Low Carb Triathletes (Page 2)

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2009-07-20 6:29 AM
in reply to: #2291614

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Elite
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Subject: RE: Low Carb Triathletes

IMO, you shouldn't focus on cutting out carbs as much as focusing on trying to eat healthy.  Calories are what dictate weight.

For the most part, I follow the "caveman" diet, where your diet is centered around meats, vegetables and fruit.  The only source of carbs is in the fruits and vegetables, so it's usually considered a "low carb" diet.  In my daily life, I don't eat any dairy, bread, oats or especially sugars.  I don't think any of these are good for your body on a normal basis...

HOWEVER, when it comes time to train, I load up on simple sugars before a workout, use carb heavy sport drinks during the workout and then continue to load up after the workout is over to replace my glycogen levels.  I give myself about a 2 hour +/- window around workouts.  My workouts are too important for me to "shortchange" myself and not get the maximum value out of them.  If I'm going to do the work, I want to get the full benifit and proper fueling is part of that.

Granted, I'm actually working hard to gain weight and have different goals than the OP, but from what I've seen most "low carb" diets really aren't healthy and are tough to maintain. 

2009-07-20 7:41 AM
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Subject: RE: Low Carb Triathletes
What exactly is the 'Caveman' diet?  I have heard this woe discussed but it seems to be in a more general terms and not an actual plan.  When I looked it up online it basically looks exactly like what I do and your description does as well.  The only difference is the lean meats.  While I don't go out of my way to eat really fatty meats, I also don't restrict them either.  I do eat mostly chicken and fish but that is primarly because it's what I prefer. 
2009-07-20 8:05 AM
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Subject: RE: Low Carb Triathletes

BTW...sorry if I was short of seemed defensive of my WOE.  The bottom line is that usually when I explain my food choices to the average person I get a lecture about how bad it is for me.   Meanwhile I am eating a salad with grilled chicken and drinking water while they are woofing down a McDonalds super sized value meal.  

I overlooked that I was posting on a site where most people are very knowledgable about nutrition and exercise.  Which is exactly why I am posting here, to gain more knowledge and get closer to my goals.

 

2009-07-20 8:32 AM
in reply to: #2291614

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Subject: RE: Low Carb Triathletes
I haven't read the books, but there's a book called (I think...) The Paleo Diet and The Paleo Diet for Athletes. There's a lengthy thread about the Paleo Diet for Athletes over on the Nutrition forum. It's pretty close to how I eat, too -- however I probably include more grains than Paleo suggests, as well as dairy....
2009-07-20 12:11 PM
in reply to: #2295396

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Elite
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Subject: RE: Low Carb Triathletes

Batlou - 2009-07-20 7:41 AM What exactly is the 'Caveman' diet?  I have heard this woe discussed but it seems to be in a more general terms and not an actual plan.  When I looked it up online it basically looks exactly like what I do and your description does as well.  The only difference is the lean meats.  While I don't go out of my way to eat really fatty meats, I also don't restrict them either.  I do eat mostly chicken and fish but that is primarly because it's what I prefer. 

That's the great thing about the 'Paleo' or 'Caveman' diet.  It's not a plan and it's not a short term diet.  For me it's just a matter of following basic guidelines.  I eat as much as I want of the meats, veggies and fruits and limit everything else as much as possible.  Sometimes it's not possible, but I don't lose any sleep over it.  The paleo books have some meal plans and some recipes, but the focus is on having a healthy lifestyle and not on a short term diet.

But the point is: carbs are neccessary, especially around your workouts!

2009-07-20 12:14 PM
in reply to: #2295477

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Subject: RE: Low Carb Triathletes

jsnowash - 2009-07-20 8:32 AM I haven't read the books, but there's a book called (I think...) The Paleo Diet and The Paleo Diet for Athletes. There's a lengthy thread about the Paleo Diet for Athletes over on the Nutrition forum. It's pretty close to how I eat, too -- however I probably include more grains than Paleo suggests, as well as dairy....

 

It's tough to cut those out isn't it?  I never thought I'd say that I miss my steel cut oatmeal!

2009-07-24 4:01 AM
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Subject: RE: Low Carb Triathletes
I wouldn't even consider low carbs and triathlon. You might get away with it if you were bodybuilding but not triathlon. Your recovery and the quality of your workouts will be compromised bigtime.
I heard someone say yesterday "You cannot be sane and socially acceptable on no carbs" would have to agree! 
I did the low carb thing for a very short time to check it out and within 2 weeks I wanted to strangle people and my energy levels were shocking as was my skin and mood.
I mainly stick to clean foods  including whole grains and breads and stay lean and have enough energy to train - that's enough to convince me. 
2009-07-24 11:56 AM
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Subject: RE: Low Carb Triathletes
mmh - 2009-07-24 11:01 AM I wouldn't even consider low carbs and triathlon. You might get away with it if you were bodybuilding but not triathlon. Your recovery and the quality of your workouts will be compromised bigtime.
I heard someone say yesterday "You cannot be sane and socially acceptable on no carbs" would have to agree! 
I did the low carb thing for a very short time to check it out and within 2 weeks I wanted to strangle people and my energy levels were shocking as was my skin and mood.
I mainly stick to clean foods  including whole grains and breads and stay lean and have enough energy to train - that's enough to convince me. 


I have to agree to her, it is madness to do low carb diet when you train for triathlon or any endurance sport.

Carbohydrate is your primary source of fuel which you need when you train for endurance. Unlike other micronutrient, carbohydrate is the fastest among others to be converted to energy. Protein and fat takes more time in the body to be changed into fuel source which then not the most useful for endurance athlete.

When you do a low carb diet, your body is going for a ketogenic state (where it uses the reserve fat as energy source). However, this is acceptable when you are burning somewhere around 500-1200 kcal above your BMR. A normal low carb diet is at around 1500-2250 kcal intake per day for average male, mind you a lot of bodybuilder friends I know cut down their training when they on low carb diet.

You will feel light, good, and to some degree great.. this is common thing at the first stage of the diet, but then you will feel like being hit by a bus. Your core temperature raising, your focus is gone, and you cannot be relaxed.

When you train on average 3500-4500 kcal a day, you might need to ask where you got that energy comes from? Bodybuilder use the low carb diet to CUT, and not to train on regular basis. Believe me, you don't want to invite people like these when they're cutting to a party...
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