2024 Isoenergetic pre-exercise meals varying in carbohydrate similarly affect resistance training volume performance compared to placebo sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/443/version/566
41:03 The placebo/nocebo effect related to food intake around training
53:30 Reconsidering nutrient timing and individualising coaching approaches
1:06:54 Goals, optimising approaches, and methodological considerations in the research
Vargas-Molina 2020 Effects of a ketogenic diet on body composition and strength in trained women pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32276630
Paoli 2021 Effects of Two Months of Very Low Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet on Body Composition, Muscle Strength, Muscle Area, and Blood Parameters in Competitive Natural Body Builders pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33530512
1:17:11 Individual approaches to ketogenic diets and does macronutrient distribution really matter?
Harvey 2019 Low-carbohydrate diets differing in carbohydrate restriction improve cardiometabolic and anthropometric markers in healthy adults: A randomised clinical trial pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30740270
1:25:48 Considerations for a low carbohydrate/ketogenic approach and ketosis misunderstandings
1:30:02 The take home and closing out
The Iron Culture universe is expanding! In this crossover episode the host of Sigma Nutrition Radio, Danny Lennon, joins Eric Helms to co-host! Dr. Cliff Harvey, who did his PhD on ketogenic diets at AUT, joins Danny and Eric to discuss the often conflicting research and anecdotes on the effect of carbohydrates on lifting performance, adaptations and body composition change. Eric, Danny and Cliff are all on the Sports Nutrition Association (SNA) advisory board - an organisation dedicated to supporting the profession of sports nutrition. The board is packed with nutrition experts with a ton of experience. This is the first of many crossover episodes to come where Iron Culture, Sigma Nutrition Radio, and the SNA combine forces to bring you the best practical, science-based nutrition content possible!
00:00 Danny? Entering the multiverse (Sigma Iron Culture Nutrition Radio Ultra Podcast Show)
02:00 An update on carbohydrates for resistance training performance
05:34 The spectrum of carbohydrate intake related to work demands and Cliff’s approach
15:13 The complexities of substrate utilisation and glycogen replenishment
Hokken 2021 Subcellular localization- and fibre type-dependent utilization of muscle glycogen during heavy resistance exercise in elite power and Olympic weightlifters pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32961628
King 2022 The Ergogenic Effects of Acute Carbohydrate Feeding on Resistance Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35809162
Naharudin 2019 Breakfast Omission Reduces Subsequent Resistance Exercise Performance pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30707135
Naharudin 2020 Viscous placebo and carbohydrate breakfasts similarly decrease appetite and increase resistance exercise performance compared with a control breakfast in trained males pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32174286
28:10 Intrasession carbohydrate intake and mouth rinsing
King 2024 Isoenergetic pre-exercise meals varying in carbohydrate similarly affect resistance training volume performance compared to placebo sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/443/version/566
41:03 The placebo/nocebo effect related to food intake around training
53:30 Reconsidering nutrient timing and individualising coaching approaches
1:06:54 Goals, optimising approaches, and methodological considerations in the research
Vargas-Molina 2020 Effects of a ketogenic diet on body composition and strength in trained women pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32276630
Paoli 2021 Effects of Two Months of Very Low Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet on Body Composition, Muscle Strength, Muscle Area, and Blood Parameters in Competitive Natural Body Builders pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33530512
1:17:11 Individual approaches to ketogenic diets and does macronutrient distribution really matter?
Harvey 2019 Low-carbohydrate diets differing in carbohydrate restriction improve cardiometabolic and anthropometric markers in healthy adults: A randomised clinical trial pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30740270
1:25:48 Considerations for a low carbohydrate/ketogenic approach and ketosis misunderstandings
1:30:02 The take home and closing out
