Race refueling?

sisterlilbunny

Hey all,

I’m a slow long distance runner. I’m currently training for a half at the end of October. I need help with energy options. Keto more or less since 1/2017 if it matters.

I’ve asked on other boards and haven’t gotten anything I can use so far advice wise. Since I’m not “really” doing it right (I guess I’m failing since I can’t do a fasted run for 3 hours…eye roll here), what do you guys use for energy especially with a sensitive stomach? The last 3 hour race I did I almost DNF due to seriously low blood sugars so I have to do something.

Bulletproof coffee is right out since I won’t make it past the start. Bringing anything oily (bacon, butter, fat bombs) isn’t a great option since they cause cramping and other gut issues. I’ve tried nut butter which works okay but the stickiness isn’t the easiest to eat on the run I broke down and had SiS gels last week end (like 1 sugar but 23 carbs) and it helped so much but I’m gonna guess those two packs kicked me out.

Should I just keep lower carb on high training/race days and focus on keto on other days? Any positive advice going forward would help so much!!

Thanks,
Bunny

rsclause

As a runner I will be watching this one.

tcunbeliever

I don't think I understand the question. You can't run for 3 hours fasted. And you have a half marathon coming up...I assume that means you will need to run for 3 hours or more? And you are looking for low carb energy options to eat/drink during the run?

does dairy cause issues...like yogurt in a tube or cream cheese in a tube, or cottage cheese in a tube?

hard boiled eggs??? not sure how easy that is to eat at a run, but at a walk for a couple minutes they can be eaten (not that I would ever be so late to things as to be eating as I walk in the door somewhere)

or you can try a low-carb protein shake such as Sun Warrior (the chocolate I like, the other flavors are kind of gross)?

what about something like Emergen-C which is great for hangovers and might actually have good stuff for exercise too...or the low-carb gatorade that is now available?

supergal3

I am not a runner so this may be totally out of line, but have you tried something like a Quest protein bar?

sisterlilbunny

@tcunbeliever Sorry about that. yes I'm looking for options for that. I'm a really slow runner and my goal pace for the half is 3 hours. I did a race this past summer that was three hours and went hypoglycemic only doing electrolytes.

Shakes/Dairy generally don't do too well due to the jostling of the stomach/et al. BUT I think that string cheese actually might be an easy to eat/digest option. I'd still like something gel wise so I don't have to think about eating/chewing.

@supergal3 I've used those and Think Thin bars before. The only problem are the sugar alcohols in them make my guts revolt. Love them in general for breakfast though!!

T1DCarnivoreRunner

If you are truly fat adapted, then you should be able to run for 3 hours, 6 hours, etc. without refueling as long as you stay below your threshold. What is your "threshold?" you may ask...

A typical athlete (eating SAD) is only capable of directly oxidizing fat in skeletal muscles up to about 55% of VO2 Max (maybe 65% in the case of elites). Those of us who are "fat adapted" have had cellular changes in muscle mitochondria and are capable of oxidizing fat at much higher levels. But what level exactly is highly individual. Personally, I've determined with a lot of observation, CGM, HRM, and lab testing that I'm oxidizing fat up to about 80% of VO2 Max.

However, there is a difference between a long run in training and a long run racing. When racing, especially with shorter distances such as HM, many of us are going to exert ourselves at a level above our ability to oxidize fat. This is why so many of us fat adapted athletes use strategically timed and measured carbs during races. Some use UCan for the timing benefit, some use other fuels (gels, candy, tailwind, etc.) while managing the timing manually (this is what I do).

As long as you don't over-do the amount or timing of carbs, you will not even take yourself out of ketosis. The idea is to provide just enough carbs and at the right time (bio-availability) to fuel muscles. Do not eat a bunch of carbs the night before, though, as SAD athletes sometimes do to top off glycogen. That will create a lot of problems that hinder performance for a fat adapted athlete.

nhoffman7788

When I was running and doing keto, I believed in training low and racing high. In other words, I pretty much never had carbs until the day before a race. I would normally go to Noodles and Company the day before for lunch, and on race day I would feel like Superman with the extra carbs. For my training runs, a couple spoonfuls of peanut butter would normally get me through, but for race day, I always do a small bowl of oatmeal. Sorry keto disciples, but something greasy like a fat bomb or bulletproof coffee is just a terrible idea prior to run. I also used gels for my long runs, and I used a brand called V Fuel, which is used by ultarunner Timothy Olson. Hope this helps.

rsclause

I never can get up the nerve to do a gel during a race. I do eat gummies starting at about mile three. I have never raced while on keto yet