low carbs and cycling

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s7ephanie

middle of nowhere in France
I have started low carbs and am on day 5, had to cycle to shops today which i normally do with no problem but today i found it really hard going. Could this be because of the diet?
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Yes !.

A diet like that would kill me. My wife is cutting out all sugar (including starch) and has been feeling knackered all weekend (adrenal diet rather than weight).

Take it easy at first !
 

BSRU

A Human Being
Location
Swindon
One of the things to come out of that Horizon programme last week was how important carbs are to exercise.
 

Stu Plows

Coming soon: Bonking on a hill near you!
Yes.

The idea behind a low/no carb diet is to make your body burn fat earlier than normal as the carbs that your body would normally use for exercise aren't there. Thus really you are going straight to fat stores, hence the bonking.

I had a recommendation to look at low GI carbs, this stuff is way beyond me at the moment but eventually will read up on it.
 

ASC1951

Guru
Location
Yorkshire
A low carbohydrate diet is not healthy long term and there is lots of evidence that diets which you can only follow for a few weeks or months make people rebound when they stop. By all means swap refined carbohydrate for unrefined carbohydrate, but don't go for low carbohydrate. When I tried it I nearly fell off my bike, like you - not to mention the stinking breath and clogged innards.

The rules for a healthy diet are simple. "Eat proper food [ie not heavily processed]. Mainly plants. Not too much."
 

coffeejo

Ælfrēd
Location
West Somerset
I've reduced (but not cut out) processed carbs and sugars (bread and other wheat products, flavoured yoghgurts, etc) and have upped my intake of the natural carbs, sugars, iron and other nutrients that you get from fruit and vegetables.

Having said that, I have a bowl of muesli each morning mixed with 0% fat Greek-style or natural yoghurt and various fruits such as bananas, raspberries etc, and the night before a long and/or hilly ride I have a bowl of pasta with lots of veggies and sometimes with chopped up sausage or chicken.

If I don't have enough fruit and vegetables, my energy levels suffer more than if I don't have the cards. The more I try to find out what works for me (balancing weight, fitness and a few dietary/medical issues that need to be addressed), the more I realise that the key is the old mantra - all things in moderation, "as part of a healthy, balanced diet", etc etc etc.
 
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michaelcycle

Senior Member
Location
London
I have started low carbs and am on day 5, had to cycle to shops today which i normally do with no problem but today i found it really hard going. Could this be because of the diet?

Yes.

Low carb means depleted glycogen (both liver and skeletal) which is your body's easily accessible source of fuel. It takes some time for your body to adapt to running off ketones and many people report suffering from "carb flu".

How low are you going in terms of grams or macronutrient %?
 

cd365

Guru
Location
Coventry, uk
I did a low carb diet at the end of 2012 start of 2013 and lost a fair bit of weight.
When I started to commute to work I went back to eating carbs.
 
OP
OP
s7ephanie

s7ephanie

middle of nowhere in France
Yes.

Low carb means depleted glycogen (both liver and skeletal) which is your body's easily accessible source of fuel. It takes some time for your body to adapt to running off ketones and many people report suffering from "carb flu".

How low are you going in terms of grams or macronutrient %?
trying to keep to 10% or less of carbs. I shall not stay on this for long just to kick start diet again and i think weather will soon be too bad for cycling anyway.
 

bof

Senior member. Oi! Less of the senior please
Location
The world
Just read a book called Racing Weight which is about how top endurance athletes of all kinds, get their weight right for racing while being able to stay on top. It seems to have some good lessons for us lesser mortals which I intend putting into practice as I want to lose weight and be fit enough for a tough event I want to do and worth a read. It is certainly not recommending drastic carb cutting.
 
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