Groundbreaking New Study Changes Everything About Carbs, Fat Loss & Performance | Dr. Andrew Koutnik
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Vanessa Spina
4.6 • 795 Ratings
🗓️ 23 March 2026
⏱️ 83 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Why protein + ketones reduce hunger, how fat-adapted athletes perform without carbs, and what this new study reveals.
Timeline Mitopure Gummies — The #1 Urolithin A supplement for energy and healthy aging, now in delicious strawberry gummies. Get 20% off at timeline.com/vanessa
In this episode, Vanessa breaks down one of the most controversial and important new papers in metabolism and sports nutrition with Dr. Andrew Koutnik.
From fat loss to performance, this conversation challenges long-held beliefs about protein, carbohydrates, ketosis, and metabolic flexibility—and what actually drives results.
If you've ever struggled with hunger, fat loss plateaus, or confusion around carbs vs keto… this episode will change how you think about fueling your body.
The In This Episode
• Why higher protein intake may accelerate fat loss
• The powerful protein + ketone combo for appetite control
• Why fat loss can feel effortless on low-carb, high-protein approaches
• What's really happening with insulin, glucagon, and hunger hormones
• Why you don't need high ketones to get results
• How PSMF (protein-sparing modified fasting) drives rapid fat loss
• The key difference between dietary fat burning vs body fat burning
• Why calorie deficits increase hunger—and how to work around it
• The shocking finding: carbs may NOT be required for performance
• What 100+ years of research actually shows about carb loading
• Why fat-adapted athletes can perform just as well
• The real performance driver: brain energy, not muscle glycogen
• Why some high-carb athletes may show prediabetic glucose levels
• How to find your optimal carb vs fat intake for fat loss and performance
🎯 Want to Try This Approach?
Vanessa's PSMF Recipe Library is launching soon.
👉 Join the waitlist for early access + launch discount:
ketogenicgirl.com/proteinfasing
Vanessa shares her behind-the-scenes system built from the approach she used to lose 14+ lbs of body fat while preserving lean mass.
Join the waitlist: Sign up HERE to be the first to know when it has been released!
Groundbreaking Review Paper (100+ Years of Evidence):
Dr. Andrew Koutnik and colleagues analyzed over 600 studies and 100 years of research on carbohydrates and performance.
👉 Read the full paper here:
https://academic.oup.com/edrv/article/47/2/191/8432248
👉 Subscribe, rate, and review the Optimal Protein Podcast to support the show and help bring you more evidence-based conversations on fat loss, protein, and muscle-centric nutrition.
Get 20% off the Tone Device to try on a PSMF Day! Shop the collection HERE and use the code VANESSA
Get delicious high protein meal recipes! Connect with Vanessa on Instagram @ketogenicgirl
🔴 Tone LUX Red Light Therapy Get 20% off the Tone LUX Crystal Red Light Therapy collection including the Crystal Mask and accessories the with the code VANESSA HERE
Follow @optimalproteinpodcast on Instagram to see visuals and posts mentioned on this podcast.
Link to join the Facebook group for the podcast
The content provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Consult with a healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet or exercise regimen.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the optimal protein podcast. I'm Vanessa Spina. |
| 0:04.4 | Hello, my friends, and welcome back to the optimal protein podcast. I'm your host, Vanessa, |
| 0:09.4 | and I am so excited for today's episode because we are doing a fascinating deep dive into |
| 0:16.5 | fat loss, metabolism, ketosis, protein intake, and one of the most talked about new papers that |
| 0:24.3 | came out this year. My guest today is Dr. Andrew Kutnik, a scientist whose work focuses on |
| 0:30.3 | ketogenic metabolism, metabolic fuel switching, and how the body uses different fuels during |
| 0:36.1 | exercise and energy restriction. |
| 0:38.8 | Now, Andrew is also known for his own remarkable personal health transformation, |
| 0:43.7 | losing a massive amount of weight in becoming the very fit, active individual that he is today. |
| 0:49.4 | He's also very well known for translating complex metabolic science into practical insights about fat loss |
| 0:57.1 | and metabolic health. Now, in today's episode, we start by exploring something that many people |
| 1:03.0 | struggle with, why fat loss can feel so difficult and what is unique about ketogenic metabolism |
| 1:10.2 | and higher protein intake that can make it easier |
| 1:13.6 | for some people to access and burn stored body fat. |
| 1:16.7 | We also talk about the powerful combination of ketones and protein, why we personally both do |
| 1:24.1 | modified higher protein keto or low carb approaches and why this pairing may help |
| 1:30.6 | regulate appetite and support fat loss while preserving lean mass. Now from there, we talk about |
| 1:36.6 | strategies like protein sparing modified fasting, how periods of low energy intake can trigger |
| 1:42.2 | metabolic switching and ketosis and why metabolic flexibility |
| 1:46.3 | may be one of the most important aspects of long-term metabolic health. |
| 1:51.0 | And finally, we dive into Andrew's groundbreaking new review paper, which challenges one of the |
| 1:56.9 | most widely accepted ideas in sports nutrition, the belief that carbohydrates are |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Vanessa Spina, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Vanessa Spina and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.