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LiFT Tricks Your Body Into Using (Their) Fat for Fuel

LiFT medium chain fatty acids fuel for endurance athletes
15 Comments

As a bit of a general/sports nutrition nerd, I cycle in and out of low-carb phases, but there’s simply no denying that they are the ideal source of energy during exercise, particularly for high-intensity efforts.

Fats, on the other hand, pack far more energy per gram and are great for slower endurance efforts, but they take a bit of work by the body to get turned into energy. And the second you introduce carbs to the mix, your body will prioritize using those, leaving your fat (whether ingested or stored) ready and waiting for the sugars to run out.

For “fat adapted” athletes, which basically means those who live the low-carb, ketogenic lifestyle and won’t shut up about it, can normally sustain low-intensity efforts for a couple of hours just fine without carbs. They might be ingesting MCTs (Medium Chain Triglycerides), which are processed differently, turning into MCFA (Medium Chain Fatty Acids) in the liver, which are then delivered to our muscles (and brain) for energy. They offer a quicker energy source than other types of fat, with the side benefit that they typically don’t stick around to get stored as body fat.

This is a drastically simplified explanation (so, you know, before you head to the comments section…just know that I also know this, and I’m fine with it), but it’s generally how it works.

charts and graphs for LiFT medium chain fatty acids fuel for endurance athletes

Enter LiFT, short for Lipid Fuel Technology, which is endorsed by Mathieu van der Poel and Alberto Contador. It uses a proprietary formula made of MCFA, the energy-providing things that MCT gets converted to, which they say tricks the get into absorbing it quickly, so it goes directly into the bloodstream alongside any glucose you’re consuming and heads straight for the muscles, where it’s used as energy. No liver or gut processing required.

mathieu van der poel and alberto contador promote LiFT

And, yes, they suggest that you keep using whatever carbohydrate drink, gel, or bars you’re already using (at least during races and high-intensity training). LiFT is additive, like those octane boosters sold at gas stations…it’s a booster for your carbs, offering more total energy to your muscles that they can use immediately.

They retail for $26 for a six-pack of vials, with a recommended intake of one per hour of intense exercise. You can also load with it the day before huge efforts and races. Each vial contains 118 calories from 13g of fat.

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Fake Namerton
Fake Namerton
6 months ago

Eat less. Exercise more. Lost 150lbs doing that and didn’t have to pay charlatans a dime for some nonsense pseudoscience.

Smokin Paul
Smokin Paul
6 months ago
Reply to  Fake Namerton

Sorry but your the one following pseudoscience. The calories in calories out model has been debunked for some time. It’s hormone driven with insulin controlling the. One way street. Eat carbs and excess is stored in the fat as glycogen. Eat nothing, let your glycogen stores deplete (intermittent fasting) and eventually your body switches to fat burning aka the opposite of storing.
Yes you were able to get to your goals but there’s a much faster easier way.
I lost my visceral fat at about 1/2 a lb a week while eating slightly more than I usually do through low carbs and intermittent fasting. I no longer crave sweets, have tons of energy and feel much younger than I am.
Your way is harder, impossible for many. The other easy and doable by anyone.
Yeah real science over what’s been pounded into our heads is often counter intuitive.

Keep on moving and never stop.

Fake Namerton
Fake Namerton
6 months ago
Reply to  Smokin Paul

Dude I literally lost 150lbs and improved every biomarker. Keep buying silly nonsense and writing essays about it while you sit on the couch.

Andrew
Andrew
6 months ago

Just looked up the ingredients. It’s basically margarine with lime flavour. What an absolute grift.

nooner
nooner
6 months ago
Reply to  Andrew

I was guessing coconut oil. Interesting read T.

Kool Stop Tyre Lever Sales Dept.
Kool Stop Tyre Lever Sales Dept.
6 months ago
Reply to  Andrew

You can get Ghee packets at the grocery store. 130 calories each, 8 packets for $5.39

Mike
Mike
5 months ago
Reply to  Andrew

As a long time SiS customer and cyclist, I was triggered to test this new product. Tried it on several occasions now and I really do feel like I can keep going on longer rides.
As a scientist, however, I would ask you to look up the ingredients again and explain me how structured lipids are margarine. It’s like saying all sugar is the same or all engine fuel is the same. I would love to see you put diesel in your petrol car and explain me that it’s basically the same.

Donald Brad Rabe
Donald Brad Rabe
6 months ago

$40 shipping, hahaha!!!!!!!

Mark Pippin
Mark Pippin
6 months ago

Glad to see that everyone is catching up on better fueling strategies than carbo loading. Honestly, MUCH cheaper to just change your diet and teach your body to efficiently burn fats. These extra boosts that save the glycogen stores are good, but best if you are already fat adapted.

nooner
nooner
6 months ago
Reply to  Mark Pippin

No Way, a Pippin sighting! The Don of Taiwan. Cheers Mark.

Fake Namerton
Fake Namerton
6 months ago
Reply to  Mark Pippin

Who cares this much? Most folks buying this are racing the men’s cat 3 race where some 16 year old en route to cat 1 who eats a diet of Doritos and pizza is going to ride a solo breakaway away from everyone.

Dinger
Dinger
6 months ago
Reply to  Fake Namerton

As a terminal Cat. 3, I have watched this happen more times than I can count.

Pass the bean dip..

Andrew
Andrew
6 months ago

Yeah let’s all get faster and leaner with this kinda crap. Colon or stomach cancer ? No big deal…

José
José
6 months ago

Bike Roomer needs to draw a more defined line between editorial and advertising.. especially dubious products like this. I get the need to make a buck to pay the bills yet this sloppy marketing continues to lower my opinion of the operation.

Zach Overholt
Admin
6 months ago
Reply to  José

Thanks for the concern. We have a very definitive line – Anything that is sponsored content is tagged as ‘Sponsored’ in the byline. LiFT did not pay us anything to write this story.

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