Adapting to a 'High Fat Low Carb' diet as a runner

I intend on moving to a 'High Fat, Low Carb' diet in a few weeks time.

I am not new to this approach by any means, but as a runner it hasn't quite worked out for me. Up until I started running, about 18 months ago, my exercise would have come in the form of lifting heavy things and so would have been conditioned into not eating too many carbs; pasta bad, meat good!

A couple of months ago, following a race, I became very unwell and got "burnt out". It was suggested that I eat more, and add more carbs into my diet, which I did. I have felt better ever since I've done this, and feel I have more energy. However, I am sorry now that I'm not going to have my body conditioned to burning fat as its primary fuel source, so that running Dublin in two weeks would a more efficient task.

Long winded post, but essentially I'm looking to get back to the High Fat, Low Carb way of eating and trying to train my body to use fat as a fuel source. I would obviously like to do this as effectively, and as painlessly as possible.

What is the best way to tackle this? Is it to start out small and gradually removing carbs back out of my diet or to go for broke and do it all at once? I don't want it to negatively affect my training in any way.

I'm interested in the whole area of nutrition for running/sports and would love to discuss the pros and cons of this kind of a lifestyle and would be interested in any literature on the subject that you guys might recommend.

Thanks

ford2600

I eat hflc but it suits me, sounds like it doesn't suit you.

Anthony Colopo has some posts on his website about the very topic.

Don't think you need to eat high fat to run primarily on fat. Eliminate high gi carbs from diet and do some early morning fasted training.

Google scholar will have plenty studies on effect of fasted training on the mitochondria.

If your doing Dublin marathon don't change anything at this stage.

Barry Murray, optimumnutritionforsport is a good source for information also.

On hflc did you eat primarily whole foods? If so I presume you added salt to diet as given how body dumps salt on hflc, in the absence of processed food, it is easy to get in trouble with inadequate sodium.

Thank you for all the info.

I actually saw Barry Murray speak yesterday which has really pushed me to get this sorted!

I started out my marathon training with the intention of doing all my runs first thing in the morning for this reason, but life got in the way and shifts in work changed etc it didn't happen as often as I would have liked. I'll make this more of a priority from now on.

I did eat whole foods, and wasn't adding salt, in fact I had my bloods done around the time I was fatiguing and my sodium levels were a little under what they should have been, so this is obviously something I need to address when I make the move back.

I have always had slightly low bloody pressure, nothing to worry about, but as a teenager (and vegetarian of 8 years) this would cause fainting episodes. I was told then to eat more salt too but it had never really been an issue as a meat eating adult until recently enough.

pconn062

The first question I would ask is why do you want to train your body to burn fat as a fuel? Do you intend on the marathon (and distances above) to be your main event? If you are only going to run these long distances then HFLC could be suitable but best to determine that first.

ronnie085

[Deleted User] wrote: »

A couple of months ago, following a race, I became very unwell and got "burnt out". It was suggested that I eat more, and add more carbs into my diet, which I did. I have felt better ever since I've done this, and feel I have more energy

Is the answer not in your question? Carbs not evil :-)

ford2600

Deleted User wrote: »

I did eat whole foods, and wasn't adding salt, in fact I had my bloods done around the time I was fatiguing and my sodium levels were a little under what they should have been, so this is obviously something I need to address when I make the move back.

Inadequate salt in diet and not enough fibre(i.e not eating enough veg in particular to replace fibre lost from carbs) are two main pit falls of diet.

Volek and Pinney books, the Art and Science of Low Carb(or something like that) is a handy reference to make sure you formulate diet well.

As a guide, by volume carbs should still be dominating your plate, then just bulky low energy carbs like Kale, pak choi etc etc, good quality protein and plenty fats like butter, olive oil, fatty cuts, avacodo etc.

Chose primarily monosaturated and saturated for fuel and a little polyunsaturated when it comes to fats. Only cook with saturated and even then lowish heat.

Bar your heading towards diabetes not sure why one would need to eat hflc, it's not necessarily any healtier than any other way of eating where emphasis is on food quality and hitting micro and macro nutrients.

ford2600

http://sigmanutrition.com/episode86/

might be of interest. 25mins on is really good on fat adaptation and in particular fasting