The efficacy of specific diets (alkaline, keto, carnivore, fasting) and training methods (fasted cardio) is often overestimated or based on misconceptions regarding fat loss and physiology.

noli's read

Layne Norton challenges several wellness dogmas here by relying on the fundamental principles of thermodynamics and physiology. Regarding fasted vs. fed cardio, meta-analyses (e.g., Schoenfeld et al., Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition) confirm that total fat loss is identical if caloric intake is equal, invalidating the superiority of fasting. For the keto diet, systematic reviews show it offers no specific metabolic advantage for fat loss compared to other hypocaloric diets with equal protein. The idea that fasting is 'anabolic' or that the alkaline diet significantly modifies blood pH is not supported by any solid scientific data in healthy humans, as our body regulates its acid-base balance very strictly. Finally, labeling the carnivore diet as 'primal' is an anthropological interpretation that lacks robust archaeological evidence, as our ancestors were predominantly omnivorous. The creator's analysis is therefore overall very close to the current scientific consensus.

the sources

1. 1Hackett D, Hagstrom AD 2017
2. 2Vieira AF, Costa RR, Macedo RCO, Coconcelli L, Kruel LFM 2016
3. 3Cioffi I, Evangelista A, Ponzo V, et al. 2018
4. 4Lowe DA, Wu N, Rohdin-Bibby L, et al. 2020
5. 5Liu D, Huang Y, Huang C, et al. 2022
6. 6Jamshed H, Steger FL, Bryan DR, et al. 2022