In Dr Ray Peat's bioenergetic view of biological systems, f…
In Dr Ray Peat's bioenergetic view of biological systems, fast-flowing energy through the system (i.e. a fast metabolism) supports the high-energy demanding systems of repair and regeneration. So in his world view, fasting (limiting caloric intake) and breathless exercise lead to adaptive mechanisms, such as raising cortisol and adrenaline to compensate for low blood sugars, glycolytic energy production to keep up with energy demands, and hypothyroidism, which slows metabolic rate overall. Long-distance runners, for example, have slow heart rates but this represents a state of hypothyroidism, which means a slower metabolic rate. It is more desirable to have a high metabolic rate and no need for compensations and/or adaptations. The high rate of energy flow in a fast metabolism builds and repairs the structures of the body faster and with more complexity and without need for hormonal adaptations. Young, healthy people have fast metabolisms and a faster pulse. Slow metabolisms have to resort to more primitive methods of energy production, such as glycolysis and stress hormone use for homeostatic regulation. A high metabolism equates to high cellular complexity and function and higher function generally equates to health.
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hmm... so are you saying that fasting has costs? my understanding was that it was beneficial for health because of autophagy: damaged cell recycling
also... i thought that low heart rate was an indicator of high cardiovascular fitness? basically a heart strong enough to pump the necessary blood with a more powerful but less frequent stroke
Ray Peat was a contrarian thinker and biologist. He overturns many of the things we think we know. He is pro sugar, anti-breathless cardio exercise (pro concentric lifting), anti-PUFA (even Omega 3) and considers distance running and fasting to be anti-metabolic. It's all quite difficult to understand / accept until you have the full picture. It's worthy of a deep dive, even if you come away from it with your opinion unchanged.
wow! pro sugar! im intrigued already... i might have to buy into him just to justify my biggest vice :)
Hehe, it's worked for me! LOL
Sadly he died a few weeks ago at Thanksgiving. I cried, a lot that day. His work has had more positive impact on my life than anything else I've ever read. I used to low carb, fast and didn't know how to manage my stress hormones and ended up being allergic to pretty much everything, covered in hives and having daily seizures. I have a bunch of auto-immune diseases since childhood, but still, all the usual advice made me extremely unwell. I can now eat pretty much anything, no hives, no menstrual problems, no seizures and have much more energy. Sometimes less (food, heart rate) is just less, and stressing yourself on purpose may work if you're young and fit, but there comes a time when it causes many more adaptation side effects than it solves. He was an extremely wise and kind man who answered people's medical (and philosophical) questions by email for free his whole adult life. We won't see his like again.