low carb diets and exercise

silverharp

Some great threads here, I read through the "are carbs evil" a couple of the paleo threads, but I just want to clarify between "can" and "should" when it comes to carbs

My goal is to lose some weight but I am also training to build up my jogging and cycling . on a Sat I go for a 3hr cycle down to wicklow (trying to build up to 6ish hours by Oct) and during the week I do 2x 1hr runs. On top of that I do a small indoor routine 30min.

In the last few weeks I have cut down on carbs, bread etc. and this week I switched from porridge to eggs for breakfast and it seems to set me up better for the day, not hungry before lunch.

Went for an hour + run last night and didnt notice any lack of energy. but am wondering on the day when I go for the longer cycle, Should I/do I need to - have carbs after or is it a good opportunity for it to be a day to loose calories and stick to lower carbs? the cycle burns about 1200calories at the moment

TommyKnocker

Hi silverharp

I am not expert, but IMHO carbs are not the enemy, even when looking to lose weight.

Google Michael Phelps pics and then google Michael Phelps diet. His diet is really carb heavy and lots of what would be considered "junk food" but he is very lean. So he is obvisously buring off most of the calories he consumes with his training, whic as you can imagine for someone at his level woudl be quite intense.

So personally if I was in your shoes, I would be carbing up on Friday evening/night prior to my long cycle and eating carbs after to replenish my muscle glycogen. I would also be eating some low GI carbs 2-3 hours before my runs and again some after to replenish glycogen. I would also be consuming some BCAA's in liquid form and maybe some fast acting carb gels on the cycles, especially as you intend to push the cycles to 6 hours.

Although you state that your present goal is to lose some weight, I think that you shuld aim that as much of that weight as possible comes from fat stores and not lean muscle tissue.

IMHO if you try and go really low carb when your sports is predominantly cardio based, you will end up bonking (running out of energy) especially on the long cycles.

Again as I said, I am not expert. This is just my 2 cents.


Best Regards,

M

silverharp

Thanks, it should be possible to have a higher carb dinner on a Friday and as I go out early on a Saturday I can thave the porridge as a treat when I get back.

I've never thought about lining up my diet to match an exercise routine , but make perfect sense.