8: Barry Murray and reaching your full potential through nutrition

The Too Busy To Eat Show

Barry Murray is a nutritionist who specializes in sports performance. He has a degree in Chemistry and later went on to get his Masters in Nutrition. After his Masters, he created his company, OptimumNutrition4Sport, and now helps athletes reach their full potentials. He works with cyclists, triathletes, and has great success delivering holistic advice to those looking to make positive changes. Barry’s Journey…2:55 - Barry has a degree in Chemistry but he got sick of the corporate world. He had always been interested in Nutrition so he quit his job and pursued his Masters in Nutrition. He is fascinated with how the body can run off of fat instead of carbs. What does a fat-adapted athlete look like?….4:55 - We have been ‘conned’ into thinking that sugar/carbs are the only thing that will help fuel us. However, the physiology shows that converting fats into energy is actually extremely efficient. Barry trains his athletes in a fasted state to increase the rate at which the body can convert fat into energy. He encourages and educates his athletes about high fat and low carb diets. Not necessarily ketogenic, but making sure their fatty acids are being used as the primary fuel source. Benefits he has seen…8:35 - This ‘high fat and low carb’ concept goes against a lot of conventional nutrition guidelines. He was hired by the cycling team, BMC and came in with the primary goal to help the athletes go longer and faster. Their aerobic capacity grew, they achieved better body composition, and other health benefits (controlled appetite, better sleep and recovery, insulin sensitivity). What advice do you have for the ‘weekend warrior’?…12:15 - Anyone can do it! Despite the complexity at the physiological level, it is still easy enough to shift to the low carb/high fat diet. Intermittent fasting is another important and key tool to being successful in this diet. Common Mistakes….14:10 - People often take out the grains and fruits (where the carbs are), but keep the lean meats. That is a low carb, low fat, high protein diet. This could lead to poor energy levels. It is important to incorporate high fats (coconut oil, avocados, fatty pieces of meat etc.) more into the diet. Also, intermittent fasting is just that: intermittent! Use caution because doing it daily without proper research and guidance could lead to adrenal problems. Barry’s Training Routine….17:00 - Barry has won an ultramarathon (125 miles in a fasted state!), he does strength and conditioning work, and high intensity exercise. Barry has found the fine balance between the acute and chronic stress he puts on his body. Unlike many traditional programs, he reduces his training load and has been able to be very successful with his methods. He also likes to use nature to his advantage; sunlight, the Earth, sleep, cold. Advice for the busy person….22:10 - Whatever exercise session you have planned, do it without breakfast! Do fasted training to burn more fat. Contact…23:30 - optimumnutrition4sport.co.uk