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Carbs for a runner..?

  • 22-04-2010 12:29PM
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,931 ✭✭✭


    Apologies in advance for the long-winded post!

    I was hoping for some advice from some of the more experienced runners here about carb intake. Bit of background first:
    • I'm currently running approx 30 - 40km per week, and cycle the 10km round trip to work every day.
    • I plan on running the DCM this year, and will be building up my daily & weekly distances over the summer.
    • In addition to this, over the past year I've lost 3 stone and am now down to 13st. However I feel I still have another 7 - 10 lbs to shed before I'm a normal, healthy weight.

    Since the beginning of 2010 my weight has been hovering around 13st mark, and no more is coming off. So recently I cut down on my carb intake. This seems to be working. But, I know you need carbs to fuel your body for running.....

    So I'm a little confused really. I was reading different reports & articles online about carb intake for runners...

    I know I should be eating carbs to help me with my running, but my weight-loss has plateaued and is only moving in the right direction since I cut down on the carbs.

    I'm also concerned that if I try to cut down on carbs while upping mileage that it will be a disaster!

    What to do??? All advice welcome!

    Edit: Thought a sample diet may help give an idea.

    Previous typical day

    Breakfast
    2 Weetabix
    2 Toast with Flora & jam

    Mid morning
    Banana

    Lunch
    Ham & Cheese sandwich
    Homemade soup
    apple

    Dinner
    Chicken stir fry & noodles
    or
    spaghetti bolognaise & 2 slices of garlic bread

    Current typical day

    Breakfast
    Bowl of museli
    2 slices brown soda bread
    2 eggs - scrambled
    beans

    Mid morning
    Banana + small handful of mixed nuts (pecan/hazel/brazil)

    Lunch
    Chicken breast + plate of salad - sometimes 2 slices brown soda bread

    Mid afternoon
    small handful of mixed nuts

    Dinner
    Chicken stir fry - no rice or noodles
    or
    spaghetti bolognaise (without the spaghetti/pasta), plate of salad


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 171 ✭✭SucCes09


    Very similiar issue\question. Actually weight more now than I did last year, but running more. If I lost 4-5 kilo it would certainly help my running times, but not sure where\what to cut out without affecting my training...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,525 ✭✭✭✭Krusty_Clown


    I eat carbs all day, every day and massive amounts of them (including beer. :)). I'm not concerned about my weight, but keep an eye on it from a hydration perspective.

    My weight only fluctuates based on my mileage, as my diet is pretty healthy all of the time (except for the beer!). If I average around 50-60 miles per week, my weight drops. If I average 20-30 miles per week, my weight goes up. If I give up beer for four weeks before my marathon, I lose around 4-5 lbs. I'm 6ft and about 73kg at the moment (carb + beer consumption phase of training).

    So up your mileage (will require carbs), or reduce your total food intake. I did read about one long distance runner who survives on a carb-free diet, but he sounded like a bit of a tree-hugging nut-job. (Apologies to all tree-hugging nut-jobs. No offence intended). I'm not a nutritionist (or even knowledgeable on the subject), but I'm sure Tunney will be along shortly with some more informed opinions.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 472 ✭✭Magnet


    I`m not an expert but...
    Vegetables are carbs, if you cut down on the bread/pasta/rice bulk up on veg, veg and more veg.
    Watch the fruit intake, whilst its nutrient rich there`s lots of sugar in them...
    I get 50% of my carbs for running from veg


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,337 ✭✭✭How Strange


    If you're not losing weight it probably means your portion sizes are too big.

    Just looking at what you ate this morning for breakfast:
    Bowl of museli
    2 slices brown soda bread
    2 eggs - scrambled
    beans
    IMO that's one helluva breakfast. If you ate this then you've probably exceeded your carb requirements for the day. Then you had a banana and nuts for a snack. The eggs and soda bread is a sufficient breakfast unless you're planning a very long run later in the day (12+ miles). Personally I just have 2 eggs for breakfast without any bread at 7am and I'm usually full until 12pm however I'm a petite female so you'd probably need 3 eggs. Eggs are suprisingly filling.

    According to your post you run, in old money, max 24 miles per week and cycle about the same. For that level of activity you don't need alot of carbs.

    Concentrate on protein and fats over carbs while you're doing this amount of exercise. I'd concentrate on protein and fats over carbs 90% of time and add in your carbs as you need them. I'm saying to eliminate carbs but they should be the smallest portion on your plate after lean meat/dish/beans/pulses and vegetables.

    You should increase your carb intake in line with an increase in exercise so if you're running 40-50miles a week then you need to take on some more carbs. Also IMO (and only IMO) you should only increase your carbs the day before a long run. On the days you're not running or you're only running less 5miles then reduce your carb intake.

    The nutrition and diet page over on food is drink is a great place for some advice on carb/protein intake.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 295 ✭✭OuterBombie


    Howdy,

    Great post, sounds like you are considering all your options to achieve your goal which is admirable.

    Have you tired keeping an honest food dairy for up on 14 days or more? This would give you a better idea of average consumption of cals. Be sure to include beers in there also. Include also a number or star system for how big the portions are also. I'd read that because the stomach is slow returning the "I'm full" signal, its easy to overeat.

    Once you have that, just analysis it versus the amount of training that you doing. You've probably reached a balance at the moment, only either a diet change or more training will change that.

    If you stick with your diet, then the increased milage for DCM should see the pounds fall but its easy to eat more when training more (thats what I tell myself anyway) so you need to keep an eye on it.

    I tend to be great diet-wise during the week but by the weekend the weakness takes over, jaffa's, beer's and the odd pizza are fair game. I know this can knock the gains I've made during the week easily so my weight tends to stay static but that said I'm in relatively good condition.

    When I took training a bit more seriously, I'd cut out all bread, reduce white starchy carbs like spuds/pasta/rice replacing with veg and/or salad and watch the qualities I was eating. I was also strict at the weekends which was the real killer. I used to be always hungry :) so only every managed that pre-season for maybe 2/3 months just to get to a good race weight.

    When training, its all a balance, for long term health its all about the diet.

    My .02 euros.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,931 ✭✭✭az2wp0sye65487


    Thanks all for the replies so far.

    Definitely some food for thought there (I'll get my coat!).

    I'll take it all into consideration and see how I get on in the coming weeks/months!

    Cheers.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,525 ✭✭✭✭Krusty_Clown


    I have to agree on the size of your breakfast. That's massive. Is that in preparation for a very long run?

    On the days when I'm doing a very long run (20+ miles) I'll eat:
    1 x bowl of porridge, made with low fat milk, seeds, honey and raisins
    1 x Bagel with Nutella
    1 x banana
    and a cup of coffee.. That's also my pre-marathon breakfast.

    Also, eating Spaghetti Bolognese without the pasta is probably far higher in fat content that eating it with pasta. Sure, it's high in protein, so will probably curb your hunger for longer, but the fat will alrealy be ingested, right?

    My previous response was a little tongue in cheek, but my answer was genuine. Consider increasing your mileage to 35+ miles every week and it will shed those pounds and at the same time build you up for your next marathon challenge. combined with your cycle-commute, that'll be a lot of burnt calories.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,725 ✭✭✭kennyb3


    another +1 for the breakfast, id be bloated like a hippo if i had that for breakfast and im a real breakfast person. any combination of 2 of the 4 items you listed should be fine but not all 4 at once


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 310 ✭✭gmurran


    A common problem is that you get used to eating loads of salad (low calorie) , this increases your appetite and then on your bad days you go way over because of increased appetite. Something that has worked for me is to use a site like daily burn for 4-6 weeks.

    http://dailyburn.com/locker_room/

    Get to know calorie values and start making your own food. Avoid non wholegrain foods and eats lots of potatoes or rice for dinner rather than pasta. I know eat pasta as a rare treat.

    Also make sure you know your RMR.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,931 ✭✭✭az2wp0sye65487


    I have to agree on the size of your breakfast. That's massive. Is that in preparation for a very long run?

    On the days when I'm doing a very long run (20+ miles) I'll eat:
    1 x bowl of porridge, made with low fat milk, seeds, honey and raisins
    1 x Bagel with Nutella
    1 x banana
    and a cup of coffee.. That's also my pre-marathon breakfast.

    Also, eating Spaghetti Bolognese without the pasta is probably far higher in fat content that eating it with pasta. Sure, it's high in protein, so will probably curb your hunger for longer, but the fat will alrealy be ingested, right?

    My previous response was a little tongue in cheek, but my answer was genuine. Consider increasing your mileage to 35+ miles every week and it will shed those pounds and at the same time build you up for your next marathon challenge. combined with your cycle-commute, that'll be a lot of burnt calories.
    kennyb3 wrote: »
    another +1 for the breakfast, id be bloated like a hippo if i had that for breakfast and im a real breakfast person. any combination of 2 of the 4 items you listed should be fine but not all 4 at once

    Just to clarify the breakfast situation.... I had that for breakfast yesterday as I woke up STARVING for some reason. This morning and most of the rest of the week it was just 2 scrambled eggs and some beans.

    Anyway, had a weigh in this morning and am now down to 12st 12lbs.... first time breaking through into the 12's!


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 51 ✭✭jayok77


    A food log is a great idea. You can look back on it aswell months later to see what you were doing right or wrong!

    Here's an extract from my food log in the attached excel file. I was a bit pedantic in keeping track of things. I dont maintain it at the moment as three months gave me a good insight on what worked for me and what didnt.

    I focussed on high protein and tried to get my carbs in during the day before my runs. Also tried not eating carbs after 6pm. Very difficult to do so usually still cooked in the evening and brought it in for lunch the next day. The shopping bills are high mind you with all the meat! I went from 76kg to 68kg in the space of 3 months, mind you I was training every day also gave up the drink but have since gone back on and Im usually up and down 2.5kg's depending on if I had a session or not...


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