Lifting heavy (or other hard stuff) and Low carbing page

[Tribal Rob]

This has probably(definatly) been done to death before I'm sure, but my forum and google searches arn't helping bring up actually peoples experiance - I'm probably crap as searching or just have no tolerance for sifiting through stuff I don't want to read.

Last week or so I have been making an effort to drop my carbs even lower (avoiding sweet potatoes, cutting down on carrots and other root veg, increasing fat, and increasing gree stuff till I feel I might moo)

When I did my lift heavy (I really went for it all out, so was hanging by the end) I was ok most of the day, by towards the end of the day I found myself craving carbs badly, I had a banana with some heavy gloopy cream, felt a bit better, IIRC I also had 25 grams of 85% dark chocolate, I felt a bit more better, but that could just be the chocolate effect. I was still hungry so had some almonds with butter on (weird I know but actually rather yum) and several spoonfuls of the gloopy thick double cream.

Felt satisfied after piling all that fat into mr

So what I want to know if how do you react to high intesity training and low carbing.

From my limited knowledge of biochemistry I beleive that body uses glycogen when doing intense stuff - and that has to be repalced from somewhere, and is either gonna be from carbs or from protien.

Will I get enought to replace stores while eating low-carb if I tough out the carb craving and just pile down the fat and protien?

I'd be interested to hear what works for real people, thanks

[AdamC29]

I am experimenting with this as well as i get really bad carb cravings after a tough weights workout.

i could literally eat 2 x 12 inch pizzas without blinking some days.

I heard something on one of Robb Wolfs podcasts about getting your carb in straight after your workout and keeping it to something like a banana or a piece of fruit.

I have been doing it for about a couple of weeks and it seems to work but I still get hungry.

so also interested in learning about this,

[MikeD]

You can't serve 2 masters. It doesn't work well. Your numbers will suffer with low carb. Especially at the beginning.

[Coach Palfrey]

From my limited knowledge of biochemistry I beleive that body uses glycogen when doing intense stuff - and that has to be repalced from somewhere, and is either gonna be from carbs or from protien.

If you are talking about Post Workout nutrition then you've forgotten about body fat stores - probably the most plentiful form of energy that we all have in abundance. Unfortunately most nutrition driven research, and indeed products, are led by dietary consumption.

[Tribal Rob]

Well that's what I don't understand fully.
Will fat burn off and replenish glycogen stores after intense excersise?
Have I got the wrong end of the stick on glycogen?

I know I can jog, walk, cycle for ages on fat (not tried swimming yet) and don't feel the need for carbs afterwards. So I feel I am fat adapted, or in ketosis or what-ever you want to call it and I am burning body fat and dietry fat for energy to fuel lower intesity stuff.

I also know I often crave carbs after intense excersise, and if I have been something like VLC for a few days before I feel this more.

It's not always imediatly post work-out, but within the same day that I get the carb-cravings.

I don't know if I should tough it out and just eat fatty stuff, or if I should eat something with a certain amount of carbs in post work-out even if I don't feel hungry.

Which has just reminded me - when I did my lift heavy I was not hungry afterwards atall - intense excersie often supresses my appitite, and I've just gone with it. Which is what I did, and when I did eat later in the day, that was when I started craving the carbs.

[WeldingHank]

I have been VLC for some time now, and train Krav Maga 4 times a week (6 hours total). Once getting really adapted, things have really been kinda easy. I mostly eat once a day (sometimes 2, but not often) and get about 125-150gms protein per day. Have been getting much stronger the last 3-4 months.

But I do see the benefit of glycogen repletion, for intense exercise, and I'm going to experiment with CKD or backloading after the first of the year.

[sbhikes]

What about just eating a big serving of protein (meat) when you get hungry after lifting? You can still be low carb and you probably can use the protein.

[Coach Palfrey]

Well that's what I don't understand fully.
Will fat burn off and replenish glycogen stores after intense excersise?
Have I got the wrong end of the stick on glycogen?

I know I can jog, walk, cycle for ages on fat (not tried swimming yet) and don't feel the need for carbs afterwards. So I feel I am fat adapted, or in ketosis or what-ever you want to call it and I am burning body fat and dietry fat for energy to fuel lower intesity stuff.

I also know I often crave carbs after intense excersise, and if I have been something like VLC for a few days before I feel this more.

It's not always imediatly post work-out, but within the same day that I get the carb-cravings.

I don't know if I should tough it out and just eat fatty stuff, or if I should eat something with a certain amount of carbs in post work-out even if I don't feel hungry.

Which has just reminded me - when I did my lift heavy I was not hungry afterwards atall - intense excersie often supresses my appitite, and I've just gone with it. Which is what I did, and when I did eat later in the day, that was when I started craving the carbs.

In short, yes - you can utilise body fat stores to replenish glycogen after intense exercise. Although most conventional sources would suggest that you need some form of sugar, starch or supplement to do this. It might do it a little quicker but it's by no means vital.

[Tribal Rob]

Thanks Coach - I'm look into using fat for glycogen stores in more detail now I know it's possible.

I wonder why I get hungry for carbs hours later then?!? Maybe it's not carbs it's just FOOOOOD I'm craving.

[Gorbag]

In short, yes - you can utilise body fat stores to replenish glycogen after intense exercise.

In short NO - will not happen! Well, it is possible for the body to convert some glycerol to glucose, but the body will prefer to use amino acids for gluconeogenesis before doing that. And even if some small amount of glucose will be converted from glycerol it will be burned off as energy before being stored as glycogen. So under practically all circumstances; fat will NOT be used to replenish glycogen...