Exercise - keeping up when in ketosis

(SleepyMotherOf3 🇬🇧) #1

I’m a member of a rowing club, and usually train in ketosis and find that after 45 mins I start to tire and struggle to keep up with the others. Am I right in thinking that I would have started the row with much lower glycogen stores and that’s why I struggle. Anyone else have similar sporting experience And what do you do?

(less is more, more or less) #2

Some low-carb endurance athletes add carbs for sporting events. I refuse to, myself, but I’m not competitive. I always surprise myself, however, with how effective having a drink of salt water (1 - 2 teaspoons of salt into a 16+ ounce glass of water) before a long run or workout enhances my effort. It’s easy enough to check out without adding those pesky carbs.

(Khara) #3

Wow. I had the exact opposite experience. I’m not currently rowing, :pensive: :cry: but when I was and was also in ketosis I found that my stamina was with long rows. I really struggled with sprint season but loved head races and actually think I would have excelled more if they were longer. The power 10’s and sprints thrown in to a long row did tire me but boy the swing of a nice long row felt almost magical. Rowing is magical anyway but when I went Keto there was this almost supernatural feeling. It’s hard to explain. Everyone else would talk about the bagel or banana they had before practice and how they couldn’t wait for breakfast and I was just… fine.

I do think that I did not stick with the sport long enough after going Keto to fully adapt. Because I saw my performance greatly suffer when first Keto (winter erg months) and then saw my performance improve as time went by and experienced this magical high feeling on long rows but only struggled with power during sprints, I believe if I’d stuck with it my sprints would have improved too. But, in general my strength always was in long distance over sprints. So, my thought is to give it time.

How long have you been Keto? Did you row before going Keto?

(SleepyMotherOf3 🇬🇧) #4

I’ve been keto for three years, rowing for one.im just hoping it will get better with time.

(Khara) #5

Sounds like you did it in the right order. I’d give it time for sure. Rowing is a highly demanding sport.
Like @Screenack mentioned you could look into the carb cycling done by endurance athletes. I had thought about that but remained stubborn and didn’t want to be going in and out of Keto all the time.
I do remember adding salt to my water though and had that with me in the boat. It does help with light headedness. Since then I discovered the Keto-Aid on this site. Kinda wish I had that when rowing; I was only using table salt.
Hope you have a good season!

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #6

Keep your blood volume up by drinking a cup of bone broth (salted) about 45 minutes before beginning a session. If it doesn’t help, then don’t worry about it, but it just might, so give it a try.

Phinney and Volek have found that fat-adapted athletes have glycogen reserves equal to those of carb-adapted ones, so I don’t think you have a carbohydrate deficiency.