The Fasted Fat Fuelled Freedom Run is a project undertaken by a group of runners to show the human body is adequately fuelled by fat and does not require carbohydrates as a fuel source. In order to prove this, a handful of runners undertake to complete a 160 km run over the course of five days in a fasted state. The group that consists of 8 – 10 runners, aim to cover 160 km over five days, between Vredenburg and Cape Town, consuming zero calories.
The Fasted Fat Fuelled Freedom Run (FFFFR) is planned by Shaun Waso and Sam Bell, both Low Carb mentors, aiming to explore the safety and effectiveness of fueling from stored body fat during a five day fasting and endurance exercise. Sam Bell, friend and a Nutrition Network trained advisor, originally struggled with her health and fitness. Today, Sam has been on an LCHF diet for 6 years and feels that she has her health and wellness back. Sam decided to complete the advisor training through our Nutrition Network platform shortly after seeing the benefits she achieved through the diet.
The project is set to run from 23 April 2021 to 27 April 2021. The runners’ fast will commence with their last meal at 3pm, the day before they start the kick-off of the event. They will then only consume water, black tea and/or black coffee with some mineral supplementation (sodium, magnesium) for the duration of the 5-day event, not taking any calories on board and running in a completely fasted state, only burning fat as a fuel.
This project was built on existing research, which shows a low carbohydrate lifestyle results in a metabolic shift from carbohydrate to fat metabolism, when the body’s main fuel source is fat and ketones rather than glucose. This has been shown to stabilise blood glucose levels and reduce the need for insulin treatment in diabetes. Nutritional ketosis is a physiological response to a high fat, moderate protein, low carbohydrate diet. It is not to be confused with diabetic ketoacidosis, which is the result of poorly controlled diabetes.
This endurance event was chosen to demonstrate how fat metabolism can be used as an alternative to traditional carbohydrate-based fueling in a group of volunteers. A detailed series of metabolic tests and health checks along the way will make this a serious scientific endeavour. The data-gathering exercise will explore the science and will produce informative data for the public via written results and articles for academia and mainstream media, YouTube videos, a possible film, and a website. Follow this link to view the full list of measurements being conducted during the event.
The main objectives of this project is to show that participants have stable glucose levels throughout the 5 days, nutritional ketosis does not lead to ketoacidosis, fat stores provide enough energy in ketogenic-adapted individuals to complete the event without hitting the wall and to show that participants experienced improved mood, mental clarity and focus.
Through their research and experiences in training, and as they hope to prove in this event, the team expect this project will help remove current obstacles that appear to be getting in the way of providing an option that will reduce the disease burden of diabetes (both T1D and T2D) and metabolic ill health. Some of the safety concerns holding back delivery of low carbohydrate lifestyles and fasting in healthcare settings should be answered. Clinicians and people with diabetes on this project feel ketogenic diets should be a management option that can be delivered with skill: should a diabetic patient (T1D or T2D) decide to take up this option.
Visit the Fasted Fat Fuelled Freedom Run website to learn more about this exciting event.
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The professional training offered by our Nutrition Network platform aims at equipping medical and allied healthcare professionals with the knowledge to practically implement an LCHF lifestyle into their practices. The platform has been designed exclusively for healthcare practitioners across all disciplines, covering the latest and most up-to-date science and research in the field of Low Carb Nutrition. We have recently launched our Neurology course, presented by experts in their field, to educate healthcare practitioners on the application of LCHF/ketogenic nutrition in order to manage neurological associated conditions. Apply to enroll in one of our online professional trainings today.
