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Bulletproof's FATwater might appeal to athletes who want to burn fat, not carbs, at endurance events.
Bulletproof's FATwater might appeal to athletes who want to burn fat, not carbs, at endurance events. (Photo: Courtesy of Bulletproof)

FATwater: Coming to an Aid Station Near You

Could oil infused water be your next hydration beverage?

Published: 
Bulletproof's FATwater might appeal to athletes who want to burn fat, not carbs, at endurance events.
(Photo: Courtesy of Bulletproof)

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Your third grade science teacher was wrong: Apparently oil and water do mix.

Or at least they do if you break the oil into nanoparticles and add a bit of slick marketing.聽, which is water with medium chain triglyceride oils integrated into it, is joining America鈥檚 already long list of vitamin, electrolyte, amino acid and otherwise 鈥渦pgraded鈥 waters. It鈥檚 the latest product from biohacker and Bulletproof Coffee creator Dave Asprey, who preaches a high-fat, low-carb diet. 鈥淚 expect it to revolutionize endurance events, especially when hydration is a factor,鈥 he says about the new drink.

Five years ago, infusing water with fat would have sounded like sacrilege among the please-pass-the-pasta endurance athlete set. But these days, there鈥檚 a growing contingent of distance athletes who might actually be into this. 鈥淔at adaptation鈥 or teaching your body to burn fat鈥攏ot carbs鈥攆or fuel is gaining popularity among endurance athletes looking for an alternative to the 200 calories of sugar per hour method of competing.聽聽

鈥淚t鈥檚 growing exponentially; every day there鈥檚 an email or a phone call from someone who is interested in this,鈥 says , an exercise physiologist and sports dietician. Seebohar has worked with numerous Olympic teams and athletes, and he coined the term metabolic efficiency training, to describe the process of training your body to metabolize fat efficiently.聽

鈥淭he average non-elite athlete has a ridiculous amount of fat calories stored in their bodies. A non-elite has about 80,000 or more calories of fat but only 1,400-2,000 calories of stored carbohydrates in their body,鈥 he explains. 鈥淪o you can see where there鈥檚 a whole host of benefits to this.鈥

It鈥檚 hard to imagine runners, a group already haunted by the constant fear of poop mishaps, opting to ingest a product known for its laxative qualities.

In order to burn fat, though, you have to consume fat. Which is what Asprey鈥檚 diet plan鈥攁nd his water鈥攁re all about. FATwater uses medium chain triglycerides (abbreviated as MCT), which are derived from coconuts and are absorbed more quickly than other types of fat, meaning it can also be burned more quickly. It鈥檚 the same stuff that鈥檚 attracted hundreds of people to Asprey鈥檚 bulletproof coffee. But MCT oil has one downfall: When taken in large quantities, it can result in a major 鈥渃ode brown鈥 incident. It鈥檚 hard to imagine runners, a group already haunted by the constant fear of poop mishaps, opting to ingest a product known for its laxative qualities.聽

鈥淚t may be absorbed quickly but that doesn鈥檛 help you if you鈥檙e spending more time in the port-o-potty,鈥 says , a registered dietician, elite Ironman athlete and triathlon coach.聽

Furthermore, she鈥檚 not convinced that sips of oil are the best source of fuel for athletes. 鈥淭here鈥檚 very little research showing that this is a good way to fuel,鈥 she says, adding that when athletes go low-carb they often find the lifestyle completely unsustainable.聽

In all fairness, Asprey is not necessarily saying athletes would consume only FATwater as they work out. 鈥淔or endurance athletes who want a lot of calories, you can add FATwater to any high-calorie beverage you like in order to get better hydration,鈥 he says, adding, 鈥淔ATwater will help you stay hydrated鈥nd there鈥檚 nothing stopping you from eating anything you want during a race.鈥

However, Asprey is claiming that the MCT nano-particles actually help your body absorb water faster. Neither Sumbal nor Seebohar were aware of any research that showed medium chain triglycerides might act as an aid for water absorption, and Asprey didn鈥檛 respond to a request for additional details as to how this might work. 鈥淭he best way to absorb fluids is with electrolytes,鈥 says Seebohar, adding, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 exactly know why he鈥檚 attempting that messaging.鈥澛

Still, Seebohar gets what Asprey is trying to do and he appreciates it. For so long, America has been so afraid of fat, and Asprey has been a champion for getting people to consider adding it back to their diets鈥攕omething Seebohar has championed too. But others, Sumbal included, aren't聽not sure mainstream America is ready for鈥攐r needs鈥攆at infused water, not when the world is full of bacon and almonds and other, deliciously fatty things.聽

Bulletproof FATwater will soon be available at in Santa Monica as well as in the natural food store chain Erewhon Markets.聽

Lead Photo: Courtesy of Bulletproof

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