Jeff Volek: The Many Facets of Keto-Adaptation: Health, Performance, and Beyond

Obesity is a condition of excess fat accumulation in adipocytes where the person is literally stuck in storage mode diverting a disproportionate amount of calories into fat cells as opposed to oxidation. Thus it is more productive to think of obesity as a problem in 'energy flow' rather than energy expenditure (i.e., calories in, calories out). The most efficient approach to accelerate the body's ability to access and burn body fat is to restrict dietary carbohydrate while increasing fat intake for a period of several weeks, after which fatty acids and ketones become the primary fuel at rest and during submaximal exercise. The coordinated set of metabolic adaptations that ensure proper inter-organ fuel supply in the face of low carbohydrate availability is referred to as keto- adaptation. This unique metabolic state has recently been shown to have widespread and profound therapeutic and performance-enhancing effects ranging from reversing type 2 diabetes to shrinking tumors to allowing ultra-endurance runners to set course records. This presentation will discuss the physiologic effects of very low carbohydrate diets with an emphasis on their unique effects on both features of metabolic syndrome and human performance.
Dr. Jeff Volek is a Full Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut where he teaches and leads a research team that explores the physiologic impact of various dietary and exercise regimens and nutritional supplements. Dr. Volek's most significant line of work has been a series of studies aimed at better understanding what constitutes a well formulated low carbohydrate diet and the physiological impact on obesity, body composition, fatty acid composition and lipoprotein metabolism, gut micro-biome, adaptations to training and overall metabolic health. This line of work has shown profound effects of ketogenic diets on overall health and well-being, as well as peak performance. He has published more than 250 peer-reviewed manuscripts, many of which were longitudinal interventions of carbohydrate restricted diets. Specific to low carbohydrate diets, Dr. Volek has authored/co-authored 4 books, 60 peer-reviewed manuscripts and reviews, and delivered over 100 invited presentations on low carbohydrate diets in half a dozen countries at scientific and industry meetings. Through more than a decade of research dedicated to better understanding low carbohydrate diets, Dr. Volek has accumulated an enormous amount of laboratory and clinical data on how carbohydrate restricted diets affects human physiology, and acquired a unique knowledge pertaining to the individualization and formulation of safe, effective and sustainable low carbohydrate diets.

[@ADR-j9m]

How can this be known this long and NOBODY knows!!!??? I found in in June 2019. Since then I have lost 100+ pounds and kept it off for 9 months. This is a way of life...NOT a diet. Thank you to all who have pioneered this!

[@jimbeaver27]

Going Keto was easy, avoiding cheating is the hard part. I think it's harder than quitting smoking, but when I found out I was killing myself and on the path to a heart attack, I decided I could not wait any longer, now I am 68. However, my metabolism is a good one and I was quickly able to turn things around. I was not badly overweight, was 'skinny fat', only had a bit of a tummy otherwise looked not fat. I lost 4 kg in the first two weeks, now at 4 weeks and taking up a notch on all my belts, AND FEELING GREAT, blood pressure down and more. Be strong, live long!

[@TheSuperHarrygeorge]

Some comments here are five years ago and so this lecture is at least that old. Absolutely amazing delivery of information on how low carb or keto diets are so much better for health. Why is it still taking such a long time for our health professionals and dietitians to cotton on. !

[@2bakaphoebe]

This information was so helpful to me. All of my knee and hip joint pain was gone in 30 days. I had Intense Headaches from a brain lesion. I am getting a brain MRi every 3 months to monitor the "tumor". The headaches were gone in 4 months. I am looking forward to my next MRI. I woke up at 3 am every day with intense pain.My liver enzymes also went from 37 down to 19. Very big! Fasting blood sugar went from 120's, down to 77-84. I also lost 25 pounds. Minus 6 inches in my waist line.

[@user-cc4kq6hl4c]

+Lynn Weiler it's been 4 months,. how did your recent MRI go ?

[@user-cc4kq6hl4c]

+Lynn Weiler it's been 4 months,. how did your recent MRI go ?

[@2bakaphoebe]

The lesion is the size of my thumb print and is on the rear of the left frontal lobe up against the skull.

[@2bakaphoebe]

my MRI has shown no growth.

[@systemofafox6487]

Lynn Weiler update?

[@GetMeThere1]

It's difficult to express how profoundly LCHF diet (and also fasting during such a diet) has changed my life. But it's FAR more than that: people have to start ruminating on the fact that primitive humans in the distant past before agriculture (when humans were actually evolving as a species) ate carbohydrates for perhaps only ONE OR TWO MONTHS A YEAR. Ketosis should be considered our natural -- and OBVIOUSLY, given the state of things today -- most healthy state.

[@low_carb_vista6384]

Purchased Jeff's book. 5 1/2 stone down- 77 pounds. No going back now. I'm all in!

[@Draconorst]

Great lecture. I hope the Nutritionists catch up with the Biochemists and start to pass this knowledge onto the Food/Health industry. Been on a low carb, paleo diet for a month and a half now and loving it.

[@VaughnMalecki]

You're joking right? Your head must be in the sand. My friend the medical field is owned by Rothschild and Carnegie and there is no such thing as doing the right thing with them if it doesn't make them millions and healthy people can't make them millions.

[@leahlandi143]

I love listening to your lectures - my family eats low carb / ketogenic and it works!

[@voltaspeeder17]

Thank god for people like this amazing man.

[@wk1810]

I did this in 2012, was in my 4th month (dropped 35 pounds of deep viceral fat, had loads of energy, my hair was growing thicker and longer, skin cleared of acne rosacea, etc)... and developed a painful, burning rash in my armpits and groin that would not go away. Upped my carbs, and the rash totally disappeared. Unfortunately, the carb spike wiped out my ketosis and I started gaining some weight back.

[@tanzat3859]

Ketosis for 6 months, pre and post blood test all good, improved cholesterol/triglycerides etc. Fibromylgia brain fog - what fog, what inflammation, so much better now. Trouble is, my ketones are between 4.20 and 5.20 mmol/l, and I really don't try, its just a way of life now. I don't weigh foods or calorie count, I just eat fish, a little meat, mayo, cheese, good fats, green veg, nuts and berries daily, coffee with cream, eggs etc, a lot of good stuff, all fresh not processed. Lost 34lbs but now hit a wall, and I think my ketones are a bit high for optimal weight loss. Is this due to too much protein versus fat? do not want to bump my carbs up - they taste of nothing now.

[@aniccadance13]

Great, thanks for uploading☺️ I experienced with a Keto diet ( getting recipes from Charlie Foundation), I did for about six months. After two weeks only my sinus infection disappeared miraculously. I eventually gave up as I hate cooking and found if difficult to cope with that. I'm planning to start again, hope to find easy recipes. I usually eat fish only, not chicken or beef, which is quite restrictive. So I was eating huge amounts of cheese, cream and eggs! Hope to find new ideas this time.

[@georgebester3829]

Excellent content especially graphics

[@Michael_Arnold]

At last - a lecture on diet from someone who is genuinely slim

[@talkwench340]

Inspiring & informative.

[@sgaddu]

Thank you for sharing your honest opinions based on your research

[@Angel-rv1mt]

Greatly appreciate his presentations. - concise and easy to understand

[@eleonora363]

I was in the rare range of 6mmol/L ketones and blood gucose 25mmol/L one week ago and I was feeling well. I was under strict medical supervision. I use keto to help me cope with my anorexia problems, since I am in deep ketosis I have improved mentally so much that I have cured the anorexia and I am now in a bmi of 17.5 from 14...I feel keto lifestyle saved my life. My dreem would be to arrive at bmi 14 and be healthy but I feel that maybe this is too extreme and keto diet help me. My main problem is bloating so that I tend to prolong my fasting. I wish I would not bloat when eating keto, I really track all my macros so I know how to not exit ketosis but I found vegetables - very low carb one - make me bloat...ACV helps a lot so it does turmeric, ginger and green tea, but I am not still 100% happy with my bloating..any help would be much appretiated..I try my best to not fast for too long and too often..because I sense that it is maybe a reason for the bloating..

[@kangakid5984]

That was brilliant so thank you. With regard to ' what is the ideal Ketone level' I understand you to have said it is not yet known. Yet I note in the Ketone graph shown there appears an ideal range given. Could you clarify for a novice like myself please?

[@Dr_Dieta]

restricting carbohydrates is the main reason the ketogenic diet helps in weight loss. can someone please tell me why it would help to make it ketogenic? I know ketones help endurance athletes but why low carb high protein diet is inferior for weight loss?

[@kyuri87]

+Doctor Ni Una Dieta Más As I understand it, if you go high protein, low fat, low carb, you're missing out on one of the essential components of the human diet - fat. On an LCHF/ketogenic diet you 'offer' your metabolism dietary fat as a substitute for dietary carbs and it switches to fat as the primary fuel source. If you 'offer' protein instead, your body uses gluconeogenesis to create glucose as fuel source, which elevates your insulin levels and keeps you from losing weight, because as long as insulin is active, and STORES energy in fat cells, none of your body fat can be USED as fuel. Hope this helps!

[@madtrade]

+Doctor Ni Una Dieta Más it's not inferior per se. it's just more easy to diet with a ketogenic diet because you have no energy crash. you are not hungry because you are swimming into your ketone. some people might find it more easy to eat creammy and fat food too. Also it help you to increase your insulin sensitivity which help if you over eat into a keto diet. but at the end of the day if you are in good health and non insulin resistant, a high protein/restricted calories work as much if you have the will.

[@unassailable6138]

+Doctor Ni Una Dieta Más High protein diet will make your body oxidize protein to turn it into sugar, this is not what you want, because as long as you have protein/glucose in your blood, your body will not mobilize your stored fat, and you will never get to a fat burning mode.

[@BroBryceHealth]

I'm a layman, so just an amateur with around 10,000 hours of nutritional education, but from my limited understanding (and I'm learning more and more every day, so I'm willing to be taught), high protein has a couple side effects. One, it's shown that protein can spike blood insulin. If one is already insulin resistant, which, if a person has ever been overweight, they are, this is problematic. Secondly, high protein puts the body in what some call, "go-go-go" mode, which basically means keep producing new cells, and these same studies say that this condition over time can be carcinogenic and inflammatory, as the cells are produced faster than the body can maintain them, thus the integrity of the DNA in the cells is corrupted. These mutated cells become cancer. Lowering the protein to just what is needed to maintain healthy tissue allows the body to stop down for a minute and repair cells that already exist, many of which get injured or corrupted. That's just my understanding of it.

[@ThomasAT86]

Actually Dave Asprey suggests to take some very low protein days once in a while. That's for a reason. Also, yeah, protein on it's own raises blood sugar/insulin. +Daniel Jahn That's not true, otherwise high protein or high carb diets wouldn't work at all and you'd continuously gain weight. Different macro nutrient ratios (and different foods) can shift the metabolic rate, hormones, hunger etc significantly, which is why one diet may work for one person but won't work at all for the next person. Ketogenic diets aren't for everyone, and definitely not the Holy Grail of fatloss, health etc as some may promote it.

[@sreenivasankotay3811]

Your liver can convert Protein to Carb, hence when aims\ing for Ketosis, high protein intake interferes with the process of Kotosis

[@herenkapsalon]

What do you think is high protein intake? 120 grams a day, 250 grams a day? Eating 20 eggs (Large size ones) a day gives you 140 grams protein a day. What is I think getting a lot. But who eats that much? I would feel bloated and not fit.

[@tesserthelost]

You eat enough protein to support your lean muscle mass depending on your level and type of physical activity. So you find your body fat percentage, and you can then figure out what your lean body mass is from that. Then you just eat the amount of protein for that amount depending on level of activity. Anywhere from .6 grams per pound to around 1.2 grams per pound. This is important as overeating protein has also been linked to early onset age related diseases and cancers.

[@dbjmk8083]

Taking your ideal weight in kilos and putting that as grams, so someone is 100kg's with healthy bmi, then give them 100 g of protein a day, tailor more or less depending on your activity levels.

[@VaughnMalecki]

Not for me. I eat no plants and a couple of pounds of meat daily. I never go out of ketosis.

[@ryta1203]

Neoglucogenesis is demand driven not supply driven from my understanding so this statement is a bit misleading.

[@arabellahorwitz2622]

I’ve been doing if/keto for about a year but have not experienced the pain reduction that people write about????

[@Jamie-bo4ct]

Great information, great video , great man, thank you !!!

[@dana102083]

Best overview I've seen, thank you!!

[@zerodiabetes247]

Dear Dr.Jeff, thank you for this lecture. i would want to know if a person with 10 yrs diabetes, could maintain ketosis at a blood ketone range of 3.9 mmol and also showing urine ketone with 3 plus and not go into ketoacidosis

[@arcidiavolo]

excellent

[@Knaeben]

Why am I just learning about all this??

[@oibal60]

Thanks for this. Watched the whole thing.

[@NorthOlbo]

Hilarious bread/baking ad before the video started....oops

[@1aliveandwell]

So this is just for people with obesity or diabetes(T2)? What might be helpful for people at other end of scale and want to gain. Am guessing each different = genetic, diet, lifestyle... Had read someone thought not great for as low carb if Epo4, curious if so. Is there a ketone meter or at home measurement?(see at 22min is a ways). People who have gallbladder or fat digestion issues might be less fat. Very interesting.

[@sanjlon]

Dear Sir, where ot purchase the Ketonix item? many thanks sanj

[@patobrien5307]

www.ketonix.com mine was just delivered during this video.

[@sunshinechildofgod2771]

What is the well formulated Ketogenic diet? Where can we find a Ketogenic diet guideline?

[@richardmann800]

try watching "STEPHANIE KETO PERSON" on youtube she will tell you what foods to buy and how to get started and everything you could ever want to know on keto

[@staceykersting461]

Yes, that's how I got to Dr Volek. Stephanie's where the rubber meets the road! She coached over 2,000 ppl on keto.

[@MarmaladeINFP]

The best keto KZbinr might be Siim Land. He balances scientific explanation with practical advice. He also doesn't tend toward dietary extremes. His discussion of fasting and autophagy is also top-notch.

[@denisesmith2050]

Very informative!

[@annettefowler4704]

THANK YOU

[@celerysweat_pro9784]

Just a question with 13min 57sec on ketosis. It says providing fuel to nearly every cell in the body. Which cells doesn't it provide fuel to? What should be done for this shortfall?

[@AlanLow]

Dafydd Jones For any cells/ brain etc that absolutely must have glucose the body can easily provide all that is needed by gluconeogenesis. The making of new glucose.

[@user-cc4kq6hl4c]

Cancer cells

[@erikjonsson9573]

Yo Mama Exactly! Otto Warburg discovered (way back in the 1930s I think) that cancer cells are very glucose dependent. If everyone ate low carb high fat the cancer industry would take a severe hit.

[@DracoAdrian23]

This doesn't apply to all forms of cancer cells. Sadly :(

[@ThomasAT86]

@Erik Johnsson If everyone would eat low carb high fat we'd have yet another flood of sick people. Everyone is different, some thrive on more fats, some on more protein, some on more carbs, some should eat kale and some shouldn't, some should eat more meat and others less, etc etc. low carb / high fat or ketogenic diets are NOT the answer to all health problems and definitely not the Holy Grail. There is not single one diet, food, etc that everyone should be on!

[@amplifiedhealthnow7100]

The lowering of carbs alone has not been shown to provide the same benefits as when the low carb implementation occurs simultaneously with higher fat. I think what was said is that they don't 100% understand WHY it works better with higher fats present. I was at a conference last weekend with Dr. Volek and Dr. Poff and Dr. D'Agostino.

[@Noegzit]

Quite simple : if you just lower your carbs intake with the same caloric ration without increasing your fat intake you increase your protein intake which is not indicated.

[@matiasbecerrals]

whatch it again, the answer is all over this vid !!!! gosh #@&

[@margaretramsay9285]

Biohacking Wellness oh r

[@markkuniilo7374]

if you have gallbladder problems high fat is problematic; how do you respond?

[@BroBryceHealth]

Eating high fat low carb lowers the fat in the blood, as he explains.

[@DracoAdrian23]

acutally he answers that question at the end of the clip

[@Jefferdaughter]

Working with a doctor who understand the benefits of a very low carb high fat diet (LCHF) aka 'low biologically available glucose' diet (high protein is converted to sugar) would be the way to go - but eating a high fat diet does, as the video explains, lower blood fats. Also, ox bile could be taken to help the body digest fats. Remember - sugar and starches are converted by the body to fat.Hope you are able to figure out a diet that works for your body.

[@jzaylia1]

He responded at 59:25.

[@storfrassin]

Could a keto genic diet help cure ADHD

[@lokalenliljeholmen8910]

Tuovi Mannström yes possibly, but i would look into CBD-oil aswell, and directing the exess energy into weightlifting or some type of physical activity. all in combination.

[@user-cc4kq6hl4c]

Dr perlmutter said yes and hes a neurologist

[@storfrassin]

whats cbd oil

[@user-cc4kq6hl4c]

Adhd is also linked to lack of exercise

[@ericb653]

Tuovi Mannström cure, probably not, but help very possible.

[@TheMpamMpam]

Super endurance races are irrelevant and unhealthy for the majority of people. I would be more interested in how one can incorporate keto in sports like power lifting and fitness that most people do...

[@rebeccaanne8546]

Sad I graduated from the osu ex phys department right before he got there :/

[@PV-free123world]

Very interesting!

[@stew4665]

This very imformative, I appreciate you efforts i'm attempting to excute this both my spouse and I.Thanks

[@Expert1911]

9 months since. How did it go?

[@daebob]

how about LDL and fasting glucose level? I bet they increased

[@lenkahalamkova3724]

LDL - no change, fasting Glc - no change (~70)

[@tonyzamberlin]

Has anyone done this long-term and still have a good bit of energy is a vegan?

[@BreakingketosisFGX]

I'm in ketosis, on day #4. Feeling great. One thing i'm doing to help me stay in ketosis is leveraging the Ketopia plan - anyone heard of this yet? check out www.ketopia.diet

[@porkyo123]

So, this diet goes fr one extreme to another? Why not both.

[@puntabachata]

porkyo123 If you like type 2 diabetes, cancer, hormonal imbalances, hair loss, heart conditions and a highly limited fuel source stat with the standard american diet (SAD). It make (junk) food manufacturers, prescription drug manufacturers and the entire medical industry a FORTUNE. Otherwise, maybe give keto a try. Just saying...

[@MarmaladeINFP]

If by 'extreme' you mean the diet most humans have eaten for hundreds of thousands of years and most hominids have eaten for millions of years. At least occasional ketosis was normal for the average person until recent centuries.

[@MarmaladeINFP]

That is odd that he thinks the paleo community is opposed to ketosis. I constantly hear paleo advocates recommend ketosis, along with intermittent fasting. Paleo diets aren't necessarily ketogenic, of course, but they do tend to be low-carb. My sense is that a large number of paleo dieters are at least in occasional ketosis.

[@porkyo123]

OKAY!!!

[@ketolifestyle68]

wow then not enough research or knowledge on KETO.... no wonders alot of people just cant help others after fat adaptation.. due to not enough research

[@JJMoyer1970]

Cool

[@elizabethk3238]

Could his voice any more monotone? Might have valuable info, but do hard to listen to him!

[@porkyo123]

Wouldn't this be the wrong diet if you have to add salt because of mineral imbalance. Playing with your potassium levels. Like vegans with there B12 problems. It seems to me this could be the wrong diet right from the start !

[@needs2know1]

***** Wow nicely put!!

[@erikjonsson9573]

needs2know1 Blood in itself is a fairly good source of salt. As are many of the organs in animals. In the past people also ate roots that are very rich in salt. In the middle ages, salt was a precious commodity in many places because it was an essential preservative (to preserve meat etc.). Also, we need it to maintain adequate levels of salt.

[@AndyThomasStaff]

+porkyo123 He explains this fully in the video. Your kidneys work better on ketosis and flush salt out of the serum efficiently. The effect is called the natriuresis of fasting, because the same thing happens when you fast, and it's a good research point. With more insulin the kidneys retain more salt in the serum and don't flush it out as well. It's not like you have to take a salt supplement - you can easily get the recommended amount of salt in a delicious and well formulated diet. Vegans usually have to take supplements, which isn't bad, but I don't think it's a 1:1 comparison.

[@MarmaladeINFP]

Humans have been salting their food for longer than recorded history. It's not equivalent to a vegan supplementing with vitamins produced through modern industrialization.

[@ToniaRN65]

We used to get our salt and minerals from animal organs and the water we drank from creeks and lakes an such. We don’t have natural sources now. I don’t recommend drinking mud water any longer.