Hard Training and LoCarbing problem
 

Folks, I need some input here.
Over the past seven weeks I've really increased the intensity of my weight training, doing three workouts/week, push/pull and legs. I'm getting regular increases in strength, although I have to push through the early fatigue caused by low glycogen from lo-carbing.
The problem- over the past week or so - on lifting days I'm getting ravenous, overwhelming late night carbo cravings that are interrupting my sleep. I've had a couple of cheats that put me right to sleep. It's getting to be quite a disruption.
I've been maintaining at about 10X calories and 30g of carbs. I'm still a bit paranoid about switching to CKD, but I am wondering if I need to up the carbs or something?

Re: Hard Training and LoCarbing problem
 

The reason you pass out after your cheat meals is that
the seratonin from the carbs is making you tired.
This is why some people suggest that someone on a low carb or CKD diet should carb up right before bed because it puts you too sleep and you
will not have a chance to crave more carbs.
I personally like to carb up when the body is in it's most catabolic states which are at breakfast and postworkout.

CKD's are the best way to cut down bodyfat and maintain
and even build muscle mass.
I train with weights 5 days a week and train to complete failure
almost every set except for warmups and the occasional
high rep/light weight days.
The bulk of my carb intake is from a serving of oatmeal before
I go to lift weights. This gives me the energy to get through my
workouts and helps to prevent my body from eating away
at all the hard earned muscle.
It sounds like you are training hard and I think you should switch to a CKD.
But half assed attempts at CKD's can leave you feeling tired throughout the day and can also result in muscle loss.
The CKD also allows us to have a couple of carb up days to restore
glycogen and to help keep some sanity.
In my opinion,
lfting weights in a glycogen depleted state is a bad idea.

Iron Bull,
So you have oatmeal an hour or so before working out, five days a week.
Do you also do the Friday thru Sunday carb up?
I can really feel the glycogen depletion, it's almost like letting the air out of a balloon, right in the middle of a set.
Oatmeal or some other hi glycemic food would provide more fuel for the lifting? I suppose you would burn it all off during a hard workout and continue on with a lo-carb program?
I just want to fully understand what you are saying. It sounds interesting.

Sup Doug H?
Yes I have around 3/4 serving of oatmeal about 1 to 1.5 hours before
lifting weights. This is around 19 grams of carbs. I basically make a protein shake and throw in 3/4 serving of oatmeal and 10 grams of glutamine.
I also pop 3 caffine pills for added energy and the thermogenic benefits.

Yes I do the carb up weekend but only from Saturday morning to Sunday night.

The only time I eat a significant amount of carbs is before lifting.
I do not like lifting in a completely glycogen depleted state.
I fear muscle loss.
19 grams of carbs is not alot to run on during an intense workout
but it gets me through the lifting session.
I prefer low GI complex carbs like oatmeal before lifting.

You are correct when you say that you will use up the carbs during the workout. There will be no chance of fat storage.
After the workout I continue the low carb diet.
No insulin spikes for the rest of the day.

Post workout is the most catabolic time of the day.
My post workout meal consists of whey protein and Glutamine.
I have not experienced any noticable muscle loss when skipping
the carbs after the workout.
I believe the Glutamine helps to restore glycogen, aids in recovery
and prevents muscle catabolism without causing an insulin spike.
Save the carbs for the weekend carb ups. :D

I found this for a good explanation on glutamine -

http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings.../glutamine.html

Some of it was Greek to me, but helped.

I'm not sure what your carb count is per day, but the hard core lifting and exercise crowd around here either does CKD or they go up to a 40-50 g carb level. Some spike it half an hr before a work out, some space it out over the day.

Good luck!

Friday

I keep my carbs around 35 grams on lifting days
and basically no carbs on cardio and off days(except for carb loads).
Its kinda funny that I consider 20 grams of carbs before a
workout "carbing up". :D