I Investigated One Of Runnings Most Controversial Diets (Low Carb Diet)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ย. 2024
- Controversial doesn't necessarily mean bad, but low carb high fat is certainly a diet that has polarised the running community due to the seeming evidence on both sides of the discussion! But I wanted to know more, always on the search for a better running experience. So, low carb diet or high carb diet (or somewhere in the middle). What's best for us as runners?
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I've been low-carb since early 2019. Not for running results, because I didn't even start running until lockdown, but because I am a carb addict. If they are in the house, I will eat them until they are gone. By getting rid of them, I was able to lose 1/2 my body weight and go from walking a mile or two to running multiple half marathons and 25ks. I'm set to do my first marathon in a week. I will probably carb load /a bit/ before hand, but I don't feel good at all if I eat more than 50+/- grams of carbs a day. BTW, by cutting the carbs, especially sugar, I was able to completely get off medication for Rheumatoid arthritis and have a normal Sed Rate now. I think it really depends on your body, your metabolism, your mental outlook, your addictions....
Have fun in the marathon, I ran my first last weekend and took my time with it. Walking were needed etc
Well done to you and Jonah for putting yourselves through this for us! The things you do for us! It’s much appreciated. 😊
Hey, but you haven't had a low carb diet, you just carb load before a run. That's two different things. From what I understand, the low carb diet is not something you can test in a few days, it requires the whole body to adjust to different way of fuelling. I would be more interested in seeing long term results of that. But I'm guessing this would take months if not longer... This unfortunately does not prove or disprove anything IHMO
my thought exactly, you will need a year on and a year off to be fair. Let the test be the same day of the year for circadium synching. 🤣
People say this but your body makes its own glycogen. I think what happens is your body just becomes more efficient at producing its own sugar. There's no getting around the requirement for glycogen.
@@Thezuule1 isn't that additional steps meaning less efficient?
@@Kelberi At the same time, the body learns to use more fat as well. So the efficiency may be similar (if not in favour of fat) overall, with the added benefit of being a lot more healthy by not subjecting yourself to carb loading - especially processed carbs like the shakes and gels used in this video.
@@aliasgharkhoyee9501 link to paper?
Wise old people would say, "everything in moderation". All macronutrients have their place in our diet.
They’re not wise for no reason! 😊
That saying is just an excuse for bad choice
@@jackjack8205 not really. It's actually sound advice if used in a rational way. Bad things you should never have shouldn't be consumed in moderation. They just shouldn't be consumed. Any good advice can be twisted in a way to be harmful, the key is not to do that
@@abbyschwendler1107 I’ve only ever heard it used after someone has eaten something bad or drunk alcohol. ‘Everything in moderation’ whilst scoffing 10 bars of chocolate.
@@jackjack8205 that is true, but I use the phrase "everything in moderation" quite frequently when trying to stress the importance of a balanced diet. So my experience with that phrase is mostly positive
Seems like a poor examination of low carb. A bit disappointing. There is definitely a time of transition where your body adapts and that could take months.
yes absolutely. Did not fetch even the first 10 percent of it. But lab equipment!!!! yuhuu!!! proof by authority lab equipment that i am so clever.
Show me an elite marathon runner that prescribes to low carb....
@@andydevinewine I would never claim that a marathon elite runner is better off doing low carb. The absolute genetically blessed often take sugar much better than the majority of people. And they have extremely high volumes which make them anyway much better fat burners on a higher rate than the average joe. Of course they want to max out every fuel available.
But going upwards from the marathon to longer events more and more low carb competitors find benefits in it. But still adding sugar in the event as well and in training. Just a bit more careful.
But just hypothetically speaking if an elite runner would do parts of his training in a low carb state because he feels he can recover faster or better, train more and it would give him an edge in the marathon event i do not think he would be very sharing about that.
@@andydevinewineI don’t know of elite marathon runners but I do know of elite ultra marathoners. I believe that Zac Bitters did 4x marathons at a sub 3hr time. He did take carbs but at a much lower rate.
@@andydevinewinecarbs are required for elite level results, on the other hand for your own health the low carb might be hugely important factor which will help you run marathons without aches and pains albeit not with world class speed.
Really enjoyed this one, very interesting results. I think the amount of carbs you need depends on how fast and how far you run. So take on enough for what is right for you individually, and not what someone else does. 👍
The only subject on the Internet more polarized and contentious than American politics is the debate over low carb.
I'm someone who has finally recovered from an eating disorder. I'm learning that for me to keep staying recovered, i can't restrict any part of my eating. But its interesting to know about this idea and watch you test the theory. 😊
@missingmimic. Well done on beating your demons!
Same, thank you for saying this. I honestly can't stand when people go on and on about fasting and other weird fads I don't agree with and ask me if I fast. My mom is a dietitian and I grew up eating healthy and with moderation because she's very reasonable and has studied nutrition her whole life so I know way more about all this than most people. But then people ask why I don't agree with fasting and I have to say well thats super triggering for me and I don't think its necessary for anyone but you do you. Idk I just can't get on board with eliminating things from your diet unless specifically allergic. I don't see the purpose in punishing yourself uselessly, I want to remain past that point in my life
Agreed…..my hormones get upset if i remove carbs
Sorry but the video ends for me right at the start. It can take longer than a month til one is fully fat adapted. Jonah might have a lab but he has little knowledge about the topic. What did it bring me, well! no asthma inhaler, no inflamed big toe joint and 10 kilos less weight.
They advise don't try anything new on race day don't wear new shoes for instance then they say carb load right before your race, cross your fingers and hope you can process the food and do a BM at the optimal time.
That’s why we’re practicing carb loading in our training 😉 nothing new on race day
Beer and pizza aren't the same as steamed brown rice and broccoli. When people say they want to 'watch their carbs' it's always referring to donuts, soda and processed foods with high saturated fat and no fiber. It's never fruit, veg and whole grains.
Going down the rabbit hole of nutrition.... Carb loading 36 hours before has to reach saturation level fairly quickly as you have only a finite amount of glycogen you can store, the rest as previously mentioned will be metabolised into fat via Insulin pathway.
Absolutely. People harp on about being conditioned to use fat blah blah blah...the human body uses far more energy to burn fat than it does to burn carbs. Also if you fuel well before and during then this is a better outcome in terms of performance and your time.
Otherwise all the pros would run slow and not take on carbs
Just imagine low carb people investigating high carb eating by this same method.. It would probably be something like eating bit less fat and more meat to get some protein turned into glucose and to access glycogen from muscle meat...
I’m not trying to stir the pot or ruffle feathers. This is just my experience. I run 40’ish miles a week and 15 to 18 would be my max long run. I used to eat your standard American diet all my life until about 18 months ago. Virtually zero carb because I do have a few cups of coffee a week. My experience at least for my mileage is that carnivore or zero carb has greatly improved my performance and energy levels on my runs. I run fasted in the morning nearly every run and have tons of energy. What would happen if I ran an ultra or pushed had for a marathon? I can’t say. All I know is so many things have gotten better eating this way including the running at my level
And here is me, running just fine on a carnivore diet - better then on a carbohydrate diet. It did take months to adapt as it does for a lot of people. A short period on low carb is not enough to decide what is best for your body, especially when you switch from a super high carbohydrate diet.
You can run "just fine" on any diet. You can go three days without eating and run "just fine" I suppose. What you're unlikely to see is people winning endurance races without consuming gels because we understand how the energy systems in the body work. Your body is still running on sugar on a carnivore diet you're just making your own. The issue is you likely cannot synthesize enough glycogen to keep yourself topped off during very heavy endurance efforts because the system just isn't efficient enough to do so. This is why people consume gels and such.
@@Thezuule1 For endurance you don't need carbs at all, your body has sufficient fats to get you through all but the longest of runs.
@@aliasgharkhoyee9501 that’s not really the case. Again, athletes consume pure sugar for a very good reason.
@@Thezuule1 Why do you feel it's not the case?
The slower you run, the less carbs used - even in people not adapted to low carb diets.
@@aliasgharkhoyee9501 less is not none and endurance doesn’t mean slow.
The book Endure goes through this a lot.
Also, the Kenyans think low carb diets are ridiculous.
I've learned about that book only yesterday from a podcast, need to read it
@@dotintegral 10/10 recommend!
Thanks for addressing this topic. I really enjoy your content! There is some interesting scientific research to suggest that having a low carb diet
Prof Tim Noakes latest research shows no difference in performance if high carb or low carb at 6x800m, 1x1mile, 1x5K efforts. The research also shows there is no benefit to carb loading. High carb will probably lead to diabetes for most runners, low carb is a healthier way to live. I’ve just completed Ironman Tallinn on zero carbs with no loss of energy and grabbed a slot for the Ironman World Championships next year. I think you might benefit from becoming more familiar with the latest research.
The Rocky Montage has me giggling out loud! Thanks for the Humor!
Interesting to a point. I've played with low carb for weight loss and it's brilliant for me, 20kg loss was a breeze. Now experimenting with it for running/cycling. 3 days is no time for any adaption - more like 3 weeks to just stabilise things. My energy levels are fantastic, I'm now at 3 hours of medium intensity cycling without needing any refuelling, no tricks just a decent low carb brunch and electrolyte management on the ride. That's game changing even if at the moment my power numbers are equal. Recovery is also far better, next to no muscle soreness - makes me think I should be pushing harder in the rides, I'm riding to my previous perceptions of what the effort will feel like the next day? I've also unintentionally lost a further 4kg and look leaner.
The problem is that everyone thinks their diet and their way is best. Be it carb cantered, low carb, carnivor, vegetarian, vegan, paleo etc etc. It doesn't matter. Our bodies will adapt and work it out because they are amazing. I love my carbs and making my own sourdough breads. I always go higher protein before wieghts. Higher carbs for runs. No one else has to do it. That is how i do it.
It takes roughly 12 weeks for the body to fully adapt to a low carb/keto diet otherwise you'd naturally feel depleted as you're not fat adapted
161 bpm comfortably in your zone 2 ….are we talking 5 zones or 3? Or are we superhuman 🎉😂
Dr Dan Plews is a firm believer about training low carb for fat adaptation and racing with a high carb approach (carb load like jonah said). I am definitely interested in trying this approach for my next few marathons. Its intriguing to me for sure.
I've done running/cycling on a low carb and high carb diet. I'm fatter and heavier on the high carb one. It takes weeks to adapt to low carb diet. I'd say i dont have as much power on low carb regime but stamina is okay. But its just my opinion.
You need more than one week to get your body to efficiently use fat as a primary source of energy. You were not fat adapted at all hence the low energy. You were running while having a keto flu which is mad.
Enjoyed the video, but definitely agree with others in that if you already have a high carb diet then a carb load will do little to nothing in terms of performance...
Low carbs makes me sleep much less but i feel more focussed. It's bonkers. 😂
Raw dogging a bagel... not the content I came for, but I do like it.
The main problem with carbs is how the body works with them. Your blood sugar level can only be in a relatively narrow range without killing you. So your body does everything it can to regulate your blood sugar levels. Mostly with insulin to get the sugar out of the blood and into the cells, where it gets either used directly or get stored mostly as fat and some glycogen. That's why carb loading doesn't make any sense in my eyes. It is also dangerous as you can become insulin resistant which leads to diabetes type 2. But for an athlete the risk is very low as you actually use the carbs compared to an non athlet.
Your body uses mostly fat for fuel anyway, depending on the zone your running in. The higher you get, the more carbs it uses + the fat. So it depends on your personal goals. If you want to compete and run on a elite level, carbs are fine. But if you just run for your overall fitness and health, low carb is the better way to go.
Nothing is just simple black and white. Try what works for you and stick with it. I run best in a fasted state with a low carb diet. I only use some raisins on longer runs 2h+. But I also don't run in competitions. 🤷
This exactly. It's what works for me as well. I've found I run more comfortable and faster when 12h fasted (early dinner, no breakfast).
And a usually low carb diet I switched to some time ago allows me much better control over meal times and removes sugar/energy imbalances - you feel steady all the time and skipping meals is not an issue.
And yes, raisins are a great 'insurance' for when you're running fasted - they're full of great nutrients & minerals you need (apart from plain water) for hydration and don't spoil your low carb diet adaptation as they don't spike sugar and insulin levels.
Carbs that are minimally processed and low in Glycemic Index are not very harmful. Fats are crucial, there's such a thing as 'essential fatty acids' for a reason - your body can't make those itself (unlike sugar).
It's 5:45 AM and I'm about to head out for a 6 mile run on a carnivore lifestyle since March this year and decided to see what podcast to listen to instead of my usual music. Ironically,v my fav couple that I i have not watched since March, has an episode on the very topic that has had cut down my running to only two runs a week now. I'm still trying to test this out myself but I don't think eating just meat based food within a few days is a true eat to test this out. Plus, that's what too much carb you're eating🤣. But you and Mary are my fav running couple, so whatever you do, I approve 🥰.
Can you share what the podcast is? I would like to listen
I wonder whether it works better for beginners and intermediates, whereas probably not the best for elite athletes.
Yeah, my slow run is much faster without carbs.
I ran a lot better when I was keto, but I lost a lot of weight that I have gained back sonce quitting both running and keto. Was it just easier to move a lighter body? Or was it that my body works better on keto? I'm not sure, but I do know if I want to run again I need to lose the weight again.
This is an interesting test but it hasn't tested the core question. Neither runners heve a fat adapted metabolism. They are both carb adapted runners, testing their bodies in low carb, carb, or carb loaded states. It is not healthy for a carb adapted runner to do this experiment - you're stressing the body, eating your own muscle mass, increasing risk of injury and illness. People shouldn't do half-baked tests like this, and that includes funded researchers.
It takes a minimum of 7 weeks to become fully fat adapted, a process which will feel awful to carb adapted runners, even when they aren't running, for the first few weeks. It will take most people more weeks. And it has to be done in easy running. Any spikes in pace or heart rate even for a few seconds will inhibit the gene re-expression required for the adaptation.
Whilst carbs are technically more efficient, fat metabolism uses less oxygen, and has a practicality infinite fuel source. Carbs use more oxygen and are finite. As soon as you start taking on gels and digesting you lose carb's efficiency advantage. So becoming fat adapted means you can run further, and without having to worry about being sick from gels.
I'm not the fastest runner but I've done a sub-1:30 half fully fasted. My first marathon was also fully fasted and it was my muscles and tendons causing me problems at the end not my energy levels. I usually feel a burst of energy after I finish the race because I'm still producing ketones, whereas many my carby friends look like death warmed up and want to go to sleep!
Simple fact about fat adapted running - if it feels harder to run on fat than running on carbs, you aren't fat adapted, (so don't do it).
The last point I want to make is that I don't recommend fat adapted running if you want to break world records. But if you want to be fit AND healthy into old age (instead of just fit until at some point you stop running) then getting fat adapted is for you.
You have to go full carnivore to become a fat burner. It takes months and it's not pleasant. Worth it though.
No, you don't
I just took 17 mins off my 10k PB while 72hrs fasted. Granted I’m fat and slow but I doubt I could have touched those speeds without the fast.
Hi Ben, what was your total calorie intake like? Did you increase total calories or just got more calories from carbs?
You have to be fat adapted for it to work. And that takes a least a month.
Very interesting video 🙌 I'm wondering if my years long eating porridge (made with milk) with banana and blueberries is undermining my training? I do seem to rely a lot on bread/pasta/rice and am finding it harder to get 'in the groove' for running. 🙁 Maybe I should try and get more protein in the mornings?? What's your thoughts Ben?
Absolutely love this kind of video with science backed evidence. Obviously sample sizes of 1 aren’t ideal but I can also confirm the reduced RPE under race conditions after carb loading. Great stuff!
This was a poor video (for science and evidence), adapting to low carb takes much longer.
Lol, great video but real talk If you lived your whole life only doing pushups you wouldn't go bench press for 1 week and then chalk that test up as informative at all. Ofcourse you're gonna be stronger and more efficient with pushups than the bench.
Glycogen is a huge thing for sure, but gluconeogenesis is a function of the body that can be trained and has to be if you want it to actually show up in your testing. Healthy individuals can get to a point where they don't need a single carbohydrate to replenish and store all the glycogen they need for sub 1-hour races ran at high threshold even if that's everyday, ofcourse some races are longer than that but that's why you time your daily carb limited intake for those pivotal refueling moments intra-session. I'm not super elite, I have a 4.5hour marathon and a barely sub7 mile, I also have a 1250lb powerlifting total and I like bodybuilding, but It doesn't take 300 carbs daily to do that like the kellogg's eugenics advertisements have brainwashed a generation into believing. Eat your Wheaties!~
I'll run fasted some mornings because there's not time to eat and let it settle and I'm only doing 2-3 miles. Definitely not an intentional training thing just how life goes.
Unless you fueled during both runs, this whole experiment is bunk.
For context, I don't eat low carb, but I avoid sugar and never take energy gels. I only eat real food. I always train fasted. It takes time to adapt. If you are not fat adapted and you run, for long or hard, you will probably suffer. I have run fasted for years. Recently, I have experimented with having breakfast before Parkrun and again running fasted, which is what I am used to. There was zero difference in performance, and they were both flat out efforts. I won parkrun (women's) fasted.
Thanks Jenny, yes, I recognise that our experiments didn’t take in to account the long term adaptation that might make a difference and also super glad it’s paying off for you. How about a marathon though? You would expect there to be no difference between fasted and non-fasted over 5k but have you run marathons fasted and non-fasted? I would love to speak to someone that has! Would be very interesting to hear 😊
I have never run a marathon in any shape or form and never will. 😅 However, I can vouch there is no difference for me over the half marathon distance either. I failed to mention that by fasted, for me that means not eating for around 16-18 hours. I appreciate that it may mean something different for others. My aim is simple; I prioritise metabolic health over potential performance gains, which may be short term if you ignore the bigger picture. Fat adaptation means insulin sensitivity. "You can exercise all you like, but you can't exercise your liver" - Dr Jason Fung
Patrick Martin, another TH-camr, ran London in 2:24, fasted - you may wish to check him out.
@@jennyt2732I follow Patrick. He is unquestionably amazing and almost certainly an exception to the rule in terms of speed, diet and weekly mileage
Combining Vegan with a Keto diet is nearly impossible. 😮
Runners who dont eat carbs simply dont understand how the body and energy works
To be fair I’m a doctor and I understand it. I am just not chasing peak performance and see substantial more day to day improvement on lower carbs. If I was trying to win races yes, it matters.
6:45 😂😂😂
There is nothing wrong with keto. It does work for weight loss for a lot of people. I am soooo tired many in the running community acting like keto doesn’t work.
It takes time in keto to truly appreciate what it does. I wonder if some people are naturally inclined genetically for keto to work better for them?
That being said, I do feel like the evidence is clear that for maximum performance you need carbs. And that is also perfectly fine.
They can exist together for what they both are and both do for runners.
I have been keto for 7 years straight, no cheats. I run great fasted. I will never go back.
No Ben, you can not hold a bagel and talk about raw dogging it!! Lol. Another one for the benisms list! You need to stop saying that "ASAP, or at least as soon as possible".
“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” -Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride.
Ben...one thing I noticed, your body language and attitude at the beginning of each of your runs as you stepped onto the treadmill. Total conjecture I agree and may have been influenced by your day leading up to the run.....just an observation.
When your run had a slightly less drained feel and 1 bpm difference that shows how carb optimised you aready are. Good job.
What Metallica shirt is that?
OK, really simple the time it takes your body to convert And fat to the energy you need say you’re running a half marathon if you didn’t have any glycogen stored from carbs, you would bonk
Pancakes? But that is a massive amount of butter and egg, (so fats).
"rawdogging this bagel"
Please reconsider the phrasing on that next time my dude....
Karate kid montage?
Is a RPE of 7 normal for zone 2?
Just eat carnivore for a month! It's not even hard. My running got better and better, every workout. You have to give it at LEAST 2 weeks to transition.
Ok, will try this after Chicago marathon! 👍🏻
Your body is so dependent on sugar for its normal operation that it will synthesize its own if you don't eat enough. I'm not sure why this anti-carb thing continues.
You might equally say that since the body is capable of synthesizing exactly the right amount of glucose it needs there is no need to ingest any. Meanwhile if you try to give your body the glucose exogenously, but you overshoot, then the excess will just get stored as fat. And that’s not to mention the unhealthy blood sugar rollercoaster many people fall prey to if they have a high carb diet.
I have been eating almost zero carbs for a decade now, and I have reached and effortlessly maintained a weight and body composition I am entirely happy with, without ever having to count calories or go hungry or worry about how much I am eating. And all this is pretty much independently of how much exercise I do. When I eat this way, my body’s hunger signals are exactly matched to my nutritional needs, so I just eat whenever I am hungry and everything just works.
Before, when I would eat anything, if I ate as much as I wanted I would put on weight.
So for me, it’s just easier to stay fit and healthy when one is low carb - and the lower one goes, the easier it is.
But if you have something else which works for you, then that’s great too, of course.
@@erickehr4475 nobody said the body can synthesize the exact amount it needs, I’m just acknowledging it can make an amount of it. Your needs, just like your ability for glycogenesis, is specific to the individual. There’s a reason marathon runners and endurance cyclists eat pure sugar on runs in any case. The system of glycogenesis isn’t terribly efficient compared to just eating sugar as one normally would. I’ve cycled 5,000km and run 1,000km this year and there’s no way I would have been able to do that without sugar.
@@Thezuule1 You may have been able to do that better with low carb, you don't know until you test it. I've found my 12h fasted runs (early dinner, no breakfast) are always more comfortable and faster than otherwise. I've switched to lower carb diet (carbs I eat are generally low Glycemic Index) and never felt better - during running etc but also in daily life. You don't get the hunger bouts anymore and energy levels are very steady, skipping meals is no issue at all.
I don’t doubt that the human body can adapt to a poor diet over time. In fact, saying it can’t is a disservice to the millennia of evolution that went into making our bodies the amazing structures that they are. However, going as far to say “It’s actually more efficient, once you adapt” is at best a misunderstanding of the science which says “Wow the body can still perform even when missing essential nutrients” to be “The body can perform BETTER missing essential nutrients.”… and at worst is outright ignorance.
However it’s their body and they can choose to eat how they like.
Tell you what, we give the low carb crowd a couple years to “adapt” and if they start breaking all the highest distance records, we’ll start to take them more seriously. Until then, I’m gonna eat a bagel.
Based on this post I'm no longer a subscriber. Bye.
Numbers, paces and times dont matter if you look and feel like crap. Regards peeps.
Agreed. “Feel” particularly. I don’t think there’s much I can do about looking crap 😂
I would take a PB while looking and feeling like crap, than a non PB and feeling great and day of the week.
If you get a PB and you don't feel like crap .You left fuel in the tank..