The trap of training blind and getting more tired
Many people believe fasted training is the secret to burning fat. The data from trail running coach Chiang Yen-ching, however, reveals the metabolic trap hidden behind that idea.
The truth about the coach's metabolism
While preparing for the world championships, coach Chiang habitually did short intervals and high-intensity sessions fasted, hoping to raise his performance. But when we checked his fuel gauge with functional medicine mitochondrial energy metabolism testing, the result was unexpected:
- His fatty acid utilization was badly stuck, like a car that cannot access its own fuel tank.
- His carbohydrate utilization, on the other hand, looked remarkable — like a sprinter's, and nothing like what an endurance athlete's profile should be.
The coach's body was running, but his energy system was training blind and never reaching the fat-burning goal he was after.
The truth about mitochondria and insulin
Genuinely scientific training means knowing precisely which fuel your power plant is running on.
1. Mitochondria: the power plant's fuel gauge
Mitochondria convert food into the body's energy (ATP). Functional medicine testing can precisely assess how efficiently the body uses fatty acids (long-acting fuel) and carbohydrate (fast fuel). The coach's short sprint sessions had taught his body to run on rapid carbohydrate consumption and switched off the fat-burning setting.
⭐ Recommended test: MITO-ENERGY mitochondrial energy metabolism assesses 6 metabolic modules and 27 key markers in one go, covering fatty acid, carbohydrate, mitochondrial, antioxidant, detoxification and B vitamin metabolism — finding the root cause behind constant fatigue, brain fog and supplements that do nothing, and revealing where cellular energy is stuck
2. The metabolic breaking point: over-conservation meets high carbohydrate
The data revealed two further points of conflict in the coach's metabolism:
- Low insulin: his insulin had fallen to barely above zero, suggesting his body may have entered an over-conservation mode. Insulin is the key that lets energy into cells; with too few keys, the body cannot use energy effectively.
- High triglycerides: despite training fasted, his everyday carbohydrate intake was too high. Unable to store that much sugar, the body converted it to fat and sent it back into the bloodstream, pushing triglycerides up.
⚠️ A note for anyone trying to lose weight: if you often skip meals and then reward yourself with sugary drinks or refined starch, your triglycerides are likely to climb too, trapping the body in a vicious circle of fat accumulation.
🛠️ Four YOUNGER solutions: adjusting precisely on the basis of data
Working from the precise mitochondrial metabolism data, YOUNGER built four personalized solutions for the coach:
🍽️ EAT: precise nutritional planning
Correcting the fasted-training myth: provide appropriate fuel before training to help the body switch its fat-burning system on. Optimizing the fuel mix: more good fats (nuts, olive oil, fish oil) and enough protein to help control inflammation.
Nutrition for stress resilience: magnesium, B vitamins and vitamin C to support the nervous system and antioxidant capacity.
💊 SUPPLEMENT: a scientific supplement plan
A fat-burning booster: for poor fat utilization, supplement carnitine, the key carrier that moves fatty acids into the mitochondria to be burned. Supporting energy production: chromium and alpha-lipoic acid help insulin work more efficiently.
Support for body and mind: GABA and L-theanine to aid relaxation and improve sleep.
🏃 MOVE: a personalized exercise prescription
Adjusting the cycle: training shifted from short intervals back to aerobic endurance work. Aerobic exercise restores insulin sensitivity. Quality training: with data alongside, make sure three consecutive days of heavy back-to-back training is actually sustainable. Strength training builds muscle so blood sugar has somewhere to go.
Stress management: yoga and tai chi alongside, relaxing body and mind together and lowering stress hormones.
😴 SLEEP: improving sleep quality
Deep recovery: secure deep sleep so growth hormone is released and pancreatic islet cells can repair. Stress management: mindfulness meditation, deep breathing and a regular routine trigger the relaxation response and lower stress hormones.
Prevention costs a tenth of treatment
Coach Chiang's story confirms it: genuinely scientific training means learning to read the language of the body's software.
- Investing in prevention vs. the cost of treatment: prevention costs a tenth of treatment while the effect is more than ten times greater.
- Data is power: through functional medicine testing and professional guidance you can turn complex physiological data into an action strategy you can follow, instead of training and supplementing blind.
Start investing in your metabolic health now, and use data to upgrade your body.
Coach Chiang's case shows the precise value of functional medicine testing and the importance of personalized health management. Everyone's body has its own metabolic pattern, and only scientific data analysis reveals the health strategy that genuinely suits you
The same training strategy produces completely different results in people with different metabolic profiles. Knowing which you are requires actual data on metabolism and stress hormones.
See which systems the 136 markers cover →Frequently asked questions
Does fasted training really burn more fat?
The proportion of fat used is indeed higher in a fasted state, but a higher proportion does not mean a greater total. If low energy reduces the intensity and duration of the session, overall expenditure may actually fall.
Who is fasted training suitable for?
It is generally suggested for low-intensity, shorter aerobic work. Doing high-intensity intervals or long sessions fasted tends to raise cortisol and slow recovery, which is particularly unhelpful for anyone already carrying a high training load.
How do I know whether it suits me?
Look at your recovery and how your stress hormones move. If HRV keeps falling and fatigue increases after you try fasted training, that usually means the strategy does not suit the state your body is currently in.
Want to know what state your body is in right now?
Body Decode, 136 markers, covers 17 health categories including nutrients, metabolic, cardiovascular, immune, endocrine and detoxification, with a 60-minute consultant report review and a 120-day action plan.
See what is covered and the price
