Carbs after exercise ? Is it ok?

(Ally) #1

Is it ok to have carbs immediately after a HIIT session or weights?

I was thinking of 10g oats which is around 5.6g of carbs.

I have read that your muscles need carbs to repair themselves. If they don’t get carbs the what will they use? I don’t want to be too tired to do the sessions but I want to keep going with keto.

Is it as good to have some fats straight after exercise? Will fats do the same as carbs?

I have been very low carb for two weeks then a week of being strict keto,( low carb and watching my proteins. )This is the start of week 4.

If I eat the 5g of oats that’s all the carbs I will have in the day, except for what is in green veg and olives so it won’t be over 20g in a day. I’m not sure what the effect of 5g carbs in one go would have on my keto state.

Before I started Keto this is what I had read…can anyone advise.

"After the workout is the other time to take in simple carbs: this is critical because it starts the whole recovery/muscle growth process. Following a hard workout, your body is severely depleted of glycogen and glucose.

During the workout hard working muscles use glucose (usable energy) and glycogen (stored energy) for energy. As such, there is a point at which blood glucose levels (available energy) and glycogen levels (stored energy) get so low that intense exercise can’t continue. There just isn’t enough available energy for your muscles to use."

(Ethan) #2

That many carbs is probably ok; however, your idea about muscles needing carbs is false, so the carbs are unnecessary. What you heard is probably based on the muscles’ need to replenish glycogen. A carb burner would do this only by eating carbs. A fat burner would do it with gluconeogenisis.

(Pete A) #3

Stay under 20 carbs in a day, or whatever your threshold. It’s also been said eating fat/protein after working out help with muscle growth, if you want to play around with that idea.

Good luck!

(Ken) #4

Limited carbs are OK, but I’d suggest simple one’s not complex. Oats, besides being discordant for many people, take a fairly long time to digest. You want the carbs to go into your system ASAP. Glucose or Dextrose (Glucose-D) is preferred. It’s kind’a like taking MCT, it’s available immediately. The easiest thing is the candy Smarties, which are Dextrose. Three rolls, ground up and dissolved in water, will give you right about 20 g of carbs.

(LeeAnn Brooks) #5

One of the points of Keto is to deprive your muscles of glycogen so your body turns to using your fat stores as it’s fuel source. If you keep feeding it carbs to build up glycogen, it will slow down that process.
As far as there being a point where you body shuts down or can’t take it without glycogen, I’ve been reading from marathoners and an ultra runner (50+ miles) who do their runs either completely fasted or with very small energy refuels like a packet of nut butter or a small amount of nuts or jerky.
If it’s within your carb allotment, it’s fine, but you don’t “need” it. That’s only for carb feeders.

(Rob) #6

One of the first areas I started reading about when I was pondering keto was keto and athletic performance. When I boiled it all down, what I got out of it was most people don’t need to do anything in terms or carb reloading. Sounded like some of the hardcore might benefit but as @240lbfatloss pointed out, it seemed the simple carbs were recommended. I saw gummy bears repeatedly mentioned. @240lbfatloss mentioned smarties … probably 6 of one half a dozen of another.

Something else to consider … a lot of the “science” put out there by the heavy lifting or bodybuilding crowd is written by genetically gifted people who would be successful despite the regimen they were following simly because they were genetically gifted.

I guess the question I would ask myself is: “What is it about my personal situation that makes this necessary?”.

(Ken) #7

All very true, it’s subject to the individual. Carb intake is based on the metabolic state. If you’re not experiencing indications of a slowdown due to a Starvation Response, you certainly don’t need to add them in.

As far as bodybuilders, you do have to remember that those that genetically carry low subcutaneous levels of fat are attracted to the sport, as muscular definition is required. The often paradox is that the same individuals often have a strong Myostatin response, limiting their ability to gain muscle. (Hardgainers) Hence the prevalence of Gear.

(Rob) #8

<* Slightly Off Topic Alert /> There’s a term i haven’t heard in quite a while. I have a couple of books by Stuart McRobert who wrote on the subject.

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #9

Protein is probably better, especially given that many folks here are concerned about the insulinogenic properties of whey. It might be that the gym Bros and meatheads figures something right.

But maybe before HIIT, rather than after, as you do need to digest, and even fast whey takes about half an hour to reach your bloodstream.

#10

You might want to clarify that you mean the American version of Smarties, there. The version elsewhere in the world is milk chocolate buttons covered in a coloured sugar coating (similar to the brown M&Ms, but a bit bigger). I got very confused by your post until I Googled for images… :slight_smile:

Having said that, I’m not sure advocating consumption of pure sugar sweets is something we should be doing, even after exercise. The insulin spike from that can’t possibly be good for anyone doing keto, surely.

(Doug) #11

:sunglasses: Exactly.

I think one’s intents and concerns matter here. If one is not wanting to lose weight/burn fat, then some protein and fat soon after working out fits pretty well. But if one wants to burn body fat, then I’d say don’t eat anything for a while. Exercise, especially high-intensity exercise, makes for some of the fastest fat-burning afterwards, as that gluconeogenesis and glycogen replacement proceeds rapidly for a while, from what I’ve read.

(Ken) #12

Yeah, I’m no “Spring Chicken”. But I’m not ancient either.

(Ken) #13

Yes, correct. Smarties are similar to Sweet Tarts. Which are Dextrose as well.

Meh, eating fruit after training is nearly the same, fruits have glucose, it’s just that their fructose requires fructokinase to break down into glucose, so a minor digestive process is required.

(Ken) #14

Carb refeeds/glycogen recompensations are not for the muscles.I personally don’t buy into the concept that “carbs transport protein” into the muscles. At least it being more effective than fat based nutrition. What carbs are for is to address metabolic issues in people who are very active and/or training. You could also mitigate the metabolic response by reducing activity.