low carb and exercise

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chrisdavey
chrisdavey Posts: 9,835 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
http://www.anitabean.co.uk/2014/10/low-carb-diets-arent-helpful/

I agree with this.

In my own experiences, low carb = crappy workout. I still get it done but it is more about just trying to maintain rather than improve.

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  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    It makes sense. How many elite athletes consume low carbs? I would say basically none, whether it's a cardio or strength-based sport.

    Bodybuilders tend to consume lower carbs, at least during contest prep but that is a pretty specialized situation. A situation that does not require maximum training performance either so it only makes sense.
  • tgh1914
    tgh1914 Posts: 1,036 Member
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    Agreed ^^^ It's good for aesthetics, not performance OR health (besides obvious cases like celiac).
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,835 Member
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    There "may" be a few exceptions in elite sports but they are definitely in the minority.

    2 days till bb comp for me. Ckding lately. Low carb = survival. Refeed days = beast mode :-)
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    Good article on the subject I read a few months back:

    http://www.precisionnutrition.com/low-carb-convert
  • tkillion810
    tkillion810 Posts: 591 Member
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    Interesting article. I've recently been practicing a fat loading/low carb diet prior to my marathons. For 10 days I consume 65-70% fats, then for 3 days I carb load at 65-70%. This aligns with the taper period that runners generally go through right before their races. Tapering usually means less mileage and easier paces. I also reduce my strength training during that two week taper period. Doing a key workout on the high fat diet is difficult. During the 10 days of fat loading, it takes me about 5 days to adjust. I'm usually pretty lethargic and a tad crabby. Workouts, even the easy ones are slower and harder to get motivated. But then around day 5 or 6 I can feel the shift happen. My body adjusts to working on the fat versus carbs, and my energy levels pick back up. Keep in mind that to burn fat, the body needs oxygen, which is why HIIT or high intensity workouts should not be performed when fat loading.

    Fat loading is not something to do long term, but it is good in certain instances. For me, it teaches my body to burn on fats preserving the glycogen for later use. This is helpful to avoid hitting the so called "wall" in an endurance event like a marathon. It's also good for leaning out before a competition. When I fat loaded for 10 days before my previous marathon I dropped a few % of body fat and a few pounds.

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