Recommending a ketogenic diet for distance runners?

starting at the 3 minute mark.

For some people he's f*cking right.

It works for me. I can starve myself from carbs and run like a sled dog.

No.

ummm... wrote:

This guy says marathon runners on a ketogenic diet can have improved performances.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txVzT2TomNk&list=UUEQumzzbW2mrcMxKwEo7diw

Do you know any elite runners who eat less than 100 grams of carbs per day?

His points about the individual differences between people is very accurate.

He is not saying everyone but rather some people are suited to this type of diet.

Has anyone ever run a sub-5 mile on a keto diet?

Easily. It's no faster or slower than any diet. It's just a more stable energy level and less work to maintain energy in long races.

The potential for better performance is only in races where you can never manage the wall. That's most people despite all the gels etc available.

train low race high

There's some legitimacy to his argument but it has to be executed very, very well to prevent digging yourself into a hole of chronic, extreme glycogen depletion and failing to recover well.

poihujgv wrote:

There's some legitimacy to his argument but it has to be executed very, very well to prevent digging yourself into a hole of chronic, extreme glycogen depletion and failing to recover well.

True but it seems like you find out very quickly is you are the type that handles this type of diet well.

Not sure if it's really worth it if you are a person who runs on sugar.

I am amazed how many people simply cannot function if they don't pump carbs in every hour or so.

It's almost like they don't even store muscle or liver glycogen anymore. It's either "blood sugar" or empty.

Back in '09 I started lifting, put on 20-30lbs ran maybe 20 miles a week biked maybe 50, lifted wts 4-5 days a week for an hour....all on a diet under 100g carb. Some days were less than 50. I felt fine. I would run a few track workouts and did run under 5. Calories are calories when it comes to energy. Ur body will make required glucose via gluconeogenesis

Alan

Ok. So should elite marathons be on this diet?

Basically zero carbohydrate intake and have their body adapt to only using fat as fuel? Or are elite runners already doing this?

new to me wrote:

Ok. So should elite marathons be on this diet?

Basically zero carbohydrate intake and have their body adapt to only using fat as fuel? Or are elite runners already doing this?

No. The East Africans are too busy eating corn and kicking ass to worry about high fat/protein American fads.

Camus wrote:

No. The East Africans are too busy eating corn and kicking ass to worry about high fat/protein American fads.

Protein is moderate, not high. Idiot.

new to me wrote:

Ok. So should elite marathons be on this diet?

Basically zero carbohydrate intake and have their body adapt to only using fat as fuel? Or are elite runners already doing this?

No idea. Try it yourself. See if it works or if you have adverse effects. Make sure to keep the calories the same...which is going to be the hard part while eating relatively "clean".

Very low carbs/moderate to high protein/moderate fat diet is going to look a lot like this:

1. eggs

2. chicken

3. nuts

4. lean meat

5. LOTs of green leafy veggies.

Once you start consuming fruits and root veggies you will hit over 50 or over 100g carbs very easily. When I was doing this I felt fine until I started cutting the calories. Working out on a low calorie diet is what is hard, not so much the macronutient ratios.

Alan

HOOPADOOP wrote:

Camus wrote:

No. The East Africans are too busy eating corn and kicking ass to worry about high fat/protein American fads.

Protein is moderate, not high. Idiot.

Semantics. It's certainly higher than the average elite runner consumes. Several studies of East African training camps have shown intake around 10-15% of total calories.

Studies also find people eating "low carb" tend to consume about double that. Hence, "high".

Camus wrote:

Semantics. It's certainly higher than the average elite runner consumes. Several studies of East African training camps have shown intake around 10-15% of total calories.

Percentages are meaningless. How many GRAMS?

Camus wrote:

Several studies of East African training camps have shown intake around 10-15% of total calories.

I don't give a shit what Africans do. These people are so genetically gifted, they could eat nothing put cardboard and thumbtacks and still run a sub 15 5K.

And African Americans live on shit like grape soda and chicken McNuggets and are still the greatest athletes in the world.

Don't base you diet on what genetically gifted people can get away with eating.

iyuck wrote:

Camus wrote:

Semantics. It's certainly higher than the average elite runner consumes. Several studies of East African training camps have shown intake around 10-15% of total calories.

Percentages are meaningless. How many GRAMS?

Is it THAT difficult?

Assume the African consumes 2700 kcal per day.

That's about 70-100 grams of protein.

iyuck wrote:

Camus wrote:

Semantics. It's certainly higher than the average elite runner consumes. Several studies of East African training camps have shown intake around 10-15% of total calories.

Percentages are meaningless. How many GRAMS?

Not meaningless when discussing intake relative to other macros. In terms of requirements, yes, that's a question of grams. One study of Ethiopians found intake to be about 100 grams a day, however, which they determined to be sufficient.

As for the notion of African genetic superiority, I'd note that elite runners of all nationalities eat a high starch diet. (I'm unaware of any study demonstrating otherwise.)