Can low-carbohydrate diets be effective for individuals who engage in regular running if they are seeking to maintain their energy levels, enjoy their runs, and achieve weight loss?
Is it possible to follow a low-carbohydrate diet and still experience energy, enjoyment during runs, and weight loss? This is a common question for individuals who enjoy exercise and are looking to shed pounds.
The body’s preference is to initially acquire its source of fuel (sugar) from the easily accessible glycogen stores located in the liver and muscles. Engaging in high-intensity exercise rapidly depletes these glycogen stores, causing the body to release stress hormones, such as cortisol, to initiate gluconeogenesis, a process that produces sugar to supply extra fuel.
The depletion of glycogen stores can impact your ability to sustain the same intensity or pace of activity, as your body starts relying on its fat stores as an energy source.
If you’re engaging in a low-intensity workout or gentle run, this won’t be an issue. However, if you aim to maximize performance and speed, it might be a cause for concern. As time goes on, your body can enhance its ability to utilize fat as fuel, which can be advantageous for endurance running but not for high-intensity running or sprint work.
After exercising, it is crucial to consume carbohydrates as they play a significant role. Your body requires replenishment of glycogen stores to facilitate a faster recovery process. Enhancing your recovery is key in improving your ability to train the following day, maintaining high energy levels, repairing injured muscles and tissue, preserving muscle mass, and reducing body fat.
Numerous studies indicate that adopting a lower-carbohydrate diet can lead to weight loss and enhance various health indicators, including blood pressure and abdominal fat. In comparison to higher-carbohydrate, lower-fat diets, low-carb diets prove to be considerably more successful in promoting weight loss. These diets effectively manage hunger, decrease cravings, stabilize blood sugar levels, and stimulate fat burning instead of fat storage.
Low-Carb Eating for Runners
Low-carb diets come in various types, with differing recommendations for the amount of carbohydrates. Generally, when adhering to a low-carb diet, carbohydrates should not exceed 40 percent of your total calorie intake. The specific quantities depend on one’s objectives, be it losing weight, sustaining a healthy weight, or addressing blood sugar or long-term health issues.
To effectively adopt this type of diet, runners should consider following a timed low-carb approach. This entails consuming sufficient carbohydrates before, during, and after exercise, while prioritizing low-carb meals throughout the remainder of the day. Essentially, this entails incorporating high-quality sources of protein (such as meat, fish, eggs, soy, nuts, seeds, and protein powders) as well as vegetables. By adhering to this strategy, individuals can adequately fuel their runs, promote efficient recovery, and enhance fat burning for the rest of the day.
Lower-Carb Eating in Practice
The quantity of carbohydrates required relies on the duration and intensity of your exercise routine. Prior to a run, this might entail consuming 20g to 30g of carbohydrates (preferably low-fiber to prevent digestive issues), and an additional 50g of carbohydrates during or within 20 minutes after completing the workout. As opposed to certain low-carbohydrate diets that limit carb intake to approximately 40g to 50g per day, this clearly exceeds the prescribed amount.
In practical terms, this implies that you can consume easily digestible carbohydrates as a quick snack 30 minutes before a run.
Examples of carbohydrates that can be consumed to fuel a run include a banana (25g carbohydrate), a small box of raisins (40g) (containing 32g carbohydrate), a cooked sweet potato (24g carbohydrate), 200g of grapes (32g carbohydrate), a Trek Bar (38g carbohydrate), or any alternative cereal bar. Additionally, energy gels and sports drinks can serve as effective choices. Properly timing the intake of these carbohydrates will ensure that your body utilizes glucose for energy during your run instead of storing it as fat.
Once you finish your run, it is advisable to consume foods with a high glycemic index within 20 minutes. To optimize recovery, try to incorporate a ratio of 3g to 4g of carbohydrates for every 1g of protein. You can opt for a convenient and swift choice by using protein powder with fruit juice, or enjoy a bowl of fruit with Greek yogurt alongside some nuts and seeds.
Energy Sources for Running
A lot of individuals opt for aerobic exercises like running to eliminate fat. Nonetheless, as a long-lasting physical activity, your body prioritizes burning stored carbs or sugar known as glycogen before fat. Converting glycogen into energy is easier compared to fat.
However, once you’ve been running for approximately 30 minutes, a significant portion of your glycogen reserves are depleted, prompting your body to rely more on fat and protein as a source of energy. It takes roughly 40 minutes into your run for your body to begin exclusively burning fat. Individuals following a low-carb diet could experience variations in the timing of depleting glycogen stores and accessing fat energy reserves.
Running and Fat Burning on a Low-Carb Diet
If carbs are not available, your body will rely on burning fat for fuel during the first 30 minutes of your run, which is the preferred choice. In 2014, a study conducted on overweight men and women and published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition looked into the impact of a low-carb diet versus a low-fat diet on exercise.
Although the study doesn’t provide information on whether the groups were engaged in running, it revealed that the low-carb group burned more fat compared to the low-fat group and did not experience fatigue during vigorous aerobic exercise.
Nevertheless, despite the fact that a study published in Obesity in 2009 discovered that a low-carb diet enhanced fat burning during aerobic exercise, the researchers observed reduced energy levels and muscle strength among the participants in the low-carb group.
Things to Consider
According to a 2007 article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it is advisable to postpone or recommence running after following a low-carb diet for a few weeks. During this initial period, your body is adapting to a state of ketosis, a fat-burning metabolic state that could potentially impact your running abilities.
To avoid muscle and strength depletion, strive to consume 0.7 grams of protein for every pound of body weight, equivalent to 112 grams for an individual weighing 160 pounds. In case you are adhering to a low-carb diet and experiencing fatigue while running, considering increasing your carbohydrate intake or consulting your doctor regarding alternative dietary plans or exercise routines.
