Hi all,
Does anyone know what specifically is happening physiologically during the fat adaptation process? Why does it take 6-8 weeks, 6 months or a year to become fully adapted?
I’m trying to dig down and understand what exactly is happening and why it takes so long.
Thanks
I don’t have the specifics and forgive me if this is too simplistic - I’m a simple guy! The jist of it is that fat adaption is a multifaceted process that includes increasing your cell’s efficiency being able to burn ketones for fuel, increasing your ability to ingest and make use of higher quantities of fat, and increasing your body’s efficiency when it comes to releasing fats to be converted to ketones for fuel. It takes time as it’s a biological adaptation and everyone adapts at a different rate. The RNA needs to be turned up in your cells to switch more of their structure to use ketones as fuel and it’s not a simple on/off switch, rather it’s a gradual process. Kinda like building specific muscles by working out just those muscles. The fat release from body stores (from other’s posts here) is limited to about 31Kcal per pound of fat per day under ideal circumstances, but ideal circumstances are hard to realistically achieve, so for many people, this number is hard to reach. Insulin is thought to be the inhibitor to this, and insulin resistance keeps insulin levels high, so lowering insulin will enable more fat to be released once (if?) the fat cells become more insulin sensitive again. Lowering insulin (and IR) takes time to do…
I also believe, although this is my own theory, that our microbiomes also need to adapt. I imagine that the flora needs to adapt to higher fat levels and lower carb levels. That takes time as well.
Yes true! For some people, if they eat significant carbs after being well fat adapted, it can make the microbiome angry which leads to significant gastrointestinal distress.
the biggest limiting factor is the upregulation and production of the transport structures and enzymes that physically allow the fatty acids to cross the cell membranes and the enter the mitochondrial structures, and the coordination of the co factors that need be in the environment to make it happen.
you can cut out carbs, lower insulin and create a greater egress of fat for energy but the “machinery” to efficiently oxidize it everywhere but the liver takes some time to sort out
