Exercise and carbs?

Fiona_Bullough
Fiona_Bullough Posts: 138 Member
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hi All,

Well , I am doing low carb and have been averaging around 40 g carbs per day. Weight loss has been good and I've felt good.

HOWEVER, I now do bootcamp 3x per week and have sometimes found it very hard... yes, I'm out of puff, sweating and working hard BUT I feel tired, my muscles are tired and possibly holding me back. Hope you understand what I mean. I feel muscle fatigue.

So I'm thinking of upping my carbs, try shooting for 100 g maybe. (I believe this is still classed as low, is this ok?)

But, I'm not sure if there is a 'best time' to eat the carbs. I workout 6:15am - 7am so eating 2hrs before is not really possible.

Would making my evening meal a little heavier on the carbs be ok? Would this mean I'd have carbs for my workout the following morning or would they have run out?

Or is a little throughout the day to keep levels more constant better?

Or a good carb snack right before bed (approx 8-9hrs before workout?)

Replies

  • TenderBranson
    TenderBranson Posts: 114 Member
    If you're trying to stay low carb for most below 100 is still fairly low. 100-150 is okay too if you know you're going to have a strenuous workout. Play with carb cycling a bit, I would suggest having a higher carb intake on your bootcamp days & low-moderate carbs on off days. See what works best for you, so long as you're below your caloric intake & getting a good amount of protein to keep you satiated you should be golden.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    if you're trying to replenish your glycogen stores it doesn't really matter when you eat the carbs. Fat loss from exercise is generally better if you haven't eaten beforehand.

    Would you have felt better with the exercise before doing the low carb ? I have never been fit regardless of diet so I understand the symptoms, but low carb for me wouldn't be the cause.

    It's also worth saying that if the low carb is helping with the weight loss I would make it a higher priority than the exercise. Weight loss is >80% diet after all.
  • Fiona_Bullough
    Fiona_Bullough Posts: 138 Member
    If you're trying to stay low carb for most below 100 is still fairly low. 100-150 is okay too if you know you're going to have a strenuous workout. Play with carb cycling a bit, I would suggest having a higher carb intake on your bootcamp days & low-moderate carbs on off days. See what works best for you, so long as you're below your caloric intake & getting a good amount of protein to keep you satiated you should be golden.

    Thanks, I did think about carb cycling but I was a bit confused due to my workout time! I wake at 5:20am and I'm working out at 6:15-7am. So would the higher carbs be of any use on my workout day if I've already worked out?! Or should I do carbs the evening before my workout? Or will that be pointless doe to me having used them up before my workout?! SO confused!!
  • Fiona_Bullough
    Fiona_Bullough Posts: 138 Member
    if you're trying to replenish your glycogen stores it doesn't really matter when you eat the carbs. Fat loss from exercise is generally better if you haven't eaten beforehand.

    Would you have felt better with the exercise before doing the low carb ? I have never been fit regardless of diet so I understand the symptoms, but low carb for me wouldn't be the cause.

    It's also worth saying that if the low carb is helping with the weight loss I would make it a higher priority than the exercise. Weight loss is >80% diet after all.

    Hmmm, I don't really know if I am trying to restore my glycogen stores to be honest! Is that what I should be aiming to do to combat the fatigue? Can I replenish and still be low carb?

    I didn't exercise before doing low carb. I did nothing really until I had been low carbing for around 6 weeks and had lost a fair amount of weight. But I feel like I could go on with the exercise (not getting too puffed, no stitch and heart burn like I would have done more than two stones ago! If I had tried...) But I just don't have the power in me... my legs tire when doing jumping jacks for example, I feel I have to stop before my legs give out!

    I agree that diet is the main thing to focus on, I've lots a fair amount through low carb, I did meal replacement for about a month (Exante, like cambridge diet) and moved up over a couple of weeks or so to the low carb diet I'm doing now.

    Thanks for the reply :smile:
  • TenderBranson
    TenderBranson Posts: 114 Member
    In your situation I would try some simple sugars/carbs before my workout & whatever carbs I want in the evening.
  • gregpack
    gregpack Posts: 426 Member
    I would experiment. Many feel like carbs post workout seem to be the best time to eat them for recovery. But you may find 50 or so pre workout help you power through. More calories in general may be helpful, but I know you may not want to do that....
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    I didn't exercise before doing low carb. I did nothing really until I had been low carbing for around 6 weeks and had lost a fair amount of weight.
    I would stick to low carb and build up exercise slowly. I'm doing the C25K running program and the initial runs at 1 minute were about my limit but last week I ran for 20 minutes. You don't get fit overnight !

    I have also done 60 minutes on my bike in a fasted condition, without needing any carbs at all.

    Don't eat carbs before your workout if the objective is to burn fat - you'll just burn the carbs you ate and achieve nothing.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    you're not worried about getting knocked out of ketosis?
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    If you're trying to stay low carb for most below 100 is still fairly low. 100-150 is okay too if you know you're going to have a strenuous workout. Play with carb cycling a bit, I would suggest having a higher carb intake on your bootcamp days & low-moderate carbs on off days. See what works best for you, so long as you're below your caloric intake & getting a good amount of protein to keep you satiated you should be golden.

    Thanks, I did think about carb cycling but I was a bit confused due to my workout time! I wake at 5:20am and I'm working out at 6:15-7am. So would the higher carbs be of any use on my workout day if I've already worked out?! Or should I do carbs the evening before my workout? Or will that be pointless doe to me having used them up before my workout?! SO confused!!

    If you work out early morning and if you do want to carb cycle - I would go heavier on carbs the night (focus on complex carbs) before and then on your exercise day, go heavier on fats and lower on carbs.

    That being said, and I realize that a lot of people do it but I do sometimes think carb cycling is micro-managing and can be harder to comply with, thereby making your diet as a whole harder to comply with. It may be better just to up your carbs more in general - just a thought.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    Hmmm, I don't really know if I am trying to restore my glycogen stores to be honest! Is that what I should be aiming to do to combat the fatigue? Can I replenish and still be low carb?

    This is exactly what you want to be doing. Whilst low carb can be a relatively good choice for particularly overweight people especially if they are sedentary it is not really that way for people who are involved in a reasonable amount of exercise as you are.

    A carb intake of 100g per day would be a good starting point. You can raise or lower as you see fit. Alternatively if you are married to the idea of low carb then try a carb gel supplement or drink prior to working out. Personally, I would avoid exercising in a fasted state as it kills performance generally but if you must do it then look into a BCAA supplement.

    Finally, don't be fooled by the idea of a "fat burning" workout. The actual amount of fat used a fuel substrate during an exercise session is tiny. What is important is the intensity and quality of the workout which then translates into a higher calorie burn overall and EPOC effect. Generally being in a fed state prior to exercising reaps better results in this regard. Obviously, if you negate this by eating all...the...things before or after exercising you will lose any fat loss benefit but if you remain within your calorie goals you will be golden.
  • Fiona_Bullough
    Fiona_Bullough Posts: 138 Member
    I didn't exercise before doing low carb. I did nothing really until I had been low carbing for around 6 weeks and had lost a fair amount of weight.
    I would stick to low carb and build up exercise slowly. I'm doing the C25K running program and the initial runs at 1 minute were about my limit but last week I ran for 20 minutes. You don't get fit overnight !

    I have also done 60 minutes on my bike in a fasted condition, without needing any carbs at all.

    Don't eat carbs before your workout if the objective is to burn fat - you'll just burn the carbs you ate and achieve nothing.

    Wow, thanks for the info, you've done great!
  • Fiona_Bullough
    Fiona_Bullough Posts: 138 Member
    you're not worried about getting knocked out of ketosis?

    I've stopped worrying about that, I think I dip in and out depending on the foods I've eaten. Sometimes I'm low carb but I think I get knocked out from eating certain types of food.
  • Fiona_Bullough
    Fiona_Bullough Posts: 138 Member
    If you're trying to stay low carb for most below 100 is still fairly low. 100-150 is okay too if you know you're going to have a strenuous workout. Play with carb cycling a bit, I would suggest having a higher carb intake on your bootcamp days & low-moderate carbs on off days. See what works best for you, so long as you're below your caloric intake & getting a good amount of protein to keep you satiated you should be golden.

    Thanks, I did think about carb cycling but I was a bit confused due to my workout time! I wake at 5:20am and I'm working out at 6:15-7am. So would the higher carbs be of any use on my workout day if I've already worked out?! Or should I do carbs the evening before my workout? Or will that be pointless doe to me having used them up before my workout?! SO confused!!

    If you work out early morning and if you do want to carb cycle - I would go heavier on carbs the night (focus on complex carbs) before and then on your exercise day, go heavier on fats and lower on carbs.

    That being said, and I realize that a lot of people do it but I do sometimes think carb cycling is micro-managing and can be harder to comply with, thereby making your diet as a whole harder to comply with. It may be better just to up your carbs more in general - just a thought.

    Thanks, this is what I was thinking... May give it a go!
  • Fiona_Bullough
    Fiona_Bullough Posts: 138 Member
    Hmmm, I don't really know if I am trying to restore my glycogen stores to be honest! Is that what I should be aiming to do to combat the fatigue? Can I replenish and still be low carb?

    This is exactly what you want to be doing. Whilst low carb can be a relatively good choice for particularly overweight people especially if they are sedentary it is not really that way for people who are involved in a reasonable amount of exercise as you are.

    A carb intake of 100g per day would be a good starting point. You can raise or lower as you see fit. Alternatively if you are married to the idea of low carb then try a carb gel supplement or drink prior to working out. Personally, I would avoid exercising in a fasted state as it kills performance generally but if you must do it then look into a BCAA supplement.

    Finally, don't be fooled by the idea of a "fat burning" workout. The actual amount of fat used a fuel substrate during an exercise session is tiny. What is important is the intensity and quality of the workout which then translates into a higher calorie burn overall and EPOC effect. Generally being in a fed state prior to exercising reaps better results in this regard. Obviously, if you negate this by eating all...the...things before or after exercising you will lose any fat loss benefit but if you remain within your calorie goals you will be golden.

    Thanks for the info, very detailed.

    I am not hell bent on low carb as such but I think it is difficult for me to get my head around eating the carbs!! Today I have tried to plan in more carbs (pre-filled in my food log as I always do) and I am only on 66g with me TRYING to up them!! I think It will take me a little time to adjust.

    I do feel I need to up the carbs to get the best out of my workout but I will be very careful with the carbs I choose and see how I go. You never know, my losses may increase! If they start to trail off then I can just lower the carbs again i guess. :smile:
  • athensguy
    athensguy Posts: 550
    My opinion is that the more exercise you perform, the fewer benefits there are to being low carb, and low carb is detrimental to higher intensity exercise.

    Personally, I'm in marathon training right now, and the main macros I pay attention to are protein (get at least .9g/kg and 10% of calories from it) and saturated fat (fewer than 10% of calories). I appear to be getting around 50-60% of my calories from carbs judging by the last few days.

    *Edit: originally said .4g/kg. It's .4g/lb or .9g/kg.
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