LCHF - Low Carb High Fat Diet Ver 2

[jcza]

So - Barberton. Was never going to be pretty on 210km of training since Nov last year, however, it was my first race that I did after starting LCHF proper last year and I wanted to see how this year would compare.

 

I had probably been going LCHF for 4 - 6 weeks. I was unsure of how the whole LCHF thing worked, so tended to err on the side of caution. I took droewors and mac nuts as energy supplementation, and I think I had eggs for breakfast. I had a terrible ride. I knew from 10k in that it just wasn't going to work. Was completely flat from the beginning. I persevered through, and found that if I stayed at very low intensity, I could manage. About 20k from the end I was tired of being tired, so picked up a banana and a coke at a water table and was off like a rocket.

 

This year I had Futurelife for breakfast as I was camping and didn't want to have to fuss over breakfast. I added cream to reduce any insulin spike the Futurelife may have caused. I took a mix of gels, racefood and bars so that I could choose whatever I felt like using. I started supplementing after 40 mins or so, and then every 45 mins. I think I used two gels and two racefoods and picked up a banana or two and a coke or two.

 

Result was that I was full of energy the whole way. My problem was that due to being undertrained, I started cramping on the second climb after the first monster climb. The rest of the race involved surfing the cramp rather than surfing the bonk. You can nurse yourself along the flats, but there is no hiding when it comes to the short sharp climbs.

 

Never once did I feel flat or short of energy. Which, amongst other LCHF reasons, is probably due to the fact that I couldn't push it due to cramping - so I couldn't stress my energy reserves.

 

So I'm completely happy with the adaptions that LCHF have made. I think I needed the extra energy for making the climb, but for the rest of the race, I probably could have done quite happily on less carb intake. I also find that gels seem to work the best for me. I didn't used to like them at all, but now they seem to be the answer. I used Cadence gels if that makes any diffs as I figure Jeroen Swart & co should know as much as anyone else what should be in a gel.

 

I think JCZA hit it on the head when he said that once fat adapted, your fuel economy in terms of glucose is way better.

 

Edit:

Cramps and magnesium. Cramps were going to be part of the deal due to lack of training, but I wonder if my rather haphazard magnesium supplementation may not have helped? I kind of take a mag tab when I remember - say one day out of three. I got a cramp in my hand when holding things awkwardly when I was taking down the tent and was wondering if that was a sign of lack of magnesium (or gripping the bars too tightly on the downs!)

 

Sounds like great fun at Barberton again, sorry I missed it!

[deanbean]

If you do a search on 'LCHF and sweating' there are a number of people who say they sweated while going through 'carb flu'. Might it be part of that process?

 

I don't recall sweating any more than usual when I started, and don't think that I do now...

Hijack "About the races Dave, Woodoc starts at the Fort Beaufort Country Club and goes up the Kat Valley through Mpofu Reserve, a decent amount of climbing in the 90odd km, and Katberg starts at the Katberg Hotel and proceeds to the top of the Katberg mountain, also a good climb in 10km"byejack

 

I'd thought I was also beyond the carb flu stage, but you never know?

As for Topwine's suggestion, that wouldn't appear to happen, you would excrete excess water via the kidneys, excess perspiration would have to do with a heat regulation, I have found that I'm more susceptible to the heat now, but it could also be acclimatisation to living at a higher altitude, and the colder temperatures, that would make more sense physiologically.

[Droewors Cyclist]

Hello everyone

 

The LCHF diet is being put to the test in the lab and compared to the low fat high carb diet.

 

UCT is conducting research into how blood glucose is maintained during exercise in cyclists who eat very low carbohydrate diets. We are looking for male cyclists who eat on either extreme: low carb high fat (LCHF) or high carb low fat. If you eat this way and are interested in participating in research please go to the following link for more details: http://essm.uct.ac.z...rcise/#more-349

 

The testing takes place in Cape Town and feedback will be given on all tests done. Examples of feedback include (but not limited to) VO2max, peak power, fat and carbohydrate oxidation rate, glucose tolerance and glucose production rate at the liver and kidneys.

 

Please spread the word if you know of anyone who might be interested.

 

Regards,

Chris

[Sniffie]

I never noticed more sweating when I went on LCHF Jan 2013, but I certainly had to pee a lot more. Even to the point of getting up once or even twice at night. Can't quite remember how long this carried on? About 3 or 4 weeks I think. I am also much lighter on water on the bike these days.

[Topwine]

I never noticed more sweating when I went on LCHF Jan 2013, but I certainly had to pee a lot more. Even to the point of getting up once or even twice at night. Can't quite remember how long this carried on? About 3 or 4 weeks I think. I am also much lighter on water on the bike these days.

 

I think one must also keep in mind that a lot (most ?), of the weight loss the first few weeks, is water with the associated glycogen stores. That can also account for a lot more sweating and/or peeing in the beginning of a HFLC diet.

[Topwine]

Ketogenic diet and cancer

 

Thomas Seyfried, PhD is widely regarded as one of the leaders in the world in the research field of ketogenic diets and cancer. Below is a link to a very recent interview where he shares some of his current views. Some interesting points to remember.

 

http://www.townsendletter.com/Jan2014/warburg0114.html

 

The current view now, without any question, is that cancer is a genetic disease. If you go on the National Cancer Institute website or you read any of the major articles published in Nature and Science, often the articles will start with, "Cancer is a genetic disease." I think that this has become dogma.

 

It turns out that the oncogenes are responding to the abnormal metabolism of the cell and we were able to show this. It is actually the abnormal metabolism of the cell that's dictating the genetic mutations. This is where my book challenges the field. It provides credible scientific evidence that seriously questions the notion that cancer is a genetic disease. And I think you are not going to make major advances in the field of cancer until this becomes more widely recognized.

 

We gave animals unrestricted ketogenic diets and the tumor cells grew just as fast, or even faster sometimes, than a standard high-carbohydrate diet. So we said, what's going on here? There's a diet with zero carbohydrate and the animals are eating as much as they want and when we looked at their blood, their blood sugars were very high. So it turns out if you eat large amounts of fat in a ketogenic diet you get insulin insensitivity, which then increases the level of sugar, and the cancer cells are fat and happy using this. So you have to restrict the diet.

 

There are some people out there, like any media thing, they'll say, "Oh, the ketogenic diet cures cancer." We know there's no evidence for that. We haven't used it long enough to know if anybody is going to be cured from cancer using a ketogenic diet. All we can say is that the ketogenic diet has the potential to arrest the growth of the tumor.

[jcza]

I never noticed more sweating when I went on LCHF Jan 2013, but I certainly had to pee a lot more. Even to the point of getting up once or even twice at night. Can't quite remember how long this carried on? About 3 or 4 weeks I think. I am also much lighter on water on the bike these days.

 

Also p'ing more but drinking more water so its expected

[Leon Besaans]

Interesting article in Daily Mail....

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2546975/One-twin-gave-sugar-gave-fat-Their-experiment-change-YOUR-life.html

 

Regards

[deanbean]

Interesting article in Daily Mail....

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2546975/One-twin-gave-sugar-gave-fat-Their-experiment-change-YOUR-life.html

 

Regards

And a contrary view??

http://m.news24.com/health24/Diet-and-nutrition/Nutrition-basics/Tim-Noakes-diet-comes-out-tops-20130210

Edited January 28, 2014 by deanbean

[davetapson]

Noakes bust...

 

http://www.thegatsby.co.za/2013/02/26/noakes-bust-in-sordid-hotel-room-pizza-bender/

[Helpmytrap]

Anybody care to take a guess as to why I would have Ketones in my urine (measured + on Ketostix) if I have been eating >100g carbs a day.

 

Considering that I had Futurelife w/ coconut oil, beetroot juice and milk before my ride and afterwards I had 500ml of Nesquick mixed with some beetroot juice, a nectarine and BP coffee but with only 1.5tsp CO (or rather Primal coffee as I added 2 egg yolks), I'm really puzzled!

I did intervals this morning, not that it would make any difference, 8x2min @ 130%FTP and 3x1min @ 140%FTP.

Edited January 29, 2014 by Helpmytrap

[Topwine]

Anybody care to take a guess as to why I would have Ketones in my urine (measured + on Ketostix) if I have been eating >100g carbs a day.

 

Considering that I had Futurelife w/ coconut oil, beetroot juice and milk before my ride and afterwards I had 500ml of Nesquick mixed with some beetroot juice, a nectarine and BP coffee but with only 1.5tsp CO (or rather Primal coffee as I added 2 egg yolks), I'm really puzzled!

I did intervals this morning, not that it would make any difference, 8x2min @ 120%FTP and 3x1min @ 130%FTP.

 

Ketones in your urine is excess that is not utilised by your body. That mean your body makes more ketones that it is able to, or want to, use. Maybe you need more than 100 grams of carbs to avoid ketosis for your activity level ?

[DaleE]

Anybody care to take a guess as to why I would have Ketones in my urine (measured + on Ketostix) if I have been eating >100g carbs a day.

 

I did intervals this morning, not that it would make any difference, 8x2min @ 120%FTP and 3x1min @ 130%FTP.

 

I always measure blood ketones, not urine, but perhaps the logic will hold for both.

From my experience, eating coconut oil results in increased ketone levels about 2-3 hrs later, and they then stay elevated for the rest of the day.

Also, ketone levels always rise after exercise. long slow rides make the most difference (60-70% HRmax), but even short sprint or gym sessions at higher intensity have an effect.

 

Either way, I'd not worry too much about it.

[Helpmytrap]

Even if one isn't in ketosis though?

[Roux 1]

Blood tests:

 

Has anybody had there testosterone levels tested? i.e. total testosterone and free testosterone.

 

I am very interested if someone did. If you will share it, it would be great. If not please pm me.

 

Many thanks

[Cuppa Bru]

VCO update

 

I finally received a clean 25 litre container through BigFoot - this after Skynet smashed three containers in a row!

 

Leaving for CPT tomorrow afternoon, so contact me via cell to collect either tonight between 21:00 and 23:30 or tomorrow morning between 05:00 and 06:30.

 

My cell is 08four threeseventwo ten14.