How Long Does It Take To Get "FAT ADAPTED", Is Insulin Good or Bad, How Many Carbs Do You Really Need & More With Dr. Andrew Koutnik.

Ben Greenfield

Nov 20, 2025

Episode description

Full Show Notes: https://bengreenfieldlife.com/drandrew

Dr. Andrew Koutnik is a research scientist whose career bridges cutting-edge science, elite performance, and personal experience living with type 1 diabetes for over 17 years. His work focuses on how nutrition, metabolism, and lifestyle can be leveraged to maximize human health, performance, and resilience across diverse conditions—from chronic disease to extreme environments.

Dr. Andrew Koutnik earned his Ph.D. in Medical Sciences (Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology) from the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. Prior to joining FSU, Dr. Andrew Koutnik served as a Faculty/Principal Investigator at Sansum Diabetes Research Institute and Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. His research has spanned over $70,000,000 in research funding, including NASA missions, U.S. Special Operations Command, Defense Advanced Research Projects, Office of Naval Research, Department of Defense, and NIH-funded clinical trials

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Mindsip insights from this episode:

Commit to four weeks for full fat adaptation on ketogenic diet

Key fuel-related metabolites like ketones and glucose do not fully normalize until at least four weeks on a ketogenic diet, suggesting this is the minimum adaptation period for athletes.

#keto

#metabolism

Prioritize blood glucose to enhance performance

A review of 100 years of data suggests that carbohydrates improve performance primarily by preventing a drop in blood glucose, not by directly fueling muscles.

#glucose

Utilize ketones and lactate for brain energy during keto exercise

The brain maintains its energy supply during intense exercise on a keto diet by using ketones and lactate, which compensates for lower glucose levels.

#glucose

#lactate

Resolve pre-diabetes in fit athletes with ketogenic diet

A study found that 30% of fit, experienced runners had glucose levels consistent with pre-diabetes, a condition that was completely resolved on a ketogenic diet.

#glucose

#keto

Confirm long-term keto safety for thyroid, kidney, liver, and bone health

The longest-ever (10-year) longitudinal study of a person on a ketogenic diet found no adverse effects on thyroid, kidney, liver, or bone health.

#keto

#nutrition

Utilize fat for energy during intense exercise

Keto-adapted athletes can source over 50% of their energy from fat during highly intense exercise (above 85% VO2 max), rewriting the textbook on fuel utilization.