Thanks largely to commercials with neon sweat dripping on athletes, most of us know that drinks containing glucose and glucose polymers are useful to enhance performance during intense and/or prolonged exercise. But what if straight up fat loss is the goal? Based on new research from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana, avoiding carbs during exercise is paramount. In a recent study in seven men, researchers found that when carbohydrates were ingested during a two-hour bout of exercise, key genes involved in fat transport and oxidation (CD36, CPT-1, UCP3 and AMPK-alpha2, to be exact) were significantly decreased.

Recommendation:   Based on my read of the literature, maximizing fat loss from training requires multiple, daily bouts of cardiovascular exercise in the fasted condition. Save the trendy carb drinks for at least 30 minutes into the recovery period.

Insider Supplement

Beta-Alanine May Jack Up Exercise Intensity

Beta-alanine (BA) is beginning to look like a worthy heir to creatine, and if recent studies are any proof, it could end up as popular as that superstar supplement. BA is a naturally occurring dipeptide that helps form carnosine within muscle cells. Carnosine, in turn, is a potent intracellular buffer that helps resist changes in pH during intense exercise. What does this mean for you? Elevating muscle carnosine stores may allow exercisers to train harder and longer with less fatigue.

Scientists from the University of Westminster in London recently published a review of carnosine and its role in muscle. Many exercise physiologists (as well as supplement companies) have high hopes for BA, and several ongoing clinical trials should help us understand its enormous potential.