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Glycogen is necessary for high intensity exercise, but you are mistaken that carbs are necessary for glycogen. When you are keto-adapted and eat low carb, two t
by hoodwink 10y ago
Glycogen is necessary for high intensity exercise, but you are mistaken that carbs are necessary for glycogen. When you are keto-adapted and eat low carb, two things happen that most people overlook. First, you get enough "trace carbs" in your diet that you have glycogen in your muscles for exercise. Second, your body can synthesize glycogen!
I've eaten LCHF for 10 years and regularly exercise with CrossFit (arguably the highest intensity workout most people will do) and yoga intermixed with athletic activities like hiking, skiing, and surfing.
My suggestion is to properly keto-adapt over 3 to 6 weeks before concluding that you can't exercise without eating carbs.
- CuriouslyC 10y agoThe rate of glycogen synthesis is directly mediated by glucose availability, and the glycogen synthase enzyme is also activated by an insulin induced signalling cascade. Glycogen replenishment still occurs on a low carb diet, it just takes longer. If you only do crossfit every 2-3 days, and rotate the exercises you do somewhat (as is typical at most boxes) you might not notice a big difference between a low carb and higher carb diet. If you train daily and you're doing similar movements every day, you will definitely notice a difference. Since that is pretty much the modus operandi of serious athletes, that is where the whole "athletes don't do well on keto" idea comes from; it definitely doesn't apply to your garden variety recreational athlete though.