I do not know if this is the right forum....I am walking on to my university's track team. We practice m, w, f with weights in the morning at 6am and m thru f with calisthenics/running in the afternoon 3pm. I have been following a low carb diet for a loooong time. I do not want to give it up seeing as it made me feel better. I do not always follow it perfectly but I usually do a pretty good job.

How can I have enough energy to do all of this on such low carbs? I eat a lot of meat, eggs, veggies, fruits, olives and cottage cheese and nuts (these are my main staples) But when I do strenuous activity like an hour long track or the intense lifting practise my legs get unusually heavy and I "bonk." My lungs are fine but my legs will not move. I have experimented with eating a giant bagle beforehand and that seemed to fix the problem....

However....I usually only have time to eat 3 or 4 x's a day and my practise schedule would mean eating a lot of carbs at mealtimes....so I would no longer be following a low carb diet really. I'd like to know what are some healthy forms of more concentrated carbs as well as if the bagels are really that horrible before an intense workout. Also, if there is a way to get around this problem. I am happier eating more protein and a lot less carbs. It keeps my food intake in check as well as satisfies me easier. I also like meat better than most foods besides veggies. Carbs make me eat way too much and crave too much food whereas a nice bowl of cottage cheese, nuts, and veggies keeps me full.

Hi there ExV

I'm athletic too, and I invoke various carbing up strategies for my workouts.

A bagel about an hour before lifting is fine. If it's faster carbs, like pancakes with syrup, a little over half an hour. If it's dextrose in water, maybe 20 minutes.

If you're sprinting, this is like HIIT, and having some glycogen in your muscles might be a very good idea. You might consider eating some low-GI carbs with your last meal before hitting the track, and glutamine immediately after, along with more protein.

If you're not doing glutamine, get some. I take 5g in the AM, empty, 5g at coffee OR after any training, and 5g at bedtime. Helps with muscle recovery BIG TIME.

I find as long as I limit my carbs to PRE training, I don't get set up for cravings, even with the high-GI stuff.

okay....so I could perhaps do this....from what you have said....

5:45 before weights....big bagel

breakfast: protein based low carb

lunch: protein based low carb

snack before running: lots of clean carbs and protein

dinner: protein based low carb

I just did a search for good carbs and was wondering if oatmeal was a good choice?

Will I not gain muscle if I do not eat carbs after lifting??? Just curious. Also, how much does glutamine generally cost? I do not have a lot of extra money....

Yes, this sounds very similar to what I often do.

Oatmeal is an excellent choice...IF it is steel-cut. The instant stuff is delicious, but it's a faster carb. My thoughts: If you're going to eat oatmeal before lifting, do the instant, go ahead and add a bit of sugar or dried fruit.

If you're going to have it for your pre-track meal with protein (presumably, a few hours before you train) do the steel-cut, no sugar. Yams (the orange coloured sweet potatoes) are an excellent choice too, and very nutrient dense.

Carbs after lifting is a funny one - it seems to help the fellas a LOT if they have a whey shake with dextrose (high GI carb).

However...

In women, this combination often spills over into fat stores. Not sure why, but I suspect the greater muscle mass and perhaps the greater amount of testosterone that men produce may be mitigating factors. I've dropped my post-lifting whey and post-lifting dextrose. I just gained too much fat. I stick pretty much to slow protein (cottage cheese) with maybe a quarter of an apple and some natty PB. There's a sticky in the exercise forum about women and carbups - have a peek there for more info.

Anything else I should know? Any ex or current track athletes wanna chime in with their advice? I am scared because I think I might pass out the first day.

wELL, I ran Division 1 track and cross country in college, but those were pre-low carb days. I LIVED on carbs, such as cereal and bread. My major downfall was not eating enough, and overtraining! (hey when you have to wear those shorts that are like bathing suit bottoms, it's really easy to put down the doughnut!) So make sure you eat enough and listen to your body!
Have fun! I REALLY miss being on a team like that...we had sooo much fun. I really miss it.

also, Built's carb-up plan looks like a good idea for you. I still run, and sometimes when I feel like I am totally dragging I have to do some sort of mini carb up. I like to use sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and of course chocolate...(I know, I know) for shorter events (what events are you planning to run?) you would probably want faster-acting simple carbs very close to your event. To survive practices, you might want a low GI carb before practice.
also, ice baths really help your legs recover from hard practices...it reduces inflammation everywhere! Wish I had known that in college! avoid the hot tubs...it will make you really sluggish.

I do HIIT (sprinting / interval training) on my lowest carb days. So far, no problems at all. And I'm over 40.

Have fun!

You may want to check out this article on low-carbing and exercise.

http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/athletic_diet.html

thanks that was an awesome article. But it didn't say how much fat an athlete should eat....I mean it didn't really give a specific menu or anything. I would have loved to know what exactly the Ethiopian guy ate every day specifically. But still it was reassuring that I will probably be okay doing low carb and track. I am lucky that we are not forced to follow any specific diet plan. At my last school the track athletes had to follow a special diet and I think I would self-destruct from eating 11-12 servings of bread, pasta, and rice a day! Give me meat or give me death

The Ethiopian guy was, well, Ethiopian. Very different ethnicity - as I understand it, the Ethiopian diet is a little low in protein and rather high in grain, and it seems to work for them. But many Northern Europeans don't fare so well on this macronutrient mix.

Eat what makes YOU work.