297931 Tue Jul 27 13:51:09 -0700 2004 5 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1645827 does anyone have any good suggestions for people doing atkins and what they should eat before going out running to get an energy boost? running at lunchtime in sacramento when it's already 90 degrees you need an extra kick.... Tue Jul 27 13:51:09 -0700 2004 0 ton casmo 1 1645852 Sorry to break it to you, but Atkins and running are a poor combination. I'm an avid endurance athlete, very competitive marathoner, and well-versed in sports nutrition and there's really no way around the fact that carbohydrates are fuel for any endurance activity. I'm not debating the merits of Atkins overall, though I admit I'm a skeptic, but particularly as it relates to sports. In the presence of carbohydrates, the body can "learn" (adapt) to metabolize fats more efficiently, but only in the presence of carbohydrates. Fat and protein are less accesible energy sources - your body has to work harder to burn them. That sounds like a good idea, but what it means is that you hit the wall - your body needs energy and can't get it. The equivalent is running out of gas and then going to the gas station; there's plenty of gas there, but you can't get to it. Ever wonder why people "bonk" around mile 18 - 20 of marathons when even the skinniest of us has enough calories stored in fat to run hundreds of miles? Depleted glycogen stores - i.e. no carbohydrates in blood or liver. So, the short answer is, you need a 150 - 200 calorie snack of primarily carbohydrates. Half a bagel with jelly, peanut butter, or cream cheese, a powerbar/clif bar, a banana, etc. But I'm guessing that's not the answer you wanted. If it's Atkins, I guess you eat a handful of nuts and a slim jim. rien Tue Jul 27 15:31:29 -0700 2004 1645827 0 rien 2 1645904 See the link. Scholarly references are provided. Link: http://atkins.com/Archive/2001/11/28-742445.html Tue Jul 27 22:32:25 -0700 2004 1645852 0 dieter 3 1645941 The article mentions a "high fat" diet which isn't the same as a low or no carb diet. In fact, my previous message said that the body can adapt to processing a higher percentage of fat and protein in the presence of carbohydrates - which is actually what those studies referenced in the article prove. Old school endurance athlete diets recommended something like 60 percent carbohydrate, 25 fat, and 15 protein. We've now learned that a lower amount of carbohydrates and higher amounts of fate and protein - say 45-50/30-35/20-25 produce better performances. This is FAR from Atkins. Check the tour de france winners, marathon winners, endurance athletes at the olympics - they're not Atkins converts for a good reason: it doesn't produce good athletic performances. This is as true for elite athletes as it is for recreational athletes. As far as I could tell from a quick read, the article and the references provided support this. It's semantic trickery (or logical fallacy) to link "high fat" and "high protein" to Atkins - if A then B is not the same as if B then A. I do find it rather amusing that the argument in the article is based on a caveman being chased by a bear. This, obviously, has little relationship with an exercise program unless, of course, cavemen would regularly enlist carnivorous predators as prehistoric personal trainers. Point being, after lots of training your body learns that it isn't starving - it learns that it is exercising and adapts ... in just the same way that the bodies of cavemen or plainsmen that had to run and hike many, many miles every day learned and adapted. rien Wed Jul 28 11:18:36 -0700 2004 1645904 0 rien 1 1645858 I'm not a competitive or long distance runner, but I am on Atkins, have been for a year now, and I run 2-3 miles 3x a week. If you are not in induction, and are in a later phase, and don't need to worry about net carb intake so much, then I find that 3-4 tablespoons of peanut butter or any other nut butter, with some carrot sticks, does the trick. Since all nut butters are allowed on the later stages of the diet, in any event, you're not really cheating. I haven't noticed if the carrot sticks add extra oomph from the sugar and water content, I just use them to cut the peanut buttery goodness a little. Celery would probably be fine, and give you a little more water than the carrots. You could also try hummus, but it has less of a bang for the buck compared to the nut butter, in terms of a better fat:carbohydrate ratio. As always, make sure you drink lots of water before your run. I would not try jerky or any other salted meat product before a run. The fat tends to be outweighed by the salt content, in my experience. I happen to prefer the All Natural Super Chunky Teddie Peanut Butter, but a lot of people like Smucker's all natural, and it may be more available in CA than Teddie's. Tue Jul 27 16:00:24 -0700 2004 1645827 0 EMDB 1 1646137 I run marathons and struggle with the atkins v. carbs issue frequently. I simply cannot run without eating a reasonable number of carbs, but I do gain weight when I eat too many of them. What works for me is properly timing the carbs. For example, if I do a long run in the morning, I eat something very small, like a 1/2 piece of wheat toast with natural peanut butter before running and when I get back immediately eat a protein/carb/fat combo like scrambled eggs with wheat toast or granola, fruit & yogurt, or high protein cereal with soy milk and a banana. As long as I do that I can pretty much eat low carb the rest of the day to keep my weight down, but still have energy and not be starving. Maybe you could try the same thing with your mid-day eating and see if it works. Lots of this is trial an error and what works for you but none of the people I run with have ever had much luck (with running) on strict Atkins. Good luck! Thu Jul 29 14:29:44 -0700 2004 1645827 0 missem