Any low-carbing distance runners here?

Question

Just curious if anyone else here successfully stuck to a low carb diet while doing longer-distance runs several times a week? I'm doing fine with low carb for my usual 5-10km distances 3-4 times a week, but just signed up for my first half-marathon (end of Sept) and kind of wondering if the low carb plan may present problems with low energy. I'm doing the Slow Carb Diet where you are allowed meat, veg and legumes but no dairy products, and one cheat day per week which I generally schedule the day before my longest run so that I have extra carbs in my system. I'd be interested to hear about others' experiences.

Answer

I remembered such studies/papers from my early days of learning low carb:

Ketogenic diets and physical performance

http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1743-7075-1-2.pdf

It seems to me that if you rely on carbs for fuel, you're at a higher risk of running out or low, whereas if you're in consistent fat burning mode, you have more than adequate stores that last longer.

After adaptation, and with attention to the issues mentioned in the article.

I should mention that my husband, no marathoner, still can run 6 hard miles on the treadmill, including on incline, on a very low carb diet after doing some weight training first. He sweats buckets and needs some Morton blended lite salt before and after, is all, or a V-8.

Answer

I've been VLC for years and never had a problem bonking during long runs. As long as your total calorie intake is sufficient, you don't need carbs for energy once your body adapts to using fat and *dietary* protein (not your own muscle!) as fuel. In fact, your energy levels will be more steady and sustained instead of riding the carb roller coaster. If you're eating legumes, you're getting starchy carbs anyway.

It may take a week or two to adjust, so don't get discouraged or freaked out if at first you're feeling more tired or weak. You'll adjust. If you find that you REALLY can't hack it without carbs, add a serving of sweet potato or other tubers here & there.

Answer

Thanks for these very interesting replies, especially mcf for the link to the study about indigenous diets in the arctic. Fascinating stuff! I feel encouraged.

Answer

Stephen Phinney, author of the article mcf linked, is co-author of a book called The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance, which is all about your questions. Another good resource is a website called The Eating Academy, maintained by a guy who is an avid self-experimenter, a dedicated low-carbohydrate eater, and a serious athlete.

http://eatingacademy.com/

My answer to your questions from my own experience as an endurance athlete is that a low-carb diet can only improve your ability to complete longer distances, by improving your ability to draw on your stored body fat for fuel. Where you can run into issues is not in doing longer and longer events, but in trying to do them at higher intensities. It's one thing to run a half-marathon or marathon, staying always just at or below your aerobic threshold; it's quite another to race it. Assuming you are well adapted to use body fat, you can run or swim or ride at a modest intensity for hours and not burn through as much muscle glycogen as you would use for a 30-minute race.

If you are running to win, not just to finish, you may find that a "train low[-carb], race high[-carb]" strategy works best. A book called The Paleo Diet for Athletes gives advice about this strategy, although IMO it suggests far heavier reliance on simple sugars and highly processed food than I think is healthy (or palatable).

Answer

I'm a runner (about 25 miles a week, give or take when I'm not in training mode) I also do the insanity workout 6 days a week. I eat pretty low carb, but do include beans, and Greek yogurt. I eat lots of protein and veggies, and usually eat a small amount of carbs ( bread, don't like pasta) the day before a race. Oh, and bananas, always bananas. I fuel during half marathons/marathons with gels, and managed to shave 12 minutes off my time at my last race. I'd say the diet is definitely working for me.

Answer

Honestly, if you needed a cheat day your diet doesn't work. What is this cheat day misery ? 
Why are you eating low carb and worrying about energy levels ? It is like controversial no. You are eating to have low energy ? 

A working diet should give you plenty of energy always; no matter what without caloric restrictions. A working diet should give you a physique what can easily tackle a half marathon if you ran already 5 10km distances. A working diet is so easy to follow that it doesn't need cheat days ever. I mean ever. A working diet is sustainable in all situations regardless, how much money you have, regardless which country you are in and you are on the move or home ...

Your diet is failing you...Choose the plants

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Any low-carbing distance runners here?

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