down precious protein, you’ll burn off the fat on your body for energy as needed.
This can have a big effect on overall bodyfat, and research has now begun to document this
effect. In one study of ideal-weight human subjects, it was found that high fat diets were
accompanied by a very strong lipolytic (fat-burning) effect^3.
In another study focusing on obese subjects, it was found that, when offered high carb/relatively
low fat diets or low carb/relatively high fat diets, the subjects on the lower carb lost significantly
more fat^4. Though prevailing wisdom would predict that the high fat diet would simply make
people fatter, THEY ACTUALLY LOST MORE WEIGHT ON THE HIGH FAT DIET.
It may sound crazy, but that’s the way the body works. Once you’ve adapted to a high fat
diet, fat doesn’t beget fat. Despite what you’ve been told, A HIGH FAT DIET DOESN’T
PUT FAT ON. IT TAKES FAT OFF.
Studies with other animals have produced additional eye-popping results. One study of
hamsters found that a high-fat diet added weight while decreasing lipogenesis (fat build up).
The hamsters gained large amounts of weight, but this weight was more from an increase in
lean body mass than fat^5.
In another study it was found that hamsters fed a high fat diet had lower lipogenic (fat
producing) enzyme activity and less body fat content than low-fat-fed hamsters under both
sedentary and exercise conditions^6.
PROTECTING PROTEIN
One important by-product of the “metabolic shift” that takes place when you move from a
high carb diet to the Anabolic Diet is that fat becomes a protector for protein in the body. When
you’re utilizing carbs as your main source of energy, the body will take muscle protein, break it
down and form glucose from it to burn for energy, once immediate energy stores are exhausted.
This is where catabolic activity (muscle breakdown) takes place. You’ll be sitting there, happily
working, and you’re actually making your muscle shrink away as you do it. You’re basically
burning muscle to fuel your workout.
You won’t get nearly this amount of muscle breakdown on the Anabolic Diet. Some muscle
will be burned, but available fat will serve as an alternative to muscle as an energy source to a
large degree.
Anytime you’re exercising and the body needs energy, it will break down what it needs, including
muscle, to supply that energy. One of the ways bodybuilders fight this is to sip glucose drinks
during a workout. The body won’t need to break down muscle as much for energy because it has
an outside source of energy constantly coming in. Fat works in the same way when you’re on the
Anabolic Diet. It protects the muscle by serving as an alternative, more available source of energy.
It must be remembered that, along with anabolism (the buildup of muscle tissue) the
bodybuilder is also very concerned with catabolism (the breakdown of this tissue). Research
shows that the Anabolic Diet could well also be called the “Anti-Catabolic Diet.” Along with
enabling the body’s hormonal system to better burn fat and produce lean body mass, it also
14 CHAPTER 1