A 14-Year Journey to Optimal Health
Alex’s journey into the low-carb lifestyle began 14 years ago when he discovered Art Devaney’s work on evolutionary nutrition. Impressed by Devaney’s vitality in his late 60s, Alex decided to try eliminating processed foods and grains. The results were transformative – instead of feeling 10% better as expected, he felt “10,000 times better.”
Evolution to Full Carnivore
After starting with a paleo approach, Alex progressively moved to keto, and for the last five years has embraced a complete carnivore diet. His food choices are simple but satisfying – primarily fatty beef, some pork, and eggs, with butter as his main dairy source. He eats just once or twice daily, finding that natural satiety makes eating more often unnecessary.
Testing the Limits of Fat Adaptation
In September 2023, Alex completed an extraordinary physical challenge: running five marathons in five days while completely fasted. This feat wasn’t about promoting marathon running – it was designed to demonstrate the remarkable energy availability when fully fat-adapted. As a non-runner who had never completed a marathon before this challenge, Alex’s achievement was even more remarkable.
Surprising Performance Metrics
Starting at 14% body fat, Alex had approximately 100,000 calories of stored energy available. Despite running 132 miles over five days without food, he lost only 1 kilogram of fat – less than 10% of his total fat reserves. His blood glucose remained stable throughout the entire event, staying within normal ranges even during periods of intense exertion.
Heat, Hydration, and Electrolytes
During the challenge, Alex faced temperatures reaching the mid-90s Fahrenheit. He managed his hydration by drinking to thirst and maintaining electrolytes through salt supplementation. Notably, he experienced no muscle cramps throughout the entire event – a common concern for athletes attempting endurance events without carbohydrates.
Physical Recovery and Adaptation
While Alex’s tendons and ligaments showed signs of wear from the unprecedented physical stress, his muscle recovery was remarkable. He experienced zero muscle soreness throughout the challenge, even after completing five consecutive marathons. This rapid recovery aligns with experiences reported by other low-carb athletes who note significantly reduced recovery times compared to their high-carb days.
Energy Levels and Hunger
Perhaps most surprisingly, Alex never experienced energy crashes or extreme hunger during the five-day challenge. Even after completing the final marathon, he didn’t feel compelled to eat immediately, waiting six hours before his first meal. This demonstrated the stable energy levels possible when fully fat-adapted.
Impact on Athletic Performance
Alex’s average marathon times ranged from 5.5 to 6.5 hours, maintaining a steady pace throughout all five events. His heart rate data showed sustained periods in zones 3, 4, and even 5, demonstrating that fat adaptation can support various intensity levels, not just low-intensity exercise.
Inspiring Others
Since completing this challenge, Alex has received interest from various athletes, including English Channel swimmers and ultra-marathoners, who are intrigued by the potential benefits of fat adaptation. Many are particularly interested in avoiding the gut issues common with traditional carb-loading and frequent refueling during events.
Looking Forward
Alex continues to push boundaries in the carnivore and endurance space. He’s planning new challenges, including a backyard ultra marathon – an event where participants run 4.16 miles every hour until only one person remains. He’s also considering experiments with high-intensity activities to further demonstrate the capabilities of a fat-adapted athlete.
The Broader Message
For Alex, these challenges aren’t about promoting extreme endurance events. Instead, they demonstrate the remarkable energy availability possible through fat adaptation. His message is simple: whether you’re an elite athlete or a busy parent, training your body to efficiently use fat for fuel can provide steady, reliable energy throughout the day.
