Can Runner's "Low Carb"?

[Marathoner]

;) Hi everyone...I am new to the site...just started to read what people were saying and am looking for some help. I am training for the San Diego Marathon in June and just recently ran the Disney Half Marathon this month. I ran the half to try to work out some of the training and diet kinks before doing a full marathon. I feel and look so much better on low carb (even though the first two weeks are hell!)....however all of the literature on distance running suggests 65% of your diet should be carbs. What a mistake! I put on 20 pounds before Disney and ran slower because of the extra weight. Does anyone who is involved in endurance activities have any suggestion how I can either cut carbs or schedule them differently to maximize performance and ultimately cut my running time? :help:
Thanks!
Marathoner

[loCarbJ]

I would suggest you look down and read "Induction and carb count for runner??".

J

[Marathoner]

Thanks LowCarbJ...I posted there :)

[morgan77]

My brother-in-law is a runner (ran the Chicago Marathon in the fall) and he lost 30 lbs doing low carb and became very lean (I think a little too lean), but just my opinion.
Just remember that you will probably feel weak for the first week...and maybe try a higher low carb diet...like Protien Power (maintanence is around 100 carbs per day).

Good Luck

[kaypeeoh]

;) Hi everyone...I am new to the site...just started to read what people were saying and am looking for some help. I am training for the San Diego Marathon in June and just recently ran the Disney Half Marathon this month. I ran the half to try to work out some of the training and diet kinks before doing a full marathon. I feel and look so much better on low carb (even though the first two weeks are hell!)....however all of the literature on distance running suggests 65% of your diet should be carbs. What a mistake! I put on 20 pounds before Disney and ran slower because of the extra weight. Does anyone who is involved in endurance activities have any suggestion how I can either cut carbs or schedule them differently to maximize performance and ultimately cut my running time? :help:
Thanks!
Marathoner

When are you running? I run on my lunch hour most days and after work if I can't get away for a midday run. If I'm planning a lunchtime run I'll have more carbs with breakfast: possibly fruit with the oatmeal. If I know I won't run at lunch I'll stick with an omelet for breakfast but for lunch I'll include some healthy carbs with lunch. In either case, the goal is to have some glucose in the blood while I'm running.

In neither case do I include extra carbs at night. If you're bonking during the run, you needed a bit more carb with the earlier meal. For hunger pangs nuts can be eaten anytime. Make sure you're not avoiding fat in you diet. I don't remember where I read it, but I remember reading that fat in the food stimulates the enzymes that ultimately will burn the fat that's stored.

So long as your pace is 12:00 minutes or more per mile, your heart rate should be low and you'll be burning fat for energy. If you run a 7:00 pace you're burning mostly carbs. At least that's how it is for me. With time, you get better at burning fat at faster paces but it's a long process.

For the race you can keep ingesting carbs, such as Gu or Hammergel, as you run because it gets absorbed easily and doesn't stimulate insulin secretion. That's the whole reason for low-carbing: preventing insulin secretion.

One last thing, caffeine makes a big difference but not in a good way. When I was having coffee every morning at 6AM I couldn't stabilize my blood sugar. By 10AM I would be light-headed and hungry. Once I got off the "Demon Bean" with two weeks of misery, I haven't had that problem.

[kaypeeoh]

I forgot about this: Slow Burn by Stu Mittleman is about using a heart rate monitor to train yourself to burn fat, not sugar, while running. Stu is a world-class ultradistance runner. He ran from San Diego to New York City in 56 days. He espouses a low-carb training and lifestyle.