Carbs burned

[CurlUp&Die]

:wave:
Hi i read that every 4 calories burned during exercise = 1g of carbs burned off. is this true?? Can it be true?? Can anyone help me with this as i am struggling with low energy levels and have been told that because i run i might need more carbs for energy. but i dont want to stall my weight loss.

[JL53563]

If you are eating low carb, your body will be burning mostly fat. It does take awhile for the body to adapt to this, though. If you are fairly new to this, you will very likely experience low energy until you do adapt. Most people will usually feel better within a few weeks. Extra carbs are not necessary for running. I am an avid runner and I consume less than 20g of carbs every day. Most days less than 10.

[cs_carver]

1 gram of carbs = 4 calories.

1 gram fat = 9 calories.

I don't think you can specify exactly which calories get burned in what order during exercise.

[Marcia Mae]

Running while low carbing is not impossible, but it is harder. When I first started induction, it took me a while to get the treadmill moving fast and I felt so tired, induction flu x 2. Now I've been running and low carbing for about a month and my times are improving. However, I'm running to simply lose weight, not win marathons. And I only run 3 miles a day.

I have never heard of the equation your questioning, relating to calories burned anyway. If it were true, then a person my weight running for 30 minutes would burn 336 calories, and burn 84 carbs. I doubt this is true and I wouldn't want to mess up my diet proving it.

[Clunk]

1 gram of carbs = 4 calories.

1 gram fat = 9 calories.

I don't think you can specify exactly which calories get burned in what order during exercise.

Not entirely correct. The muscles will burn any simple carbs within them first before burning fats and protein.

I have only been on the VLC diet for 2 weeks and I think I am just coming out of the brain fog stage now. But the low energy levels etc are suppose to go after a while.

If you decide to add carbs to your diet you will likely stop producing a sufficient number of ketones (the enzymes that break down fat) - which is the entire point of the low carb diet.

Additionally considering your body burns all available energy stores before it burns fat and protein you would have to exercise for much longer to gain fat loss benefits

Ultimately it depends on where you are with your weight loss. When I am close to my goal I will slowly introduce more whole grains and fruits to support a higher output of exercise and normalize my diet- but if you have a fair bit of weight to lose- I would be persevering and enjoying the results.

[Caraboo109]

If I am exercising and burning calories, and there are very little carbs in my body to burn up first, would this not mean a more efficient and fruitful workout? I can remember doing freeweights for a half hour to 'burn off the carbs', then doing an hour of cardio on the torture machine to 'burn fat'. Maybe it's the other way around, but either way I understood it that the carbs would go first, then the fat.

[blink2233]

Did you ever find the answer to your question? I was looking for this exact answer or at least a formula that was not as generic. I am a low carb diet participant myself and have taken up walking and running and was worried my carb "energy" intake was too low.

[jt2007]

HI Blink!

1gram carbohydrate= 4 calories

fat=9 calories

protein=4 calories


One calorie is the energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. When I was in lab we actually did controled burning of foods to raise water temp for measureing calories.

But:
There are carbs you can put into your body that barely get broken down and used for energy: Fiber!

The best way I can understand calorie and carb burning is to understand how and when a sugar molecule is broken down and used in the body.


I have listed a website that explains how carbohydrates and sugars are related,

"How are carbohydrates and sugar related?"

EXCERPT:

The basic building block of every carbohydrate is a sugar molecule, a simple union of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Starches and fibers are essentially chains of sugar molecules. Some contain hundreds of sugars. Some chains are straight, others branch wildly.

http://myyearwithout.blogspot.com/2009/02/carbohydrates-sugar.html