Study: Effects of Energy Deficit Without Reducing Dietary Carbohydrates.
 

Makes sense. Create a calorie deficit and the body burns more fat than when calories are adequate, despite macro ratios. I'd be willing to bet if they compared a low-carb diet with an equal amount of calories to the low fat diet with a deficit the low carb would win out in terms of fatty acid and glycerol oxidation. In fact, I'd be amazed if it didn't.

You may be right (studies?) but a low carb diet would impair your ability to engage in any form of high intensity exercise thereby reducing your ability to create a significant caloric deficit.

Ummmm, actually that is very far from the truth, as we have discussed here quite a few times. Adaptation period is key.

Not exactly. Low carb diets are fine for weightlifters and can work really well for endurance athletes.... and also can be disastrous for endurance athletes depending on the athlete.

However, a fighter, crossfitter, basketball player, soccer player etc. and just about any other athlete from a sport that relies on a constant series of starts and stops is going to need carbs, though not to the degree mainstream dieticians will try and prescribe.

And yes, i realize I just described CF as a sport.

They're not evil and don't make you fat all by themselves.

Really? Just what is Mark? Or any other alpinist? My team and I compete in 24hour -10 day adventure races. We all are what we consider low carb.

http://www.gymjones.com/knowledge.php?id=17

Then again I won't be the only one here that doesn't agree with you one bit on that.

I think you missed the point I made and I'll just leave it at that.

Didn't miss the point at all. :D

Fat adaptation is great in theory but the reality is it does nothing for athletic performance where glycogen stores are always the main limiting factor. Even Phinney's study Ketogenic Diets and Physical Performance came to the conclusion that "performance is limited by the low muscle glycogen levels induced by a ketogenic diet, and this would strongly discourage its use under most conditions of competitive athletics". The bottom line is that the only people who really benefit from fat adaptation are arctic explorers and anyone else who has to go for very long walks in very cold climates.

"Fat adaptation" for athletic performance: the nail in the coffin? - Louise M. Burke.

That can be said. However having done 24-240 hr race events with my team. I beg to differ. Sure I understand glycogen. I aslo understand that the depletion of it is often over rated, and misplayed. We don't do keto. I am not even what I would consider low carb (150 per day, I weigh 180). Bottom line? No, I have seen it work quite well within the climbing community and adventure racing community. We don't do it in the artic:D That being said, it may come off as me being anti carb. I'm not, I just won't see and havent' seen over the last two years that 300-400 carbs a day is needed for our type of training, which is extremely endurance based.

Not to mention your article and studies use 5 days to two weeks as the adaptation period. Not near long enough when talking to mid or long level endurance athletes. Glycogen can be depleted anytime you don't ingest enough carbs. We do that, but not the way everyone thinks.