Distance Running on Keto

(Jo Lo) #9

I would like to add FWIW that keto has not hurt my sprinting. My max effort 1 mile time is 7 mins, done at least 4 times in crossfit workouts in the last 2 yrs (age 60). Just sayin.

(Keith Frentz) #10

Thank you everyone for the feedback and personal experiences!

(Todd Baum) #11

I’m new to the forum. I’ve been LCHF/keto ultramarathoner for a few years. I routinely do not drink or eat anything caloric on my long training runs. I have not found the need to fuel. The morning of your half marathon race, I would treat as any other day. I wouldn’t think you’d need or want to race with food in your stomach. And I like to keep from filling my gut too much the day before a race as well. Instead, I keep the meals normal size and have an early dinner. The “fueling” before a race isn’t something that I buy into any longer. The last half of your race might benefit from a small dose of sugar in the form of a good tasting sports drink, but I’m not sure if it is beneficial mentally or actually contributes as a fuel, maybe both. Keto on!

(Ali Rich) #12

How do you refuel after long runs? I get lost in what to increase (macros) and how much. Keep macro percentages the same and just increase calories? Keep carbs the same and only increase fat and/or protein? I’ve been on Keto for 5 months and am training for my first marathon. I’ve run 2 half marathons on Keto only fueling with water during the race and have been fine. I usually drink some bone broth with olive oil or butter in it before my long runs.

(ianrobo) #13

One point to mention here is whether you fast or not, as a Keto athlete there is no question that recovery is quicker, faster and better,

And recovery is the key to all fitness programmes.

(Hunter Hankley) #14

Not sure if this is the correct place to post this. I fell apart during my 20 mile training run this past Saturday. It was some sort of inner ear problem. I felt like I had just run up a mountain, but there was little to no elevation change. My pre run nutrition was fat coffee (about 400 calories). The problems didn’t begin until about 15 miles in. I feel my water intake was correct. Not sure if anyone has experienced this, but any insights would be greatly appreciated.

Too much too soon?
(Michael Wallace Ellwood) #15

Do you mean that your balance was affected?

(Hunter Hankley) #16

Yes, It was like my ears wouldn’t pop. I was getting dizzy unless I kept a very slow pace.

(Cait Bower) #17

THIS.

I’m training for my fourth marathon (NYC on November 5), but my first as a Ketonian. My running has improved dramatically since I went HFLC, but the longest distance I’ve done as a fat burner is 13.1. In marathons, I usually bonk around mile 19–obviously there’s no real wall or bonk in a half marathon, so I don’t know if/how to fuel in-race for a full marathon. If I were still a sugar burner, I’d have a Gu pack around mile 18, but as a fat burner, I don’t know what I’ll need on board while I’m racing. Should I have an almond butter pack at mile 18? An electrolyte chew like SaltStick?

My long runs in the fall will be really telling, but I’m super nervous about not knowing what to expect. Marathon runners are obsessed with planning and I hate that I don’t know what to expect!

(Ali Rich) #18

I guess we will be in this together! It was recently suggested to me that the main focus during a long run should be electrolytes and water, I shouldn’t need any “fuel” per say.

(ianrobo) #19

In theory if you are fat adapted you will need nothing at all. In practice don’t worry about it, take whatever you like to eat imho. I take jelly babies to chew on but reality is I do not need them but tastes nice

(Andy C) #20

I’m (mostly) right there with you. The difference is I’m training for my first marathon. I don’t have the experience of doing a carb-powered race, but nearly ALL of the information I’ve found promotes carb fueling. It’s all Gatorade and gels and candy bars and the like.

My marathon is in November too, and so far I haven’t done a run long enough to have needed any fueling. Will I hit the point of needing to eat before I reach 26.2? I don’t know. I guess i assume I will, but I feel like I’m in uncharted waters here. It’s simultaneously exciting, intellectually interesting and damned frustrating.

I have seen some reference to the Epic brand bars for fueling on a long run, but I’m skeptical about eating meat on a run because of how much energy and time it takes to digest protein. I feel like the best thing would be a short- or medium-chain triglyceride, but I don’t know. It’s all hypothetical. I don’t actually know what I’m talking about.

My boss, who is also LCHF, told me he’s seen some individual packets of coconut oil. I think he found them at Trader Joe’s, but I may be misremembering. So far that’s the only idea I have for fuel to carry with me on a run. I haven’t tried it though, so I’m definitely not recommending it at this point.

I’m very much open to ideas or suggestions.

#21

I ran a half in May (Keto since October) and ran the race fasted. I find Keto is a big simplifier of fueling. I am not thin so have lots of body fat to burn. I do almost all of my runs fasted and it hasn’t posed an issue. I’ve read about others using generation UCan on Keto as fuel and might eventually give it a try. They are sponsoring the next half I’m running in October and so I may give it a go at the aid stations (with a trial before the race) but this is just for experimentation rather than out of need.
Good luck!

(Carol Hawkins) #22

I ran a half last week fasted and got an 8 minute PR. Much easier to run with less weight! :running_man:

(Carpe salata!) #23

I ran for the bus . It was ok, I caught it.

(Lisa Chamberlain) #24

Hi I’m new to keto, I have been on this for 6 weeks now & really noticed a difference in my energy & focus, the first two weeks were hell craving all my sweet things biscuits fruit etc, anyway now I don’t miss them at all, I look forward to making my meals, I am running my first London marathon next year so thought I would try this plan, I have ran a few halfs before but struggled, now already running easy 14miles & still feel I could carry on but won’t push it to quick, I am 47 & been running for 3 years now but never this far, once you know what you can eat & get your head round it I feel it has benefited me already, anyone doing the London marathon see you there, I’m running for SENSE the deaf & blind so if you feel you would like to donate for my charity I would be so grateful £1 even would make a difference!! Lisa chamberlain5 on justgiving page, if you do donate please leave a message so I can thank you.x

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#25

:rofl::stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

(Kerianne Wurfel) #26

So how did it go? I’m planning to run my first in March and would love your input on keto vs carb fueled. I’m LCHF (go in and out of keto), and have been running for a while. I usually don’t eat before a run, but was having half a fruit before longer runs over the summer, not so much lately… I’d really like to get fully keto adapted to run this marathon, but would love your thoughts since you’ve run marathons on carbs and keto.
Thanks!

(Daniel Schroeder) #27

I thought I’d share my experience running and the change that going keto has brought to my training, preparation and results (so far).

I’ve been running since high school X Country (I’m currently 38) and always subscribed to the premise that carbs were essential for fueling my activity. I’ve run at least 20 half marathons and started running marathons in 2015, still pre-keto. I trained extensively for both marathons but had similar, disappointing results. I ate GUs and drank Gatorade, but my body shut down anyway. In both marathons I bonked around mile 22 and dragged myself across the finish. I started keto as a tool to try and eliminate bonking but it has impacted my life in much more lasting and significant ways than just changing my body’s fuel source. It took me a solid two months to feel really fat adapted and while my body was making that change, my running performance and energy for longer distances suffered a little bit. This past November I ran my first half marathon since making the change to keto and really didn’t know what to expect. The results were enlightening. I’ve run the same race on three previous occasions. It’s a very flat, very friendly course and in 2016 I ran my best ever half marathon time on it (1:39.45). During the 2016 race, I stuck with a pacer and willed myself to finish the last two miles. I was exhausted afterward and sore for days but happy with my time. This past November, I had no idea what was going to happen and figured that there was a pretty good chance that I’d end up walking a significant portion of the race. I hadn’t trained as well for the race as I had the year before. Also, the night before the race, my dog was sick and I barely slept. On the morning of the race I didn’t eat anything; I simply drank water. I started out following the same pacer as the year before, figuring that I’d keep up for as long as I was able. At about 5 miles in I felt tired but in a strange way but continued on. By the time I was at mile 13, I felt pretty much the same as I had when I started the race. I passed the pacer and pushed myself toward the finish, breaking my previous record by more than a minute. After the race I wasn’t hungry and didn’t eat until dinner time later that evening. My body wasn’t nearly as sore in the days after the race. I realized after the race that I could have run faster. I definitely could have run farther I suspect that the strange tiredness I felt at mile 5 was due to a change i n perceived exertion.

I’m training for another marathon, this time strictly as a fat adapted athlete and can’t wait to see what will happen. I plan to focus on hydration with more intention for my next marathon and don’t plan to eat anything before or during the race. I’m a believer in the efficacy of fat as a fuel source for endurance activities and that glucose does significant harm to our bodies, inhibiting recovery and limiting our ability to push our limits.

(Jay Erdahl) #28

I’ve been a fat-adapted ultra marathoner for the past three years, running 3 marathons, 2 50ks, 1 50 miler and a 100 miler along with lots of races from 1 milers to half marathons around the big runs.

I’ve dropped my marathon time from 4:30 to 3:30, and am actively trying to qualify for Boston.

All while sticking to keto.

All of my training runs are done completely fasted, regardless of whether they are 3 miles or 30.

I am a big believer in building up my glycogen stores in the 4 days before the big races, which is the only time I drop out of keto, but do that “carb loading” through eating non-starch veggies - 100g per day of them for 4 days but nothing within 24 hours of the race.

I don’t eat or drink anything before any race that’s less than a marathon. For marathons and beyond I take a gel made of Generation UCan, coconut oil and water before the race, as well as every hour during the race. This has worked well, with (2) exceptions:

  1. During the 100 mile race the temps spiked above 95, and I couldn’t keep the gels down. I just stopped eating food and ran the last 15 hours on body fat.
  2. I’ve noticed a lack of energy as my speed has increased. I’m playing around with exogenous ketones - you can see the results of my attempts in a different thread in this forum - Exogenous Ketones in Marathon Running

Water? Yeah, no, not if I can help it. Just drink a decent amount in the days leading up to the event, and eat enough salt to aid in water retention.