The Failures of the Fitness Industry - Alessandra Speaks Out [Feat @primalhealthcode].

TLDR;

In this episode, Professor Bart Kay interviews Alisandra from Primal Health Code, who shares her journey through various diets and the fitness industry's misleading advice. Alisandra discusses her experiences with calorie deficits, high-carb diets, and excessive cardio, which led to health issues like losing her period and digestive problems. She explains how she discovered the carnivore diet and how it resolved her health issues. The conversation also covers the flaws in the "calories in, calories out" model, the importance of understanding energy and metabolism, and the misconceptions around moderate-intensity cardio.

Alisandra's journey through fitness industry misinformation and health issues.
Critique of the "calories in, calories out" model and the nature of energy in the body.
Discussion on the drawbacks of excessive cardio and the importance of understanding muscle fiber types.

Introduction [0:00]

Professor Bart Kay introduces Alisandra from Primal Health Code as a guest on his channel. Alisandra is invited to share her story about how she came across the carnivore diet, her experiences, and her journey through the fitness industry.

Alisandra's Background and Initial Fitness Journey [0:30]

Alisandra recounts her initial foray into fitness around age 18, driven by social media influences and a desire to lose midsection fat. She began going to the gym without professional guidance and initially had a poor understanding of healthy eating. After a year, she started working with a personal trainer who prepared her for a bikini competition.

The Calorie Deficit and Health Problems [2:11]

Under her trainer's guidance, Alisandra was placed on a severe calorie deficit, consuming around 1,000-1,200 calories with only 30 grams of fat per day. Her diet consisted of lean proteins like chicken breast, excessive vegetables, and artificial sweeteners, while restricting salt intake. She engaged in six workouts per week, including daily deadlifts, and performed 45 minutes to an hour of cardio, along with 15,000 steps daily. This overtraining and under-eating led to the loss of her period for over two years and the development of digestive issues. She also experienced hair loss, brittle nails, and constant mood swings.

Bulking Phase and Digestive Issues [4:55]

After COVID-19 prevented her from competing, Alisandra decided to bulk up to regain lost muscle. She followed online advice to increase calories and prioritize carbohydrates, eating large amounts of rice and pasta while reducing protein intake. This led to weight gain and digestive problems like constipation and bloating for over two years.

Fiber Overload and Initial Dietary Changes [5:56]

Seeking to resolve her digestive issues, Alisandra consulted a doctor who recommended a high-fiber diet. She consumed large amounts of whole grains and fiber supplements, which worsened her condition. She then read a book about fasting and low-carbohydrate diets, prompting her to eliminate processed foods and artificial sweeteners. She initially felt better but hit a plateau and still experienced digestive issues.

Discovery of the Carnivore Diet and Resolution of Health Issues [8:17]

After experimenting with an animal-based diet that included fruit and honey and gaining weight, Alisandra researched and adopted the carnivore diet. Within weeks, her health problems resolved, and she felt significantly better, leading her to believe she would never revert to her previous eating habits.

Critique of the Fitness Industry [8:44]

Alisandra expresses strong criticism of the fitness industry for providing harmful advice, particularly to young people. She points out that personal trainers often lack proper education in nutrition and physiology, yet they are allowed to create calorie-based meal plans that can be detrimental to health. She also notes that many fitness influencers promote unsustainable practices based on steroid use, without considering individual differences.

Gateway to Carnivore Diet and Influences [10:56]

Alisandra mentions that Paul Saladino and Anthony Chaffee were her initial influences in exploring the carnivore diet, although she ultimately learned the most from Professor Bart Kay regarding how the body works, the Randle cycle, insulin resistance, and calories.

Critique of the Calorie Model [12:09]

Alisandra and Professor Kay discuss the flaws in the "calories in, calories out" model. Alisandra explains that a calorie is a unit of heat energy, a photon with zero rest mass, making it impossible to modify body mass by intaking or expending something with no mass. She also argues that the first law of thermodynamics, which applies to closed systems, cannot be applied to the human body, which is an open system that constantly exchanges mass with the environment.

Measurement of Calories and Energy [15:00]

Alisandra explains how calories are measured by incinerating food in a bomb calorimeter and measuring the heat energy released. She argues that this process does not reflect how the body extracts energy from food through chemical bonds in macronutrients. Professor Kay adds that the body cannot capture heat energy for metabolic processes, which rely on chemical energy. He uses the analogy of a $20 bill being worthless outside the US to illustrate that heat energy cannot be used by the body without the proper "kit" (chemical energy).

Protein vs. Carbohydrates [20:13]

Alisandra argues that it is nonsensical to equate carbohydrates and proteins as sources of four calories per gram because they have different functions in the body. Proteins are essential for structural functions, such as building enzymes, hormones, and muscle tissue, while carbohydrates are primarily used for energy. She mentions rabbit starvation as an example of the dangers of consuming only lean protein without enough fat for energy.

Misinformation in Exercise Physiology [22:08]

Alisandra recounts that during her efforts to bulk up, she encountered fitness websites promoting low-fat diets, avoidance of saturated fats, and high carbohydrate intake, which ultimately did not work for her. Professor Kay emphasizes that such information is based on bought and paid for theology rather than scientific rigor.

Drawbacks of Moderate Intensity Cardio [23:25]

Alisandra shares her negative experiences with excessive cardio, including muscle loss, feeling terrible, and a decreased metabolic rate. She recalls constant hunger and sleep deprivation due to waking up hungry at night. She argues that cardio is not an effective tool for fat loss because it does not adequately influence the hormonal system, which is crucial for fat mobilization.

Muscle Fiber Types and Training [25:31]

Professor Kay explains that chronic cardio and low recovery can elevate cortisol levels, leading to gluconeogenesis and the utilization of amino acids from muscle for energy. He then discusses the misconception of having three distinct muscle fiber types (type one, type 2A, and type 2X) and clarifies that there is a continuum of muscle fiber morphologies that are trainable. Aerobic training makes muscle fibers smaller, more oxidative, and less able to produce force, while high-intensity training makes them larger, more glycolytic, and more powerful.

Examples of Muscle Morphology and Training [28:51]

Professor Kay uses the examples of Usain Bolt and Mo Farah to illustrate how muscle morphologies differ based on training. He explains that if these two athletes cross-trained, their muscle morphologies would converge to suit their training. He emphasizes that endurance-based aerobic exercise can be antagonistic to muscular development if muscle growth is the goal.

Additional Reasons to Avoid Cardio [31:26]

Professor Kay notes that cardio tends to increase hunger signaling and promote overeating. He also criticizes the common advice to consume carbohydrates to fuel exercise, which he deems nonsense. Alisandra recalls her pre- and post-workout meals consisting of oatmeal, peanut butter, bananas, and rice krispie treats.

Fructose and Hunger [32:26]

Professor Kay explains that fructose consumption drags down the concentration of ATP in liver cells, sending a message to the body that it is hungry. This is why people can eat large amounts of fruit without feeling full. He notes that bears eat berries to gain fat before winter due to this effect. He also points out that honey has a higher fructose concentration than table sugar, making it equally likely to cause fat gain.

Current Training and Future Plans [34:57]

Alisandra states that she no longer participates in physique competitions and now focuses on resistance training, sprinting, and walking for mental and physical health. She is building her persona and plans to offer consultancy work in the future.

Promoting Primal Health Code [37:05]

Professor Kay encourages viewers to subscribe to Alisandra's YouTube channel, Primal Health Code, and support her work by liking, commenting, and sharing her videos. He praises Alisandra for teaching biochemistry, biology, and anatomy, which is often lacking in other channels.

Challenges and Gratitude [38:19]

Professor Kay discusses the challenges of being a social media influencer, including algorithm downregulation due to dissenting from accepted narratives. He expresses gratitude for his followers who have been unbrainwashed and for the big influencers in the carnivore space who seek his scientific input.

Invitation to Live Stream Q&A [42:43]

Professor Kay invites Alisandra to participate in his weekly live stream question and answer session. He reassures her that it is acceptable to say "I don't know" if she is unsure of an answer. He also commends her for speaking multiple languages.