- Messages
- 4,392
- Location
- Suffolk, UK
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Diet drinks - the artificial sweeteners taste vile.
Having to forswear foods I have loved all my life.
Trying to find low carb meals when eating out.
I think this belongs here not in the exercise forum.
If you are low carb or keto, your main energy source is ketones.
Your body makes any glucose required by parts of your body, and maintains normal BG levels (we wish).
So what happens if you eat enough carbohydrates to exceed the basic metabolic requirement, but far too low to meet energy requirements?
You are still burning mainly ketones, but there are some spare carbohydrates floating around.
Anyone know the science of this?
Does it get burned slowly by the body (e.g. brain) and loaded into the tissues but not generally used for energy by the muscles?
Does it get used preferentially?
I started searching for information and came across carb cycling.
Then found a thread here.
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/carb-cycling-my-most-dangerous-diet-plan-attempt.183780/
There seems to a a premise that you can load up your muscles with glycogen before exercise without disturbing the main keto metabolism but providing that extra bit of boost during exercise.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/carb-cycling
[Pretty good thread to read IMHO.]
says
"In an effort to prolong the time to muscle fatigue during competitive exercise, loading up with carbohydrates prior to the event is thought to replenish muscle glycogen stores, while not significantly changing the body’s adaptation to increased fat oxidation. Therefore, a fat-adapted athlete should be able to efficiently burn fat during exercise, tapping into muscle glycogen stores only when needed (likely during the most intense intervals of exercise)".
There seems to be very little strong evidence either way.
I do have a strong temptation to try some carbohydrates half way through my weekly group cycle ride as I have a good stock of Libre results where I just have coffee.
I have (probably very obviously) less energy on the second half of the ride and am wondering if a few carbs could provide a quick energy boost later in the ride.
One final confusing bit is that at the start of the ride my liver seems to dump lots of glucose into my bloodstream which isn't instantly used.
This suggests that either it is a lot of glucose or that I am not metabolising glucose in preference to ketones.
Anyway - cake!
If you are low carb or keto, your main energy source is ketones.
Your body makes any glucose required by parts of your body, and maintains normal BG levels (we wish).
So what happens if you eat enough carbohydrates to exceed the basic metabolic requirement, but far too low to meet energy requirements?
You are still burning mainly ketones, but there are some spare carbohydrates floating around.
Anyone know the science of this?
Does it get burned slowly by the body (e.g. brain) and loaded into the tissues but not generally used for energy by the muscles?
Does it get used preferentially?
I started searching for information and came across carb cycling.
Then found a thread here.
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/carb-cycling-my-most-dangerous-diet-plan-attempt.183780/
There seems to a a premise that you can load up your muscles with glycogen before exercise without disturbing the main keto metabolism but providing that extra bit of boost during exercise.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/carb-cycling
[Pretty good thread to read IMHO.]
says
"In an effort to prolong the time to muscle fatigue during competitive exercise, loading up with carbohydrates prior to the event is thought to replenish muscle glycogen stores, while not significantly changing the body’s adaptation to increased fat oxidation. Therefore, a fat-adapted athlete should be able to efficiently burn fat during exercise, tapping into muscle glycogen stores only when needed (likely during the most intense intervals of exercise)".
There seems to be very little strong evidence either way.
I do have a strong temptation to try some carbohydrates half way through my weekly group cycle ride as I have a good stock of Libre results where I just have coffee.
I have (probably very obviously) less energy on the second half of the ride and am wondering if a few carbs could provide a quick energy boost later in the ride.
One final confusing bit is that at the start of the ride my liver seems to dump lots of glucose into my bloodstream which isn't instantly used.
This suggests that either it is a lot of glucose or that I am not metabolising glucose in preference to ketones.
Anyway - cake!