I started Keto 2 weeks ago and I do endurance cycling. At first my performance dropped so much that legs were burning even at 100 watt(with ftp of 260), so i couldn't give up on performance and took carbs before and during. Seeking for best strategy for endurance rides of 3-4 hours, seeking best practices for: 1)glycogen loading 2)pre workout food 3)in ride amounts of sugar(probably will go back to 80gr per hour that worked best)
Cyclic carb loading worked well for me. I'm not sure if I mentioned it in this video or another one. I would eat keto Sunday evening until Friday Evening. From Friday evening until Sunday evening, I'd eat high carbs to time with my high-quality (intensity and volume) session on the weekend. Continuing to eat carbs after my Sunday workout generally gave me enough glycogen for one high-intensity session during the week.
My testing has confirmed this video. I tested my fat metabolism in the lab during a VO2max test. After doing the VO2max test, I immediately took a gel, waited 10 minutes, and got back on the treadmill and ran back up the intensity ladder. When I got done my fat metabolism at each level of heartrate was identical. I was burning mostly fat way up my heart rate scale.
Thank you very much for this video, it's amazing and eye-opening. Could you please share info on when you eat your last meal before the long run and what does it typically consists of?
I have been looking for this information everywhere!! I suspected this was the best approach. I do keto all week but do intense hikes on the weekends and am ZAPPED instantly. I'm trying to figure out how many carbs and when to take them to fuel this type of workout for my overall size and fitness level etc.
Hey Raylee, glad I could help. If you take slow absorbing carbs on your hikes you'll be able to get away with a lot more carbs per hour compared to simple sugars. Another option you could look into is Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs).
Hi Dr Will. Does timming matter? So would you take your first carbs after a certain period to ensure your body is warmed up? Also, a few times I took a SIS gel and found my performance dropped.. Im a cyclist and found keto is fine for zone 2-3, but for higher HR zone rides I need carbs... still working out how to do this while also not disrupt fat burning through insulin spike
@@saqibsafdar7907 Yes, timing matters. I would wait at least 20min into your ride to ensure contractile glucose transports are stimulated over the insulin-stimulated glucose transporters. However, if you're chronically low carb, you shouldn't have any issues with insulin spikes unless you ate a crazy amount of sugar.
Vital info. I have the Vermont Spartan Beast this coming Saturday and was baffled how to eat during the race while on long term keto. I now know I can use gels for fuel while on the course.
This has to be trained and takes time. If you're fully into keto, your body won't process the carbs very well and you'll probably feel worse, kind of like bonking! I think for a 3 hour long run, as it will probably be an easy pace, you'll be fine with no fuel. Just have a decent meal a few hours before and after and concentrate on protein post run.
My ketones are usually at 1.4 . . . 45 minutes after a 10 mile hike and not much more after a 20 mile hike whether I eat carbs in the middle of the 20 miles or not. I never snack on the 10 mile run/walk. Maybe I should try a gel some time to see if I even feel it but it seems like i'm not even warmed up till I hit 3-4 miles
I do a zero carb diet, that is to say carnivore. It's technically not a keto diet, though. That is because the body can produce glucose from protein. This is why the keto diet requires moderate intake of protein. But the advantage on a carnivore diet, particularly with OMAD and exercising in a fasted state, is that most of the time you'll be in ketosis while still having some glucose in the system to draw upon. I never bonk out on long runs.
That's partially right. There are glycogenic and ketogenic amino acids. Glucogenic amino acids get converted into the end product of glucose metabolism (Acetyl-CoA or Pyruvate) rather than glucose itself. The other amino acids form intermediates for the Krebs cycle (TCA cycle). Those Krebs cycle intermediates can then be converted into glucose.
The body also produces glucose from the breakdown of fat (i.e., triglyceride = glycerol linked to 3 fatty acids). And glucose can be obtained from lactic acid as well.
Here is the point or rather a number of points. Does the human body increase glucose in the body using amino acids and ketones? Yes. It's called gluconeogenesis. Does the human body produce glucose through multiple other pathways? Yes. Will a healthy person on a nutritious diet likely produce enough of their own glucose for aerobic activity? Most likely. But are most Americans metabolically fit? Unfortunately not. More than 4 out of 5 Americans have metabolic syndrome: insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity, fatty liver, heart disease, etc. For example, most Americans with diabetes are undiagnosed. Even many athletic people are metabolically unfit. After a lifetime of a high carb standard American diet, how long can it take for someone with no overt diseases to regain metabolic fitness? A basic level might be gained in a few months, but full recovery could take years before one experienced the entire benefits of fat-adaptation and ketosis. Without this basis of health, one might not produce enough of glucose to maintain energy, intensity, and stamina during physical activity. But genetics, epigenetics, toxins, etc can also play a factor. As always, miles may vary.
I must admit that, though well informed, I did find your comment a bit nitpicky. Does gluconeogenesis increase glucose end products? Sure. And does gluconeogenesis also increase glucose itself? Yes --- there is no doubt about it. This is where we can get into the thickets of word games. What does 'produce' mean? Some of the mechanisms of gluconeogenesis are indirect, not direct. But there is, nonetheless, a causal link between the presence of amino acids, fatty acids, and ketones and the production of glucose. Simply put, eating fatty animal foods on a very low-carb diet (particularly combined with OMAD, time-restricted feeding, fasting, etc) will increase production of endogenous glucose and glucose end products (with no need to eat carbs).
Great points!! On flat to rolling terrain (cyclist here) I can ride all day in ketosis. But add some mountain passes, or riding 200 miles with 18k of climb in a day and carbs are a must.
@@drwilloconnor Thanks for the reply. would be interesting if it affects fat usage then while running. Mark Cucuzzela, one of my favourite speakers on low carb and running eats a banana before the marathon and still seems to have a very high rate of fat burning.
I have been looking for info regarding amateur athletes in keto diet who are into endurance sports. I usually train running and cycling 3hrs 4-5 x a week and need to get nutrition during my workout. But im also trying to do alternative day fasting which I find challenging.
The alternate day fasting with the volume of training you're doing will always be challenging. Trying to eat adequate calories and protein to sustain recovery and fuel adaptation will be sub-optimal with fasting.
Great info, thank you so much! Would you then recommend to keep the carb intake at low (say one gel 25~g per 1-1,5 hour?) on long runs? Say that I go for a marathon (4 hour pace). Maybe one gel hour 1,5-2,5-3,5? That would give me around 75g for that four hours. Sound logical? :)
That should be enough. But what I'm saying is you shouldn't be worried about having too much during long endurance efforts because your muscles, liver and brain will quickly use up whatever sugars you ingest without affecting the ketogenic signalling pathways.
Thanks for this video. It’s exactly what I was looking for. How often do you have a gel during your run? I used to have one every 45min before I switched to a ketogenic diet, should I continue at the same interval? Also, what do you eat after your run? Could I have a couple of bananas and then follow a strict keto diet for the rest of the day?
Hey Marym, If I'm racing, I'll aim for a gel every 20min to target at least 60g/hr. For my training runs, I'll typically have gel every 30-45min depending on whether I have intervals or not. You should be ok to have 50-100g of carbs after your long run since the glucose transporters on your muscle cells will "active". Therefore, insulin won't be required to metabolise the glucose, which means your free-fatty acids will stay high to stimulate ketone production.
Carbs pre-exercise can definitely throw you out of ketosis. The energy sensor enzyme Adenosine Monophosphate Protein Kinase (AMPK) controls the metabolic fate of Acetyl-CoA. When glucose concentration is high, AMPK is inactive, and Acetyl-CoA is converted into fatty acids by Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase (ACC). During times of metabolic stress (fasting or carb restriction), AMPK is activated, which inhibits ACC. As a result, Acetyl-CoA is converted into ketones as a replacement for glucose. When you eat carbs, without stimulating the muscle glucose transporters, your glucose concentrations will increase. This will cause the metabolic response described above and throw you out of ketosis. However, if you're concerned about performance, then eating carbs before a race is advisable, but restrict yourself post-race, and you'll quickly re-enter ketosis.
Seems I joined you at the right time. I use Skratch labs hydration on my runs long and short. Trying out Vitalyte. Is their really a difference. Looks like Vitalyte goes low on sodium. If any
Sodium is one those elements that's been ingrained in sports nutrition for years, much like carbohydrate. As far as I know, I haven't seen any conclusive evidence to suggest more sodium is better. Anecdotally, there are a lot of reports of athlete experiences benefits of increased sodium during long efforts.
Keto is also good if I'm trying to NOT loose weight? I'm very low weight and my body fat percentage is 8,5%... I'm training for my first half marathon... I was thinking about low carb diet because of health benefits, but I don't know if it applies to me. Could you help me, please? I've been training fasted, and, only in the middle of my longer distance training, I indulge 30g of dates...
Appreciate the post. I'm doing a 1500km cycle that I've started training for and was wondering how I was going to fuel myself given I'm doing Keto. I'm expecting to ride for 12 days (min 125k per day /10 hours riding) so suggest about 90g of carbs would be my daily intake. Thoughts?
Hey John, I think 90g/hr is a safe bet. Your relative exercise intensity will be low, so your capacity to absorb/digest nutrients will be good. If you've practiced eating during your training rides, you should be able to handle upto 120g/hr + 10g Prp & Fat.
Hi Will thx for great info. I’m on the carnivore diet and have started to run all mostly for weight loss, but from my experience I also think I’ll benefit from some fast digesting carbs during my runs as I’ll probably be able to run longer then I’m currently running. Now I see you measure with a keto monitor. What’s your thoughts on using a glucose monitor and which one would you say is best to use to maximize energy for longer runs to burn more fat. Thx.
Hey, I don't see huge value in glucose monitors. Your circulating blood glucose levels doesn't directly reflect your fat burning capacity. Glycogen levels, or liver glycogen level more specifically, is the main driver of ketosis. If you're super metabolically flexible, your glucose levels won't change much. That's why measuring ketones is a far better method for monitoring fat buring capacity.
Having low-carb diets for few years, I can have a long run of 30km without any gels, I think technically our body can run a very long time by using fatty acids / ketones as fuel if someone if fully fat-adapted. I am wondering how would adding gels ( sugar) during the run ,improve the performance? Does the heart rate or intensity of workouts a determined factor for the performance whether or taking carbs ? If we are running at a low heart rate, our body will most likely using fat as fuel, while in higher heart rate, our body will shift using more glucose as fuel, so if can supplement with taking exogenous carbs, we can preform better or simply run faster. May I have your advice? I am going to have my 1st ever marathon in Nov 😅
Jack, that's a great question! It's fantastic that you've been able to run long distances on a low-carb diet. Adding gels during a run can indeed improve performance, especially during higher-intensity workouts. When your heart rate is elevated, your body relies more on glucose for quick energy. By taking exogenous carbs like gels, you can provide that energy source, potentially enhancing your performance and allowing you to run faster. For your upcoming marathon, consider experimenting with gels during your marathon specific training sessions, and monitor how your body responds to find what works best for you. Best of luck with your first marathon in November! 🏃♂️💪😊
@@drwilloconnor thanks you for your comment.. I am just thinking while we are taking energy gels during a long run/ race, there will be spikes of blood glucose and so does the insulin, which will in turn inhibit the fat burning process, so that the body will switch from fat-burning mode to carb-burning mode. Does this switching provide us more efficient energy for runners or it is better to stay in the fat-burning mode without adding exogenous carbs without switching back and forth?
I cramp hard at mile 18 to 20 usually in my right leg. Front back you name it. For my marathon training I do my 10 mile, 15 mile, 20 mile run just fine. Race day comes and cramps. I think I have finished 2 marathons without cramps. Usually 4 or 5 gels a marathon. Any help? OH I never miss a water or electrolyte stop.
Have you measured your sweat rate before? A simple weigh in before and after a run. That's a quick and easy way to check if you're drinking enough to match your sweat loss.
Hi sir Im kittu from india, Next month i have physical efficiency test for police job, I have to run 1 mile in 6 minutes, But im 90kgs and 177cm in height and I’m a beginner, Can i run 6min mile in 30 days by following one meal keto diet?
Hi Kittu, it will depend on your fitness at the moment. Make sure you have a little bit of carbohydrate (approx. 100g) before your 1 mile to ensure you've got enough glycogen. A small amount of carbohydrate before exercise won't affect your ketosis.
Hallo Doctor , Hi , it’s nice to join your channel 👊I am Jacek , I am in triathlon since 30 years and now since 10 years only long distance, Half and full IM I have started keto diet last few weeks , looks it is right way , could I get from you Any advice how to manage carbo during half IM distance ? How much and how often ? Will really appreciate for any answer , all the best 😃👊
Hi Jacek, I have a short course on website, I think it would help you a lot. I recommend carbo loading 2-3 days before the IM (half or full), and aiming for a minimum of 60g/hr. For a full IM you can include 10g/hr Fat and Protein but quantities will depend on your speed and GI tollerance.
