I've got some questions for the brain trust out there:) Here's some background: I've been cutting for about six months, while lifting to retain lean body mass. I have had good success so far, losing about .6 lbs scale weight per week, and judging by the mirror and my strength gains, I'd say I've gained a little lean mass. I eat a clean diet of 40 40 20 with no cheat days. Here is a link to my fitday info in case anyone would like more detail on my diet. I dont put activities into fitday but I generally do an upper/lower body split, compound lifts, squats, bench, pullups, dips. with some cable work because it feels good. I'm at 12% BF and 181 lbs right now, I'm a little under 5'11" I'm trying to get under 10% when I will then start a clean bulk. My progress in losing %BF seems to be slowing or I've hit a plateau. It's the last few pounds of fat that are giving me trouble (no surprise there!)

http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJournals.html?Owner=cyclonecj

I do fasted AM LISS cardio 6-7 days a week, occasionally twice a day. Since I'm 44 yrs old, 70% of my MHR is 123.

My first question is how "set in stone" is this value? If I exceed it, am I going to lose LBM while doing fasted LISS? I generally do 45 to 60 min of elliptical at around 140 bpm, that's where it "feels" good. Should I bring my HR down a bit?

Is there any way to tell when I am starting to lose LBM or getting to the point where my body is going to metabolize muscle? I mean is it like "bonking" where there are obvious physical symptoms when the condition occurs?

After LISS, I usually wait about 1 hr before eating, I make a shake with some whey protein, some fruit (strawbs or banana) flax meal, egg whites. Pretty much a meal replacement, P, C and F. I have heard diametrically opposed viewpoints from equally knowledgeable and experienced people on mixing carbs and fats in the same meal, I'm on the fence. The shake is just an easy way to get some healthy food in before I go to work. What is the consensus here, should I eat something different after LISS?

Thanks in advance for replies/advice.

Pete

I do fasted AM LISS cardio 6-7 days a week, occasionally twice a day. Since I'm 44 yrs old, 70% of my MHR is 123.

My first question is how "set in stone" is this value?
The whole 220-age thing is an approximation.
For some people it might be close, but for most people it's off.

An example:
I'm 24, so 220-age would mean my maxHR is 196.
But my actual maxHR is 189.

My boss is 46, 220 - his age = 174
His actual MaxHR is 194

Everyone is different, so no, the 123 number is no where near "set in stone"




If I exceed it, am I going to lose LBM while doing fasted LISS?
NO, but, if you read alot of the posts on this forum, it's pretty easy to get that idea.
This is my opinion based on what i know about this stuff....
The only way you're going to lose LBM from cardio is if your muscle glycogen levels are low and you're in an anaerobic zone.
You're on a 40 40 20 diet, so even though you're doing the cardio fasted, you have nothing to worry about because you'll have a good amount of glycogen to burn, even in the morning.

...i think.
I say i think because, looking at your fitday, your calories are so low for both your size and activity level, that i dont know if you would have glycogen available at the time you do cardio.
I don't know how the whole glycogen thing works when you're at such a calorie deficit - i'm not a lawyer.

You need to eat more if you want to do both lifting and doing cardio.
If you're just lifting, then i think your calories are fine.



I generally do 45 to 60 min of elliptical at around 140 bpm, that's where it "feels" good. Should I bring my HR down a bit?
Nope, i think that's fine.
You say it feels good, so it definitely isnt anaerobic :)



Is there any way to tell when I am starting to lose LBM or getting to the point where my body is going to metabolize muscle? I mean is it like "bonking" where there are obvious physical symptoms when the condition occurs?

Again, im not a lawyer, but IMO, your body is going to start breaking down your muscles if...
1. You're in an anaerobic intensity without the glucose to fuel said intensity
2. The hormone "cortisol" is released in large quantities.

For no. 1, i dont think you have to worry about it if you're doing what you're doing everyday, and it "feels good"
For no. 2, i dont think you have to worry about it because you're not doing no. 1, and your body has adapted to doing 45-60 minutes of cardio everyday.

No 2 would be a problem if you for some reason decided to bump up your cardio time to 3hrs, and didnt step it up gradually to allow your body to adapt to the change, which would cause your system alot of stress.

And yes, bonking would cause this to start happening from what i know at this point.



After LISS, I usually wait about 1 hr before eating, I make a shake with some whey protein, some fruit (strawbs or banana) flax meal, egg whites. Pretty much a meal replacement, P, C and F. I have heard diametrically opposed viewpoints from equally knowledgeable and experienced people on mixing carbs and fats in the same meal, I'm on the fence. The shake is just an easy way to get some healthy food in before I go to work. What is the consensus here, should I eat something different after LISS?

About mixing carbs and fats... there are mixed views.
It's all about who you believe - (i think some guy named aaragon on this board?) and baradi (whatever that guy's name is) say that if you're on a calorie deficit, it doesnt matter if you mix carbs and fats in the same meal.
I personally trust those two guys, so i go with what they say.
So keep doing what you're doing.

I would not wait to eat 1 hour after cardio.

I'd eat 10-15 mins. after if it's a fat/protein meal.

I'd eat 20-30 mins. after if it's a carb/protein meal.

As you can see from the choices above, I am a strong proponent of fat/carb seperation, especially for those w/blood sugar issues who have a propensity to store excess energy (fat) very easily. For those people (who consequently are indeed the majority of those who are over-weight), to attain the desired body composition and under-go a body comp change for the better, this is a huge key.

Again, this is the way I do things from my experience and in working w/1000's, as stated in my signature. :)
I realize there are people who believe it's all about calories in vs. calories out, but I know first-hand w/myself even, that it's just NOT that simple.

~SC~

I would not wait to eat 1 hour after cardio.

I'd eat 10-15 mins. after if it's a fat/protein meal.

I'd eat 20-30 mins. after if it's a carb/protein meal.

As you can see from the choices above, I am a strong proponent of fat/carb seperation, especially for those w/blood sugar issues who have a propensity to store excess energy (fat) very easily. For those people (who consequently are indeed the majority of those who are over-weight), to attain the desired body composition and under-go a body comp change for the better, this is a huge key.

Hey SC
I am over weight, this is the first I have heard of this at all, which I am learning new stuff all the time, but getting to my question: Which meal should one follow a fat/protein or a carb/protein???

Thanks,
Mike :bow:

That's a never ending question and it has as much to do with your overall workout routine and all meals during a day.

When cutting, some, including me, have best success keeping meals protein/fat and keeping carbs centered around lifting workouts.

So post-LISS? I prefer pro/fat.

Hey SC
I am over weight, this is the first I have heard of this at all, which I am learning new stuff all the time, but getting to my question: Which meal should one follow a fat/protein or a carb/protein???

Thanks,
Mike :bow:

There is no "1" correct answer. I usually do a pro/fat, but recently switched to pro/carb a bit later after the cessation of cardio. I would say to experiment and see what you believe works best for you. It's also dependent upon what the rest of your nutritional protocol is, as was stated above.

~SC~

I do fasted AM LISS cardio 6-7 days a week, occasionally twice a day. Since I'm 44 yrs old, 70% of my MHR is 123.

My first question is how "set in stone" is this value? If I exceed it, am I going to lose LBM while doing fasted LISS? I generally do 45 to 60 min of elliptical at around 140 bpm, that's where it "feels" good. Should I bring my HR down a bit?
Pete

Formulas such as the above refers to average values for large groups. The individual variation is substantial. I can get statistical numbers for this if you want them. For instance: I'm 37 and my max HR is about 192. A friend of mine has 193, and is 46 years old. You really should test yourself.

Regarding the elliptical, I wouldn't know. As I understand the rationale for doing LISS, it's about utilizing as much fat as possible, not forcing the body to rely on emptying the glycogen stores and to the breakdown of muscle aminos. The major "discomfort" when doing cardio is when you are starting to build an oxygen debt, going into anaerobic metabolism with buildup of lactic acid. This is uncomfortable. However, you may train very hard if you are in good shape before that happens. I'm able to train/compete with about 176 bpm for 45 minutes, keeping just inside the limits of my aerobic capasity. This is fatiguing, but I don't get the "lactic acid burn" while doing it. However, at this intensity, the body depends on glucose breakdown for energy.

CoolDuckie

Thanks for the help! I figured that I'd be OK if I wasn't bonking or completely exhausted after cardio, which I am not. I can go to about 160bpm and stay there for 45 min with no discomfort, though I think I will keep it under 140 while fasted just to be safe.

I know my calories seem low, but I am 44 not 24. Maintenance for me is supposed to be 3000 kcal/day, but I would be adding fat if I ate that much, not maintaining. I have been eating between 1800 and 2000 for six months, and should be losing 2 lbs/wk at that rate, but I am actually losing less than a lb a week. That's fine, slow is good.

Swolecat, thanks for the info on carbs and fat. Of course, you were one of the authorities on the subject I was referring to. I am going to try separating carbs from fat for a while, it can't hurt. Studies and science are one thing, but nobody can argue with results. Your clients have certainly proven that your protocols deliver that.

Swolecat, thanks for the info on carbs and fat. Of course, you were one of the authorities on the subject I was referring to. I am going to try separating carbs from fat for a while, it can't hurt. Studies and science are one thing, but nobody can argue with results. Your clients have certainly proven that your protocols deliver that.

Thank you, and you are correct in that results cannot be argued with. :)
Being that you are 44 as you mentioned, I feel this seperation would be a very good idea if you are looking for the quickest/most effective route to results.

~SC~

Thanks for the help! I figured that I'd be OK if I wasn't bonking or completely exhausted after cardio, which I am not. I can go to about 160bpm and stay there for 45 min with no discomfort, though I think I will keep it under 140 while fasted just to be safe.

The problem won't be anaerobic glycolysis, but the rate-limit for fatty acid use by the working muscle. Thus, harder work equal more dependence on carbohydrates. The maximal lipid oxidation rate is reached at about 65% of Vo2max (See for instance Jeukendrup et al, 1998b). After this, carbohydrate breakdown is increasingly utilized.

CoolDuckie

Ref:
JEUKENDRUP A. E., SARIS W. H. M., WAGENMAKERS A. J. M. (1998b) Fat metabolism during exercise : A review. Part II : Regulation of metabolism and the effects of training. International journal of sports medicine, 19(5).

Swolecat, thanks for the info on carbs and fat. Of course, you were one of the authorities on the subject I was referring to. I am going to try separating carbs from fat for a while, it can't hurt. Studies and science are one thing, but nobody can argue with results. Your clients have certainly proven that your protocols deliver that.
Just another view on the whole carb/fat separation theory
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?p=3023843&highlight=berardi#post3023843

Lots of info in that thread.

From personal experience, once I began separating carbs/fats I began to see GOOD results. I went back to combining them and it felt weird.. after a fat/carb meal with protein, I felt out of energy, lethargic, sleepy, I've no idea why.. psychological? Maybe but I certainly didn't feel right, I'll never go back to carb/fat meal combinations again.

Just another view on the whole carb/fat separation theory
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?p=3023843&highlight=berardi#post3023843

Lots of info in that thread.

That is an awesome thread. :)

Thanks for the link, I've read that thread before and it is the "other" viewpoint to which I was referring. Nothing against the guy, and I know he is a member here, but I got the feeling that he spent as much time bragging about how important he is and what an authority he is as he did justifying his position. It is significant to me that he was citing somebody elses research. I'm going to try separating carbs and fat for a while as per SC's suggestion. He's done his own field research, and it is more relevant and specific to my situation than the study that was referenced in that link. I think that my case is quite different than those of the people that participated in that study. I doubt any of them were in the shape I'm in at my age AND close to single digit body fat, AND lifting and doing cardio AND eating a strict clean diet like I do. If I have to "trick" my body into giving up of those last 3 or 4 lbs of fat then so be it. If I can't do it myself, then SGX here I come. I'm just stubborn, wanna see if I can do it myself first.

With yall's help, that is!! I do appreciate the replies and all the good info.

Pete

If I can't do it myself, then SGX here I come.



I'd be happy to assist you if you are ever interested. :)

Just hit me up @ swole@swolecat.com and I'll take care of you with a platinum approach.

Cheers!

~SC~

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of two diets ('food combining' or dissociated vs balanced) on body weight and metabolic parameters during a 6-week period in an in-hospital setting.

SUBJECTS AND DESIGN: 54 obese patients were randomly assigned to receive diets containing 4.5 MJ/day (1100 kcal/day) composed of either 25% protein, 47% carbohydrates and 25% lipids (dissociated diet) or 25% protein, 42% carbohydrates and 31% lipids (balanced diet). Consequently, the two diets were equally low in energy and substrate content (protein, fat and carbohydrate) but widely differed in substrate distribution throughout the day.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the amount of weight loss in response to dissociated (6.2 +/- 0.6 kg) or balanced (7.5 +/- 0.4 kg) diets. Furthermore, significant decreases in total body fat and waist-to-hip circumference ratio were seen in both groups, and the magnitude of the changes did not vary as a function of the diet composition. Fasting plasma glucose, insulin, total cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations decreased significantly and similarly in patients receiving both diets. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure values decreased significantly in patients eating balanced diets. The results of this study show that both diets achieved similar weight loss. Total fat weight loss was higher in balanced diets, although differences did not reach statistical significance. Total lean body mass was identically spared in both groups.

CONCLUSION: In summary at identical energy intake and similar substrate composition, the dissociated (or 'food separation') diet did not bring any additional loss in weight and body fat.


Taken from the BB link above, last page.

I don't understand how someone call a 25/47/25 p/c/f to be "dissociated" ?...

OBJECTIVE:
...
SUBJECTS AND DESIGN: 54 obese patients were randomly assigned to receive diets containing 4.5 MJ/day (1100 kcal/day) composed of either 25% protein, 47% carbohydrates and 25% lipids (dissociated diet) or 25% protein, 42% carbohydrates and 31% lipids (balanced diet). Consequently, the two diets were equally low in energy and substrate content (protein, fat and carbohydrate) but widely differed in substrate distribution throughout the day.


On such a low-calorie diet, the glycogen stores would be pretty empty/low much of the time. The results could be quite different if you were on a higher calorie diet.

CoolDuckie

Yikes, I thought I was starting to get a grasp on diet macros, nutrition, etc., but seperating carbs/fat is something totally new to me.

My post-workout shake contains a banana, skim milk, and natural peanut butter. If I were trying to keep my carbs/fat seperate I guess I would just leave out the milk and banana and just do the PB or keep the banana/milk and drop the PB?

If I were to start doing this the objective is not to change the foods I'm eating, just try and move them around a bit. Should every meal be seperated this way? I've really been big on trying to get a good amount of protein, fat, and carbs in each of my 5 or so meals throughout the day.

Any advice/clarity is appreciated.

Yikes, I thought I was starting to get a grasp on diet macros, nutrition, etc., but seperating carbs/fat is something totally new to me.

My post-workout shake contains a banana, skim milk, and natural peanut butter. If I were trying to keep my carbs/fat seperate I guess I would just leave out the milk and banana and just do the PB or keep the banana/milk and drop the PB?

If I were to start doing this the objective is not to change the foods I'm eating, just try and move them around a bit. Should every meal be seperated this way? I've really been big on trying to get a good amount of protein, fat, and carbs in each of my 5 or so meals throughout the day.

Any advice/clarity is appreciated.
There are, as you can see, numerous theories on this. When cutting, I generally don't find separating carbs and fats to provide much benefit. That's just me, and yes, I've tried all methods.

My best results have come from when I have a breakfast filled with protein, complex carbs and fats and the same PWO. My other meals are a bit more separated in order to allow for a lower than usual carb intake. So, a day might look like this:
Time: Lifting Day - NonLifting Day
9am: PCF - PCF
12pm: PF - PCF
3pm: PC - PC
5pm: LIFT - HIIT
6pm: PCF - PF
8pm: PCF - PF
11pm: PF - PF

My post-workout shake contains a banana, skim milk, and natural peanut butter. If I were trying to keep my carbs/fat seperate I guess I would just leave out the milk and banana and just do the PB or keep the banana/milk and drop the PB?


More important to me than keeping fat/carbs seperate is the lack of fast acting carbs I'd suggest you ingest PWO. (dextrose for example)
Fat is the last thing you want PWO as it slows digestion, and pwo is a time where you want VERY QUICK nutrient uptake, so that works against you here.

~SC~

For years I separated fat and carbs, and I saw a lot of success during this time. But after all of this time I wanted to try something new. Well, new for me, but once I started researching I found out that combining fat and carbs was not so new really, and there were nutritionists and trainers out there actually advising this (which I was surprised to see).

I've posted this before, but here it is again:

When you eat fat with any meal, especially one containing carbohydrates, it will reduce the bolus size entry into the small intestine signaling the pancreas to release an appropriate insulin concentration, not a major spike caused by carbohydrates and protein.

Is Chuck correct? I have no idea, because I honestly am not smart enough, or I at least don't have enough knowledge to feel I can debate well on this. :) I can tell you one thing for certain though: I don't bother to go out of my way to separate or to combine fat and carbs. I just don't worry about it. And my results have been much better since I stopped worrying about it.

For me, this quote from Layne applies best:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=803293

i'm just worried that if you tell these guys the way you said it now they will freak out if they don't have pro/carb/fat at every meal. It's ridiculous how much some of these people agonize over details that really make 0.0000000000000001% of difference... if that.


...because, again for me, it just does not seem to make a difference.

I feel that if you hire a trainer who advises one route or another, you should trust him/her and do exactly what he/she tells you to do. (If I hired Swolecat, you can be sure that I'd do exactly what he told me and I would be separating all fat and carbs, using dex PWO, etc. If I hired Chuck, I would do exactly what he told me, combining fat in all meals and never using dextrose.) But if you're going about this on your own, don't be afraid to experiment and try new things. :) Besides, I think there are much bigger issues in bodybuilding than this. Train hard, eat clean most of the time, get plenty of rest, BE CONSISTENT, and you'll go pretty far. :)

...
Well said.

I've got some questions for the brain trust out there:) Here's some background: I've been cutting for about six months, while lifting to retain lean body mass. I have had good success so far, losing about .6 lbs scale weight per week, and judging by the mirror and my strength gains, I'd say I've gained a little lean mass. I eat a clean diet of 40 40 20 with no cheat days. Here is a link to my fitday info in case anyone would like more detail on my diet. I dont put activities into fitday but I generally do an upper/lower body split, compound lifts, squats, bench, pullups, dips. with some cable work because it feels good. I'm at 12% BF and 181 lbs right now, I'm a little under 5'11" I'm trying to get under 10% when I will then start a clean bulk. My progress in losing %BF seems to be slowing or I've hit a plateau. It's the last few pounds of fat that are giving me trouble (no surprise there!)

http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJournals.html?Owner=cyclonecj

I do fasted AM LISS cardio 6-7 days a week, occasionally twice a day. Since I'm 44 yrs old, 70% of my MHR is 123.

My first question is how "set in stone" is this value? If I exceed it, am I going to lose LBM while doing fasted LISS? I generally do 45 to 60 min of elliptical at around 140 bpm, that's where it "feels" good. Should I bring my HR down a bit?

Is there any way to tell when I am starting to lose LBM or getting to the point where my body is going to metabolize muscle? I mean is it like "bonking" where there are obvious physical symptoms when the condition occurs?

After LISS, I usually wait about 1 hr before eating, I make a shake with some whey protein, some fruit (strawbs or banana) flax meal, egg whites. Pretty much a meal replacement, P, C and F. I have heard diametrically opposed viewpoints from equally knowledgeable and experienced people on mixing carbs and fats in the same meal, I'm on the fence. The shake is just an easy way to get some healthy food in before I go to work. What is the consensus here, should I eat something different after LISS?

Thanks in advance for replies/advice.

Pete

Without reading over the posts i would suggest you switch up your cardio and start including some interval work. Your body might have adpated to LISS and thus its not's causing any more significant changes to your body. You need to disrupt your metabolism.

Interval training should not be performed on an empty stomach however.

Your body might have adpated to LISS and thus its not's causing any more significant changes to your body.

:confused: explain how this is possible?
is it no longer areobic?
does he do it so effortlessly now at hr = 140bpm that his body doesnt need to burn calories for energy to sustain said effort?


Interval training should not be performed on an empty stomach however.
Why not?

That sounds logical, I'll start doing some intervals in the evening, when I don't have to worry about being fasted. I'll also stick to the LISS in the morning, I actually enjoy it now! Maybe that's proof that I'm too accustomed to it.

That sounds logical.
Not to me... maybe im misunderstanding.

:confused: explain how this is possible?
is it no longer areobic?
does he do it so effortlessly now at hr = 140bpm that his body doesnt need to burn calories for energy to sustain said effort?



Why not?

Of course its aerobic, so is reading. :) The body is efficient and will adapt to most anything. The same reason you should change excercise selection and set/rep schemes regularly. If your body is accustomed to something it doesn't have to compensate so much and thus it yields less results, in this case fatloss.

Interval training is an anaerobic traning method, that's why i wouldn't do it fasted. You can do it anyway you want. ;)

Of course its aerobic, so is reading. :) The body is efficient and will adapt to most anything. The same reason you should change excercise selection and set/rep schemes regularly. If your body is accustomed to something it doesn't have to compensate so much and thus it yields less results, in this case fatloss.

Interval training is an anaerobic traning method, that's why i wouldn't do it fasted. You can do it anyway you want. ;)
I see where you're going, but this is different than the case of muscle stimulation.

If anything he's burning more fat now @ hr=140 than he was when he started.
The more fit you become, at least in cycling, your maxHR will come down, as will your resting heartrate (and if you were out of shape before, your VO2max will increase, which means you'll become even more efficient at burning fat at any given effort)

So with the lowered maxhr, 140bpm is a greater effort for him now because it's a larger % of his max, and he'll burn calories to sustain that energy (and that's not even mentioning the increased amount of fatburning he'll have from the increased VO2max)

He's definitely not burning less fat with the LISS as you're suggesting. (I'll hope Zenpharaohs/SC can either back me up, or set me straight)

I see where you're going, but this is different than the case of muscle stimulation.

If anything he's burning more fat now @ hr=140 than he was when he started.
The more fit you become, at least in cycling, your maxHR will come down, as will your resting heartrate (and if you were out of shape before, your VO2max will increase, which means you'll become even more efficient at burning fat at any given effort)

So with the lowered maxhr, 140bpm is a greater effort for him now because it's a larger % of his max, and he'll burn calories to sustain that energy (and that's not even mentioning the increased amount of fatburning he'll have from the increased VO2max)

He's definitely not burning less fat with the LISS as you're suggesting. (I'll hope Zenpharaohs/SC can either back me up, or set me straight)

I'm no cardio guru but i do believe switching things up will disrupt his metabolism. While diet manipulations can be effective for getting those last few pounds using different training methods such has interval training has be suggested by a number of coachs like cosgrove, berardi, thibaudeau all of which use interval training in there fatloss routines, especially the later stages.

Diet manipulations are much more tedious then including some interval work, IMO.

Little off topic but i think that's what the OP was thinking of in his questions, diet suggestions. :)

Interval training is an anaerobic traning method, that's why i wouldn't do it fasted. You can do it anyway you want. ;)

Interval training may be anaerobic, but it may also be aerobic, often both. If you are using something like the very efficient 4 minutes x 4 method (3 minutes active rest), used by the Norwegian cross-country skiing national team, reaching 90% to 95% of your maximum heart rate during each 4 minute interval, both aerobic and anaerobic energy supply will come into play. However, you don't want to get a too high level of lactic acid buildup, as this will actually impede the aerobic pathway. Thus, even this training is mostly aerobic.

CD

Ps. 4x4 has some similarities to HIIT, but one main difference is that you work at high intensity for a longer time-period in order to work near your Vo2max /closer to you maximal cardiac output ability for a longer time. According to Ulrik Wisløff a researcher and cardiologist, you must work for at least 2 minutes to reach an optimal stimulation level.

Interval training may be anaerobic, but it may also be aerobic, often both. If you are using something like the very efficient 4 minutes x 4 method (3 minutes active rest), used by the Norwegian cross-country skiing national team, reaching 90% to 95% of your maximum heart rate during each 4 minute interval, both aerobic and anaerobic energy supply will come into play. However, you don't want to get a too high level of lactic acid buildup, as this will actually impede the aerobic pathway. Thus, even this training is mostly aerobic.

CD

Ps. 4x4 has some similarities to HIIT, but one main difference is that you work at high intensity for a longer time-period in order to work near your Vo2max /closer to you maximal cardiac output ability for a longer time. According to Ulrik Wisløff a researcher and cardiologist, you must work for at least 2 minutes to reach an optimal stimulation level.


It is both.

I'll just duck out of this thread now i just suggested some interval training and then the treaded "why". :D

Interval training is an anaerobic traning method, that's why i wouldn't do it fasted. You can do it anyway you want. ;)
He's eating a good amount of carbs everyday.
He should have a full tank of glycogen for the times HIIT dips into anaerobicism - he'll be fine doing it fasted for over an hour if he wants.