Thread by @vincentninja68

THREAD:
Carbohydrates and Athleticism

There is a rift in the keto and fitness community.
"You need carbs to exercise", is the common mindset. Therefore keto and fitness are antagonistic

I get it, its what is taught in academia, carb loading is the standard.

Fat is the primary energy in cardio, but the primary energy used in power based exercise is glycogen (carbs!)

On paper, LCHF like keto seems like non-sense for power performance.
No carbs = no power right?

Kinda. First off, you don't have to eat carbs to get glucose

The liver can produce glucose endogenously via Gluconeogenesis (GNG). Amino acids and fatty acids (glycerol) can be converted into glucose.
This is why keto dieters don't become hypoglycemic. Ketones become your primary energy source and GNG takes care of mandatory glucose needs

Now, is GNG+Ketones enough to cover athletic needs?
In short term, hell no.
Its true. At first on keto, your strength will take a nose dive.
If your body has not developed its metabolism to be fat efficient, suddenly taking away your accustomed fuel source is gonna make you weak

Science substantiates this:
3 week trial, elite endurance athletes all had poorer performance on keto diet
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…

Now, 3 weeks isn't enough time. The above study is actually a perfect example of a typical experience dabbling in carb restriction

"I tried keto for a few weeks and lost all my strength. This sucks, I quit."

Well what happens if you stick it out?

The body adapts.

When elite endurance athletes were given appropriate time on Keto (average 20 months), thier performance matched thier high carb counterparts

Keto athletes had improved fat oxidation rate (2.3 fold) and no difference in resting glycogen
sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/…

Recently, when power lifters were placed ad lib keto diets vs usual diet, thier performance was comparable to the higher carb group (>250g). Study length 6 months long. The keto group had superior weight loss.

Keto = Better body comp no strength loss
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3033572…

So it is possible to become fat adapted enough to perform exercises (both aerobic and anaerobic) on keto but...why bother?

The main advantage is developing your metabolic flexibly (MF).
For those unfamiliar MF is the body's ease of switching energy sources. Carbs to Fat.

Most people are metabolically IN-flexible. Meaning they are dependent on carbs for energy. If you get hungry every 2 hours, this is you (because your body sucks at accessing fat).

How does apply to performance?

Carb storage is finite. This is why athletes have to carb load. Your energy capacity is now tied to an exogenous source that requires constant refueling.

In terms of energy efficiency, fat is no contest superior, it's theoretically limitless.

In endurance athletes there is a phenomena called "bonking"

The during prolonged exercise, the body's glucose stores become so depleted that the brain has to interfere by shutting the body off. This is where you see people collapsing on themselves during races

"you can prevent bonks by eating carbs in mid race"
Sure, but wouldn't it be great to just be able access your own energy stores in the first place? How bout your fat?
In comes MF. An athlete that has taken the time to become fat adapted can use both (100 mile record Zach Bitter)

I think it would be more beneficial to view carbs like a performance enhancer/tool than a food.

Some can be useful but not if its over-use impairs your ability to use your base energy stores (fat).

I like to use a lifting belt (eating carbs) as an analogy

Lifting belts are typically used for 1RM to stabilize the core, but imagine if instead, a person used the belt every-time they lifted? Regardless of weight.

The core would not develop.

The same applies to MF and carbs

Because an athlete has become so dependent on carbs for energy, they've now impaired their ability to efficiently use fat for energy and also compromised body composition (carbs can make you gain weight)

So, the appeal of becoming fat adapted is to grant the body the ability to use both more efficiently and have a more stable body weight.

Carbs aren't evil, but most people are eating way too much (who don't use em), and athletes should consider learning to train without them

You don't have to quit carbs forever.

A prolonged period of time to allow ketone adaption could be a new tool in your arsenal

The goal being: Become fat adapted (train on keto for 6 months to a year) and then reincorporate carbs in a more need by basis rather than rely on them

IMO Keto and Fitness go hand and hand. Keto provides stable weight, stable strength, and stable energy.

Carb intake becomes a tool rather than a mandate.
Food for thought, rant over.