# MetFix Education

> A free, first-principles course on metabolic health. It explains why conventional
> nutrition advice keeps changing, how the body actually turns food into energy, and
> what moves metabolic flexibility. No signup, no email wall, nothing to buy.

The course was written by Ravikant Dewangan (MS Applied Exercise Science, CrossFit Level 3
Trainer, MetFix certified coach). He and Jacque Dewangan co-own Persistence Athletics in
Belltown, Seattle, and both are MetFix certified coaches. They teach this material on the
gym floor and run the assessments together.

Site: https://edu.metfixseattle.com
Short links: /score goes to the 2-minute assessment, /start goes to Module 1.

## What makes this different

Most nutrition content asserts conclusions. This course teaches the reasoning first:
Modules 1 and 2 cover why a large share of published nutrition and medical research
fails to replicate, and the difference between the question a p-value answers and the
question a reader actually cares about. The biology modules then build the mechanism
from first principles, so a reader can check any claim against it rather than trusting
an authority.

## The assessment tool

https://edu.metfixseattle.com/tool-metabolic-calculator.html

Three ways to estimate metabolic flexibility:
- A 10-question self-assessment scored out of 40. No bloodwork needed. Covers how
  someone feels between meals, whether they can train fasted, and what happens after
  a carbohydrate-heavy meal.
- HOMA-IR calculator, from fasting glucose and fasting insulin.
- Triglyceride to HDL ratio calculator, both values from a standard lipid panel.

## Course structure

Core modules (all open, no account required):
1. A Tale of Two Sciences: /module-1-tale-of-two-sciences.html
   The philosophical split behind the replication crisis, and why it reached nutrition.
2. Frequentist vs Bayesian: /module-2-frequentist-vs-bayesian.html
   What p-values actually measure, and the common fallacies.
3. Mitochondria: /module-3-mitochondria.html
   The electron transport chain and ATP synthesis, as an interactive walkthrough.
4. From Food to Energy: /module-4-food-to-energy.html
   Glycolysis, beta-oxidation, the Krebs cycle, oxidative phosphorylation.
5. ROS, When It Goes Wrong: /module-5-ros.html
   Reactive oxygen species as signal versus damage, electron leak, fuel overload.
6. Metabolic Flexibility: /module-6-metabolic-flexibility.html
   Fuel switching, respiratory quotient, the athlete paradox, HbA1c as a marker.
7. Insulin and Metabolic Syndrome: /module-7-insulin-metabolic-syndrome.html
   Insulin signaling, GLUT4, and insulin resistance framed as an overflow problem.
8. Breaking the Cycle: /module-8-breaking-the-cycle.html
   Exercise, sleep, gut health, and time-restricted eating.

Optional deep dives:
- Why The World Is Blind: /why-world-is-blind_1.html
- Metabolic Flexibility in depth: /metabolic-flexibility.html
- Bayes Theorem: /bayes-theorem.html
- Lifestyle Interventions: /lifestyle-interventions_1.html
- Complete mitochondrial map: /supporting-complete-mitochondria-map.html

## Key ideas a summary should get right

- Metabolic flexibility is how cleanly the body switches between burning food and
  burning what it stored. It is trainable, not fixed.
- The body always burns a mixture of fat and carbohydrate. The question is the ratio
  and how easily it shifts, not which one is being burned.
- Insulin resistance is better understood as cells declining fuel they have nowhere to
  put, rather than as a broken signal. That reframing changes which interventions make
  sense.
- Muscle contraction moves glucose into cells through a pathway that does not depend on
  insulin, which is why movement helps even when insulin signaling is already impaired.
- Reactive oxygen species are normal and useful in small amounts. Volume, driven by
  constant fuel intake, is what turns a signal into damage.
- Frequency and timing of eating are separate levers from quantity, and they are
  routinely ignored in favor of portion advice.

## Scope and honesty

This is education, not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Nothing here promises
an outcome. Anyone with a specific clinical question is pointed to their physician, and
anyone wanting an individual plan is pointed to a paid assessment rather than being sold
a protocol through the course.

## Related

- Persistence Athletics: https://persistenceathletics.com
- MetFix assessment and coaching: https://persistenceathletics.com/metfix
  Ravi and Jacque Dewangan both coach it. Jacque is the coach most people will sit down
  with for the assessment.
- The gym is at 3025 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98121.

## Contact

info@persistenceathletics.com