zero energy for running/leg muscles always sore

[westcoast]

So my carbs come from 2 fruits daily, lots of vegetables, maybe 2-6 ounces of cheese, and sometimes nuts. I'm at the weight I prefer. But I have ZERO energy for running, and I feel like my muscles are not being "replenished" because of the low carb intake - no glycogen restocking.... but maybe not. Anyway, how do you have energy for cardio?! Aside from caffeine.

[ysabella]

What about protein intake? How much do you eat? Do you stretch? And how often are you trying to run? Taking any supplements?

Have you been running fine and now you don't have the energy, or are you just starting, or what?

Sorry that you're having trouble. Give us some details, maybe someone will have an idea.

[westcoast]

I've been running for years and years, and this exhaustion or muscle fatigue has accompanied the low-carbing. It's definitely not the running since it's always been a part of my lifestyle. yes, I stretch. I eat tons and tons of protein! Like, probably too much! So are there any runners out there who do like at least a 8-miler once a week, and then about 5-6 milers on the other days who are low-carbing? I really can't believe that there are.... ! Maybe someone will prove me wrong!

[kaypeeoh]

I will run between 80 and 90 miles this week. I'm at 60 miles already. But I've been doing this for 20 years. I've followed a lowcarb diet for nearly ten years and have not gotten to the point of being able to run well in ketosis. Although there are a few on this web who claim to do it. I can't.

Now I generally will run 8 miles on my lunch hour. For breakfast I will have had a cheese omelet. After work I'll run another 6 or 7 miles. If I have enough carbs for lunch I'll have a decent run in the evening. To be on the safe side I often carry a small flask with Hammergel. It's an energy source that's not supposed to trigger an insulin response.

If I run out of glycogen I can't run well but I can still walk pretty quickly. It doesn't matter whether the workout is done walking or running. Walking just takes longer.

[westcoast]

[QUOTE=kaypeeoh]

Thank you so much for responding, Kaypeeoh! If you have time, could you get more specific with your daily meals... what kind of carbs do you have? What do you do instead of grains? Or do you at times eat grains? I'd really, really appreciate it.

[westcoast]

Also, your stats say you are 15 pounds away from your goal weight, but you've been low carbing for ten years..... Have you been low carbing, but just not been at your goal weight for ten years..? That sure comes out rude, but it really is just a question.. I hope no offense will be taken!

[kaypeeoh]

Those stats go back several years. Right now I'm 167 pounds.

Breakfast is generally an omelet or sometimes oatmeal with eggs, peanut butter and honey all mixed together and microwaved.

Lunch is often canned salmon and mayo on whole wheat toast. Or canned soup.

Dinner is usually stirfry veggies and fish. I snack on nuts all day. As I mentioned, I keep Hammergel on hand for when I think I'm 'bonking'.

Sunday I usually pig out with pizza or take out chinese, heavy on the carbs. That one hi-carb meal will get me through most of the week of lowcarb eating.

Gotta run. :-)
I'd like to get down to 160 but I'm not too worried about it.

[JL53563]

Westcoast, how long have you been low-carbing? It does take the body time to adjust to using fat for energy. My understanding is that it can take anywhere from several weeks to several months. I do a fair amount of running and I do close to zero carb. I don't do very much running of more than 4-5 miles, but only because I don't feel that longer runs are particularly healthy. I can easily run 10 or more miles when I choose to.

I also had been experiencing leg pain while running. I started taking potassium supplements and this has helped immensely. I take 3-5 99g tablets per day.

[westcoast]

Kaypeeoh, thanks again for responding. So you do eat grains. Just seeing if there are any grain-free runners. I'm still experimenting with what works while trying to keep body fat down.

[westcoast]

JL, thanks for responding. I thought I was low-carbing but when I did fit-day I learned I really wasn't. My carbs could go up to 200-250 at times because I'd eat three pieces of fruit and lots of veggies, like tomatoes, squash, green beans, etc. But compared to what I used to be eating, I swear my carbs used to be in like the 500-600 range, with beans, rice, oatmeal. And i never did the stage where you eat less than 20 carbs per day, so maybe since I didn't actually get into that fat-burning zone. Someone once commented it's easy to be in "no man's land" where you never enter the fat-burning zone because you're still eating just a bit too many carbs. I did try the red meat, eggs, and super low carb veggies for about 3 days but felt fat and greasy and it was disgusting. So maybe it's my own fault! The food I eat now, though, when I enter it into fit-day, I am covering all my nutritional needs, usually like even 5 times more than needed because I eat so many veggies! But then I keep reading running sites about how stupid low-carb is for runners and how your muscles don't recover or replenish themselves... anyway, trial and error, I guess. And I've been eating like 150-225 carbs every day for like a year... that is low-carb to me!

[JL53563]

That "no man's land" comment was mine.....and it seems to me that you are there. In the low-carb world, your carbs are very high.....but still about half of what most non-low carbers eat.

But then I keep reading running sites about how stupid low-carb is for runners and how your muscles don't recover or replenish themselves...
My muscles recover just fine. And since I'm burning fat and ketones for energy, there is no need to replenish the glycogen stores in the muscles.

Check out the Phinney study. It has some great info on athletic performance and ketogenic diets.

http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/1/1/2

[JL53563]

I also had been experiencing leg pain while running. I started taking potassium supplements and this has helped immensely. I take 3-5 99g tablets per day.

Yikes!!!! Make that 99mg tablets, not 99g.

[notabiker]

I adhered strictly to the Atkins diet about 5 years ago. I was a confirmed "gym rat" and engaged in mass building types of movements. On the low carb diet, I lost apx 40 lbs. (from 220 to 180lbs) and was doing a "Superslow" workout with a trainer every 4 days. I tried the superslows for 16 weeks. When my trainer went on vacation, I decided to try my old workout and was shocked at the dramatic strength loss. Well, I promptly ceased the superslows and returned to my mass building workout. The only result from superslows was a gain in the amount of intense pain I could endure and the length of time I could endure it! LOL Veterans of high intensity training know the term and sensation of over training, correct? This is how I felt ALL the time when I was in the gym! I could barely finish what used to be a 2 1/2 hour workout in an hour (more like 40 min.). I was discussing my situation to some nurses at the hospital where I worked. They all knew I was on a LC diet and complemented me on my trimmed down physique. One nurse shook her head and said "Well no wonder you don't have any strength and stamina! You don't have any fuel to engage in that type of activity! You can't work out without carbs." I soon quit the LC game. Now, I'm willing to try LC diets again but would like to know how strength loss and fatigue can be avoided?

[kaypeeoh]

This site might have the answer for you:

http://www.lowcarbmuscle.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=10

[notabiker]

Thanks! Interesting site with good info!

[Bluebell29]

Thanks for the 2 new websites for lowcarb atheletes! Very helpful for me.

[lcbkk]

So my carbs come from 2 fruits daily, lots of vegetables, maybe 2-6 ounces of cheese, and sometimes nuts. I'm at the weight I prefer. But I have ZERO energy for running, and I feel like my muscles are not being "replenished" because of the low carb intake - no glycogen restocking.... but maybe not. Anyway, how do you have energy for cardio?! Aside from caffeine.

Where is the protein?