FUEL UP, MINUS THE CARBS

Training for an endurance event? Say goodbye to sugary gels, drinks or carbo-loading – optimise your performance the low-carb way.

Carbo-loading for endurance is a thing of the past

For decades we’ve been told that when it comes to exercise, we need carbohydrates to perform at our best. Thousands of runners, cyclists and other sports enthusiasts have adhered strictly to the carbo-loading protocol and wouldn’t dare question this way of fuelling up. But studies have proven that ketosis (burning fat for fuel rather than glucose) can be helpful for those doing ultra-endurance events or just low-intensity exercise aimed at maintaining general overall health.

So why did we think carbs were the way to go in the first place?

In the late 1970s, a theory in physiology emerged that muscle glycogen (the carbs in our muscles) is the only factor that determines athletic performance. In other words, more carbs equal more muscle mass, equal more strength, equal better performance. Shortly there-

after, the American Heart Association confirmed the diet-heart hypothesis as accurate – saying dietary saturated fat raises cholesterol and therefore the risk of heart disease, and thus saturated fats should be avoided, if not eliminated, from our diets. And that’s when ‘fat phobia’ set in.

The low-fat, high-carb craze was undoubtedly the most significant shift in dietary history. The food pyramid indicated that our diets should comprise between 55–60% carbohydrates. For those exercising, particularly at a competitive level, this advice was taken very seriously and no deviations were even considered.

This was the best news for the sugar and carb industries. We were bombarded with energy drinks, energy bars, highenergy cereals, gels and the like. It affected everyone, not just athletes or gym bunnies. The science made it clear to us that the concept of ‘calories in equals calories out’ is all we needed to focus on. ‘Don’t ever run on empty. Have an Energade or a fruit juice,’ we were often told. We were programmed to think that we ‘needed’ fuel (specifically carbohydrates) throughout the day; without it, we wouldn’t function properly and certainly shouldn’t even consider participating in any sort of vigorous physical activity.

What was the result?

From a sporting perspective, we began to see thousands of athletes carbo-loading before races, avoiding fats, doing everything ‘right’ – yet their finishing times were slower, their training regimes were becoming more difficult to stick to and, on top of it all, they were gaining weight!

For many, this wasn’t the worst of it. Some developed severe insulin resistance and later went on to develop type 2 diabetes. How ironic: following the lifestyle that promotes good health and landing up sicker and heavier than you were to begin with.

Professor Tim Noakes is one of the pioneers in changing the way we view carbohydrates and fats, particularly in the exercise arena. Having famously advocated a carb-heavy diet in his bestselling book The Lore of Running, he had the strength of character to admit he was wrong. After researching the LCHF lifestyle, Noakes changed his eating habits and was delighted with the results. He became fitter, faster, lost a significant amount of weight and his blood sugar levels improved dramatically.

Once word got out about his findings, many sportspeople as well as the general public said goodbye to dietary guidelines and took control of their own health. Following an LCHF lifestyle is perfectly safe and largely recommended for anyone engaging in physical activity, whether it’s the Comrades marathon or a Pilates class. There are very few high-performance athletes who need more carbs during their peak performances, and most of us aren’t competing at the level of sprinter Usain Bolt.