Ep. #214: Jason Phillips on the Horrors of “Extreme” Metabolic Adaptation

In this episode I interview Jason Phillips from iN3 Nutrition, who runs a thriving coaching business that is particularly popular among Crossfitters.

Accordingly, Jason has worked with many Crossfit athletes, and many high-level Crossfit athletes, and has seen firsthand what a lot of extreme exercise and dieting can do to the body, and to the metabolism in particular.

In short, if you push the envelope too hard for too long, you can find yourself in a situation where your energy levels and mood are chronically depressed, it’s very hard to lose weight despite eating in what SHOULD be a calorie deficit, every workout is way more of a slog than it should be, your libido is gone, your sleep is disrupted, and your life is generally a lot less enjoyable than it used to be.

In this interview, Jason shares with us a bit of the Crossfit insanity that leads to severe symptoms of overtraining, as well as how he has helped people out of that rut, and we also discuss how to avoid falling into it in the first place.

8:16 - When Crossfit athletes push themselves too hard, how do you make them healthy again?
10:14 - Why are some Crossfit athletes suffering from hormonal issues?
11:57 - What makes you certain that your clients’ food logs are accurate?
13:12 - How do the health complications of Crossfit athletes impact their body composition?
14:14 - What does the path to sanity and health look like?
15:24 - How do your experiences with these athletes jive with the implications of the Minnesota Starvation Experiment?
17:18 - What shape are your athletes usually in?
23:08 - Why would a Crossfit athlete ever want to go on a lower carb diet?
24:10 - Is the Paleo diet still popular in the Crossfit world?
30:37 - Do you have any advice for normal, everyday people who are looking to get fit?
34:52 - Are there any general mistakes that everyday people can avoid?
36:42 - For the average person, what have you found has been the most effective when it comes to training and nutrition?
37:19 - Have you seen positive results with reverse dieting?
41:21 - What has your experience with an eating disorder been like?
51:10 - What keeps you going?
56:33 - Where can people find your work and reach out?

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