Biking and Atkins

[Skippie]

Hi All,

I am well on my way to losing the weight I want to thanks to Atkins and my road bike. I do have a question about how much biking I can do while on Atkins. I was biking before starting Atkins but now that I am cutting out most carbs from my diet I find that I do not have the energy to bike like I used to. If I bike over an hour I really have problems. Also I think that I have significantly less energy when climbing hills.

Is this normal? I am guessing that because I am on a low carb diet that my body takes longer to convert it's stores to energy then when I ate more carbs.

I find rides of 10-12 miles are fine - except for having less energy for the hills. should I limit my rides to this distance. I would really appreciate to hear from someone that understands what is going on here.

[Desertthorn]

Re: Biking and Atkins

I don't think it's normal at all, as most folks get an energy boost when doing low-carb. How long have you been on Atkins?

[Greeneggs&ham]

Re: Biking and Atkins

When I am sticking to low-carb, I have similar results to Skippie. I too have wondered how long the body takes to produce energy (ketones? glucose?) from non-carbohydrate sources? It does seem that when using more than an average amount of energy over a relatively short period of time (20+ miles on a bike, or 10+ miles hiking for example) the body could conceivably "bonk" from a depletion of renewable energy.

Seems to me that an old copy of DANDR suggested that this diet works better for more sedentary people as opposed to marathon runners and extreme athletes who use larger numbers of calories on a daily basis. My guess is that the diet needs to be modified for those who expend larger number of calories during exercise to include larger quantities of "good" carbs (OWL foods) prior to and during exercise.

Unfortunately, I have never taken the time to approach this rationally, and therefore can't say with any certainty if adding carbs would wind up doing more harm than good. Can anyone else relate to Skippie and I?

[msanjelpie]

Re: Biking and Atkins

Are either of you taking multivitamins or other supplements?

[Elizellen]

Re: Biking and Atkins

I don't cycle except for an exercise bike but many of our members do so I am sure a post in the Exercise forum will get some advice from experienced members.

[Skippie]

Re: Biking and Atkins

I am starting my third week on Atkins and I am taking vitamin supplements. Please, if you have no experience with long distance bike riding or running, do not post. I am really not looking for anyone theory or guesses, I want factual information. Long distance running or biking is far different from sitting on an exercise bike for 20-30 min and peddling at a slow pace.

I will post in the exercise forum also. thank you for the suggestion.

[SunnySmile501]

Re: Biking and Atkins

I am starting my third week on Atkins and I am taking vitamin supplements. Please, if you have no experience with long distance bike riding or running, do not post. I am really not looking for anyone theory or guesses, I want factual information. Long distance running or biking is far different from sitting on an exercise bike for 20-30 min and peddling at a slow pace.

I will post in the exercise forum also. thank you for the suggestion.

Well, okay, but you won't get as many answers. Saves me a lot of typing.

[arcticsp2003]

Re: Biking and Atkins

I by no means consider myself a "long distance rider" (or a roadie for that matter), but I try to average about 10-15 miles per day on the street (on a heavy mountain bike). I've done 20+ several times.

Anyways depending on your height, you're in pretty much the same boat as me. (same weight / same time on plan) I found that at first I was eating too little trying to lose weight too fast. I upped my portions a little and I was no longer tired. I'm still losing weight, just a fuzz slower, but I'm also able to exercise more which I feel is a beneficial tradeoff.

Do you ride before or after supper? I found if I ate supper then went out riding, I was much better off as well. Also eggs help too.

Hope that helps,

Arctic

[ThinSoon]

Re: Biking and Atkins

I do long distance cycling. I find that I need to eat about 30 minutes before going as my energy levels fail me...

Tracey

[neutronnorman]

Re: Biking and Atkins

I am starting my third week on Atkins and I am taking vitamin supplements. Please, if you have no experience with long distance bike riding or running, do not post. I am really not looking for anyone theory or guesses, I want factual information. Long distance running or biking is far different from sitting on an exercise bike for 20-30 min and peddling at a slow pace.

I will post in the exercise forum also. thank you for the suggestion.

carb spiking, every 5-6 days for marathon runners, extreme power lifters / bodybuilders: "just the facts, mam...J.Friday..."

Lavoie JM, Helie R, Peronnet F, et al. Effects of muscle CHO-loading
manipulations on hormonal responses during prolonged exercise. Int J Sports Med
1985; 6(2):95-9.

Flatt JP. Use and storage of carbohydrate and fat. American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition 1995; 61(4 Suppl):952S-959S.

Dela F, Handberg A, Mikines KJ, et al. GLUT 4 and insulin receptor binding and kinase activity in trained human muscle. J Physiol 1993; 469:615-24.

Schurch PM, Reinke A, Hollmann W. [Carbohydrate-reduced diet and
metabolism: about the influence of a 4-week isocaloric, fat-rich, carbohydrate-reduced
diet on body weight and metabolism]. Medizinische Klinik-Muich 1979; 74(36):1279-85.

Galbo H, Holst JJ, Christensen NJ. The effect of different diets and of insulin on
the hormonal response to prolonged exercise. Acta Physiol Scand 1979; 107(1):19-32.

Johannessen A, Hagen C, Galbo H. Prolactin, growth hormone, thyrotropin,
3,5,3'-triiodothyronine, and thyroxine responses to exercise after fat- and
carbohydrate-enriched diet. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1981; 52(1):56-61.

Sidery MB, Gallen IW, Macdonald IA. The initial physiological responses to glucose ingestion in normal subjects are modified w2 a 3 d high-fat diet. Br J Nutr 1990; 64(3):705-13.

Conlee RK, Hammer RL, Winder WW, et al. Glycogen repletion and exercise endurance in rats adapted to a high fat diet. Metabolism 1990; 39(3):289-94.

1. Body composition and nutrition for sport. In: Wilmore JH, et al. Physiology of Sport and Exercise. 4th ed. Champaign, Ill.: Human Kinetics; 2008:316-353.
2. Sedlock DA. The latest on carbohydrate loading: A practical approach. Current Sports Medicine Reports. 2008;7(4):209-213.

The list goes on. Carb loading from 12-48 hours, depending on an individuals metabolism and exercise intensity works wonders. If you do not work out like an athlete do not consider carbohydrate loading, Stick to DANDR.

[Skippie]

Re: Biking and Atkins

Help me understand this.

Height: 5' 11" (ain't nothin' I can do about this, nuts...)

Start (half donkeyed): 4/23/09 245 lb. 29.1% Body fat, Level: obese
mini Goal 1: 6/16/09 226 lb. 18.2% Body fat, Level: acceptable
........................7/02/09 229.5 lb. 15.7% Body fat, Level: Fitness
mini Goal 2: 7/8/09 220 lb. 13.9% Body fat, Level: Fitness
Goal: 10-12% body fat, Level: athlete (in layman's terms: ripped)

I am 6'1" In college I ran track and was in the best shape of my life. I ran and lifted regularly and had more muscle mass then at any time in my life. My training weight was 167 and I was consistently just under 10% body fat when measured.

Right now you say you weigh 220lbs and have 13.9% body fat. That means, if we remove all the body fat from you your weight will be 190lbs.

How is this possible? You are 2 inches shorter then me and you would weigh 23 pounds more then me when I was at my training weight and you would have zero body fat?

I think your numbers are off.

[neutronnorman]

Re: Biking and Atkins

Help me understand this.

Height: 5' 11" (ain't nothin' I can do about this, nuts...)

Start (half donkeyed): 4/23/09 245 lb. 29.1% Body fat, Level: obese
mini Goal 1: 6/16/09 226 lb. 18.2% Body fat, Level: acceptable
........................7/02/09 229.5 lb. 15.7% Body fat, Level: Fitness
mini Goal 2: 7/8/09 220 lb. 13.9% Body fat, Level: Fitness
Goal: 10-12% body fat, Level: athlete (in layman's terms: ripped)

I am 6'1" In college I ran track and was in the best shape of my life. I ran and lifted regularly and had more muscle mass then at any time in my life. My training weight was 167 and I was consistently just under 10% body fat when measured.

Right now you say you weigh 220lbs and have 13.9% body fat. That means, if we remove all the body fat from you your weight will be 190lbs.

How is this possible? You are 2 inches shorter then me and you would weigh 23 pounds more then me when I was at my training weight and you would have zero body fat?

I think your numbers are off.

I'm heavily muscled. Always have been. I trained as a power lifter / body builder most of my life. In a nut shell, I carry a bit more that 30 lb muscle mass than you did at your training weight. I didn't run, and continue to keep my cardio to a bare minimum. In fact, my true LBM is 189.4 lb that means I carry about 30.6 lb. of fat. So why do you think my numbers are off? I use three methods to calculate body fat. "...6'1" In college I ran track and was in the best shape of my life..." I'm sure you were not dead lifting 400-500 lb. Nor squatting in the 300-400 lb ranges. If you were running track, you were not training for extreme muscle hypertrophy. And, suppose I do have the genes for putting on muscular weight, why would you suppose that I'm not chemically enhanced?

My goal is to reach 10% body fat at about 200 lb. so I can begin a mass phase. I'm just in the process of cutting down now.