On this edition of The Ask Prof Noakes Podcast we look at fueling for running on the LCHF diet and particularly when running long. We chat to Prof. Noakes about running completely fasted and find out if you have to eat immediately following a long run?
Theresa submitted today’s question and she says that she has been following a LCHF diet since about February of this year.
Her initial intention was to drop a few pounds before running the Boston Marathon in April. Now however, she is hooked.
She is currently getting ready to run Twin Cities in October, and she has noticed that on her 20-mile training runs she can run completely fasted, with perhaps just some Energybits (spirulina algae) to fuel her and then she is not hungry afterwards for hours!
Theresa wanted to know if this is normal when running on the LCHF diet? She also wanted to know if it is bad for her not to eat at all immediately following a long run? She says she also does P90X 3x a week in a fasted state and feels fine. She is assuming this is ok?
Prof Tim Noakes: In my opinion you are now metabolically perfect. Because that is the way you should be. When I ran last years’ Two Oceans, I had a small meal the night before and then did not eat for 24 hours, having run the Two Oceans half marathon. And I think that is the right way you should be.
Is you metabolism perfect on the LCHF diet?
We just over-eat so much and we don’t need to. You have adapted to becoming a complete fat burner, so when you have finished the marathon the brain says ‘well there is still plenty of fat around – I can continue burning the fat’.
I also think that the exercise itself takes your appetite away a bit. That is the right way to do it.
In contrast, if you are on a glucose model – burning a lot of carbohydrates, the minute you finish you are carbohydrate depleted and the brain says ‘where is the energy coming from, give me more carbohydrate’.
I think what you are recognising now is the difference between now and what you were in the past. In the past it was wrong, you were over-eating and eating towards a carbohydrate addiction. That is why you had to eat every three hours, and that is also why you were perpetually hungry.
On this LCHF diet you are in perfect shape, because now your brain is telling you exactly how many calories to eat and what type of calories and so it is perfect. Just keep going that way.