Dietary Correlates of the Maximal Capacity for Fat Oxidation During Exercise in Males and Females.

The capacity to oxidize (burn) fat as fuel for exercise may have important implications for health and performance. For example, increased fat oxidation could help to induce a negative fat balance and over time improve body composition. Furthermore, increasing the oxidation of fat could spare carbohydrate utilization during exercise which should improve endurance performance by preserving the bodies limited carbohydrate reserves for the latter stages of competition. Interestingly, there is substantial individual variation in the balance of fuels used for energy during exercise and in particular the maximal capacity to oxidize fat (MFO). Whilst habitual diet is known to affect the metabolic response to exercise, the influence of nutrition on the individual variability observed in maximal fat oxidation has not been comprehensively studied.

Therefore, the proposed investigation aims to build on current understanding of how various nutritional factors influence MFO during exercise. Based on previous small intervention studies, it is suspected that energy balance and macronutrient content or distribution may exert the strongest influence on MFO during exercise. Specifically, the main hypothesis would be that negative energy balance; higher fat intake and/or low carbohydrate intake would be the strongest positive influencer's of MFO. Nonetheless, the determination of an array of habitual and acute nutrient intake data in a relatively large cohort of healthy individuals will enable an insight into the influence of a comprehensive array of nutrients on MFO during exercise. With a greater understanding of the nutritional factors that influence MFO during exercise, new nutritional interventions can be designed to promote the oxidation of fat for improved health and performance.