Fatty Acid Oxidation

Fat oxidation is described as reaching its daily peak between about 7 AM and 11 AM if the fast continues. The late-morning fasting claim of three times more fat refers to fat oxidation rate during hours 12 to 16 of the fast, not total daily fat loss. The article distinguishes fat mobilization from fat oxidation as separate steps. The article says fat oxidation is substantially higher at hour 20 than at hour 16. Short-term fasting is described as not automatically slowing metabolism and may increase metabolic rate through norepinephrine. The article claims that adding two hours beyond a 16-hour fast may produce a qualitatively different metabolic state. The recommended post-fast meal includes at least 40 grams of protein with low-glycemic carbohydrates. The article presents oxidation risk as the central principle for choosing fats. Fat eaten with a late dinner underwent about 10% less oxidation by the following morning in a Johns Hopkins study. A 2023 Nature Metabolism paper is cited as finding a threshold change in lipolysis-related gene expression around 17 to 18 hours. Long-chain fatty acids require L-carnitine transport to enter the mitochondrial matrix. Medium-chain and short-…