Need Carbs for Running Energy

davestar_delux · 8 Apr 2013 at 22:27

Hey,

I am running a marathon shortly and recently I've been running out of energy on some training runs.

I don't tend to eat carbs - my diet is mostly protein and fat - I have a lot of chicken and broccoli. I get a bit of fruit which is carbs I guess. The odd sweet potato.

But I guess I need more but want to avoid crap like bread and pasta.

Anyone got any good ideas? Snacks or meals?

DIABLO · 8 Apr 2013 at 22:53

There is nothing wrong with white bread/pasta/rice as an energy source brown pasta/bread/rice is of course better though.

whitetop · 8 Apr 2013 at 23:08

i agree with this.

DIABLO said:
There is nothing wrong with white bread/pasta/rice as an energy source brown pasta/bread/rice is of course better though.

davestar_delux: why do you say not bread ect there is nothing wrong and if you want energy you need to eat the foods that give you it.

SexyGreyFox · 8 Apr 2013 at 23:14

Graeme Obree (born 11 September 1965,[1]), nicknamed The Flying Scotsman, is a Scottish racing cyclist who twice broke the world hour record, in July 1993 and April 1994, and was the individual pursuit world champion in 1993 and 1995.

I watched a documentary where they asked what his secret food source was in he ate bread & jam.

mrthingyx · 8 Apr 2013 at 23:14

davestar_delux said:
Hey,

I am running a marathon shortly and recently I've been running out of energy on some training runs.

I don't tend to eat carbs - my diet is mostly protein and fat - I have a lot of chicken and broccoli. I get a bit of fruit which is carbs I guess. The odd sweet potato.

But I guess I need more but want to avoid crap like bread and pasta.

Anyone got any good ideas? Snacks or meals?

Erm... Where do you think the expression "carb loading" comes from in endurance training?

Stuff your face anywhere up to 48hrs before a run. Literally eat all the carbs you can et with your meals.

If you run a marathon, it's not as if you aren't going to burn them off... Hell, your body will start to burn itself off diring a marathon, so go wild!

Begbie · 8 Apr 2013 at 23:59

mrthingyx said:
Erm... Where do you think the expression "carb loading" comes from in endurance training?

Stuff your face anywhere up to 48hrs before a run. Literally eat all the carbs you can et with your meals.

If you run a marathon, it's not as if you aren't going to burn them off... Hell, your body will start to burn itself off diring a marathon, so go wild!

Exactly this, no need to do it when training. But yeah, I love carbing out and then going to the gym. Them gainz!

davestar_delux · 9 Apr 2013 at 00:09

mrthingyx said:
Erm... Where do you think the expression "carb loading" comes from in endurance training?

I know but I'm just wondering if it can all be done cleaner.

MrMoonX · 9 Apr 2013 at 00:29

You are going to crash and burn if you don't eat carb heavy at least 3 days leading up to it, you need good carbs try whole wheat pasta and bread, these are high quality carbs and not "crap". I don't eat a heavy meal the night before a marathon, it makes me feel bloated, eat pasta the lunch time before and a light dinner, my breakfast is usually peanut butter on a bagel or quinoa porridge.

I'm vegan so I have a pretty imaginative pre race meal plan, you are going to burn about 4000 calories, your longest training run should be about 20-22miles the marathon will punish you in the last 6.2miles anyway. Diet is always neglected by people, it should be something that is just as important in the months of training as on race day! Energy gels are great for a quick boost during a race, but without the base of carb loading its gonna be a long day!

With Berlin, Brighton and Amsterdam marathons under my belt along with a load of Halfs and Chicago in October this year, marathon training is something I live and breathe

please take my advice

smit101 · 9 Apr 2013 at 00:46

davestar_delux said:
I know but I'm just wondering if it can all be done cleaner.

You say you eat a lot of fat, but then go on to say you eat mainly chicken and broccoli, both of which are low in fat. :confused:

You can't expect to have much endurance on low carb and low fat. The way I see it you can go 2 ways, eat more carbs and use glucose for energy, or if you want to limit carbs then drastically increase your fat intake and adapt to using fats/ketones as main fuel source. Both methods will work (so will a combination of both) but you have to eat accordingly.

mrthingyx · 9 Apr 2013 at 08:32

davestar_delux said:
I know but I'm just wondering if it can all be done cleaner.

Why would want to do it cleaner? If you're worried about turning into a flabby mess, I can assure you that won't happen.

It also sound like you need better carb ntake, anyway, which can be achieved cleanly through low GI carbs (brown pasta, oats, etc.). THAT is clean, but not necessarily what you want/need for a big race.

KiNgPiN83 · 9 Apr 2013 at 11:27

When I ran my marathon last year I destroyed loads of chicken, pasta, potato and bread the couple of days before and the very night before the marathon. I managed to finish it in a fairly reasonable time of 4:12:11. But to be honest one of your biggest motivations will be the crowd, those guys probably did me more good than the chicken and pasta I ate in the Harvester the night before...

King85 · 9 Apr 2013 at 12:40

If you like sweet potato eat lots of it.its my preferred carb for loading.

davestar_delux · 9 Apr 2013 at 17:18

Well I plan to go back to the gym after the marathon so didn't want much change from my regular diet which is healthy.

I think it is better to have carbs from fruit which may be high GI and a bit sugary but are natural rather than bread or pasta (whether it's wholemeal) which is quite processed.

I'm quite into my nutrition so I'm aware of carb-loading and I'm prepared to do it to an extent for this race but I'm not sold on it completely.

Anyway I will up the brown rice and sweet potato intake!

touch · 9 Apr 2013 at 18:58

If you're so worried about what you eat then you'd be better off to fuel properly before the race when you have control over what you're eating rather than find you run out of energy halfway and need to eat whatever is available at the food stops. (I'v never done a running race but if it's anything like a bike race the food stops will be mostly cakes)

icecold · 9 Apr 2013 at 19:11

davestar_delux said:
Well I plan to go back to the gym after the marathon so didn't want much change from my regular diet which is healthy.

I think it is better to have carbs from fruit which may be high GI and a bit sugary but are natural rather than bread or pasta (whether it's wholemeal) which is quite processed.

I'm quite into my nutrition so I'm aware of carb-loading and I'm prepared to do it to an extent for this race but I'm not sold on it completely.

Anyway I will up the brown rice and sweet potato intake!

Most of this post is... bad.

Fruit = fructose, definitely not optimal.

Brown pasta or rice isn't any better for you than the regular kind.

Sweet potato, although tasty, isn't any better than regular potato.

oli collett · 9 Apr 2013 at 19:32

Have a read of this:
http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/carbohydrate-hypothesis-of-obesity.html?m=1

Stop worrying so much, and get some carbs down you.

davestar_delux · 9 Apr 2013 at 19:36

icecold said:
Most of this post is... bad.

Fruit = fructose, definitely not optimal.

Brown pasta or rice isn't any better for you than the regular kind.

Sweet potato, although tasty, isn't any better than regular potato.

My post doesn't mention regular potato or brown rice being better than white.

I also think the fruit thing is something there is plenty of on-going research on and being put in a bad light by fad diets looking at GI and claiming all sugars are bad and put your metabolism into a state it is stored by fat. Also if the thinking behind recommending pasta is that the carbs will be burned off in a marathon then I don't think fruit will be any worse.

DIABLO · 9 Apr 2013 at 19:38

icecold said:
Most of this post is... bad.

Fruit = fructose, definitely not optimal.

Brown pasta or rice isn't any better for you than the regular kind.

Sweet potato, although tasty, isn't any better than regular potato.

Of course Brown pasta/rice/bread is better it full of fibre and digests slower so the energy release is slower.

MrMoonX · 9 Apr 2013 at 20:21

touch said:
If you're so worried about what you eat then you'd be better off to fuel properly before the race when you have control over what you're eating rather than find you run out of energy halfway and need to eat whatever is available at the food stops. (I'v never done a running race but if it's anything like a bike race the food stops will be mostly cakes)

davestar_delux said:
My post doesn't mention regular potato or brown rice being better than white.

I also think the fruit thing is something there is plenty of on-going research on and being put in a bad light by fad diets looking at GI and claiming all sugars are bad and put your metabolism into a state it is stored by fat. Also if the thinking behind recommending pasta is that the carbs will be burned off in a marathon then I don't think fruit will be any worse.

deffo no cake or food stops in the marathon, well not one ive done

davestar - seriously mate unless you want a big fat DNF next to your name in the results eat some proper energy i.e carbs, fruit sugar will be burnt very quickly and is of little use in endurance running. Us runners are anal about nutrition, but its all about carbs for anything over 10 miles, think of your body like an engine you are going to be making 160-180 steps a minute, can you keep that up for 3-4 hours + on a couple apples and a banana, with nothing but fat and protein in the days before hand?

DIABLO · 9 Apr 2013 at 20:40

As MrMoonX said if you think fruit is gonna cut then you're going fail, starchy carbs ftw, pro cyclists eat loads of pasta before a big race.