Endless Energy and OMAD
Do you remember in my first video when I told you that General McChrystal ran 7 miles every day? I said that one day I hoped to be able to do the same! Don’t you wonder how he did it? Would you believe me if I told you that it was all in the One-Meal-A-Day approach?
Where did General McChrystal get the energy to run every morning at 5:00 a.m. on an empty stomach? He is not alone. Kohei Uchimura, a Japanese Olympic gymnast has won 7 Olympic medals. He also eats One-Meal-A-Day. I recently recorded a video showing my 1200 pushup routine. And the three of us do our workouts while fasting. What is it about One-Meal-A-Day that provides such endurance and performance?
The Metabolic Switch for Endless Energy
The simplest way of putting it is that OMAD transforms your metabolism from carbohydrate-based to lipid-based. This SWITCH is very powerful indeed.
In the last couple of years, I have discovered scientific papers that explain the changes I have experienced over the last 10 years.
Take a look at this classic scientific review paper:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5783752/pdf/nihms912771.pdf
I should know because I was never inclined to workout. Shortly before I started OMAD, all I could do is to go for 45-minute walks. Now I workouts last for 80-90 minutes and I do practice tennis on top.
The Switch occurs when we control our insulin production. Insulin could be called the energy storage hormone, and it is triggered after every meal, even snacks. It helps to move glucose into cells and the excess is transformed into fatty acids to be stored as fat.
Insulin Keeps us Hungry and Sluggish
This is a survival adaptation from our evolution. Insulin keeps us hungry during periods of plenty, so we store energy for periods of scarcity. In today’s society, food is abundant and we eat without hesitation. We never consider controlling insulin, and that is why we are hungry all the time.
This review paper focuses on the metabolic switch from utilizing glucose and glycogen stores, to mobilizing fat.
With OMAD, we adapt to a single spike of insulin in the day. First, we use up our glucose stored in the liver and muscle in the form of glycogen. Then our bodies begin to use our own stored fat for energy.
Our body fats are a practically inexhaustible source of energy. Once we have made the switch, begin to use energy from fat more readily. Best of all, the energy thus produced is more easily and more efficiently used by the body. Here lies the secret to the fitness and endurance that results from OMAD.
According to these scientists, Intermittent Fasting, optimize physiological function, enhance performance and slows aging and disease processes. That has certainly been my personal experience with OMAD.
More Energy for Working Out
Once in OMAD, your body seems to take notice of this and to demand more activity. This is not to say that anyone could run 7 miles a day or do 1200 pushups a day, let alone win 7 Olympic medals. You will need to find what form of exercise you enjoy the most. It may be hiking, or dancing, or weight lifting or practice tennis. What is important is that you enjoy your new-found endurance and strength.
This is Juan Sarmiento, and remember this: Life is looking up!
