Keto, cheat days, and running pain

(Daryl Hutson) #1

So a few years ago I was an avid runner. Sometimes 20-30 miles per week. At some point, I got injured and would have pain and tightness up the back of both legs (tightness similar to a charlie horse I guess) at .5 to 1 miles every run. So I stopped running. I would go out every few months and try, thinking it was some injury that rest would solve. It never did. I assumed it was something like compartment syndrome, but never got it checked.

Earlier last year I tried to start my running training over very slowly. I was calorie counting at the time, trying to loose weight. I did have mild success, but once I worked up to 8-9 miles per week the issue came back. I was frustrated.

So in the middle of 2016 I started keto. After the few week adaption period, I was biking again (my real passion) and decided one day. Hey… maybe I’ll run again! I knocked out 3 miles pain-free. It was strange, it was awesome.

Since then I’ve been running a few times a week, no pain. I’m up to 8 or 9 miles now at a time without issue. Well until my run tonight. For the first time in 8 months the pain came back. Only difference? I had a cheat night two nights ago. Beer, pizza, garlic bread. 250 grams for the day easy.

Questions I have from this. How do muscles act differently when fueled with glucose as opposed to fatty acid? Could my muscles even still BE affected from carbs 48 hours ago?

I will do some cycling tonight on the trainer (no exercise yesterday) and try again tomorrow with the run. I’m very curious.

Running links
(Alex Dipego) #2

Food sensitivities are real as is inflammation from food. With carbs glycogen is sometimes overstored due to sensitivity to glucose after being so low. Inflammatory responses can be exasperated by another inflammatory action I.e running.

(ianrobo) #3

totally about inflammation !

What I have noticed is whereas before a big session would kill me for 24 hours, now next morning, straight up and out. No issues, no muscle soreness and no low of power (cycling). I know some people have a go on me for twitter for what I do but I am not the one having to eat crap recovery drinks, crappy carbs etc.

Recovery is THE main reason to be on Keto if putting multiple sessions weekly together

(Jo Lo) #4

Sounds not so simple to me (veteran of 73 ultras & marathons FWIW). You raise more questions than answers. Pain up the back of both legs? Is that calf pain or hamstring pain? We don’t know how old you are, if you stretch, weight, height, performance level, impossible to comment really.

However, you say “at some point I got injured”. That’s not inflammation, it is acute injury. Should have been professionally treated at the time, IMO. Then at least you would have a diagnosis and know what you were dealing with…

(Michelle) #5

If you fill up the liver with sugar, it takes a while to empty that glucose. So, you could still be depleating your liver of glucose trying to get back in ketosis.

#6

It is a common problem, where someone in their non keto days be in pain, it disappears with keto, and when they eat high carb meal as a cheat, the pain comes back fast. Several threads on this forum on this. In fact, I’m one of those people. If I eat bread, or pasta, or beer, I feel pain, for the next week or so. And the pain shows up immediately.

(Daryl Hutson) #7

You’re right not so simple. And I understand raising more questions. Mostly curious venting, because I was frustrated.
Both legs, calves, 35, I don’t religiously stretch, 200lbs, 5’10", 8-10 min miles… but that still doesn’t really help the conversation that much :smiley:

I was being simplistic with “at some point I got injured” in that I was running road halves and trail fulls with very little pain, then slowly this problem happened until I couldn’t run at all. Then I took two years off and the only time I could actually run again for a mile pain free in that time was after starting keto.

So I may very well fit into the correlation != causation rule.

(Karla Middendorf) #8

I know what you mean. I have a history with Rheumatoid arthritis which had gone in remission mostly even before Keto but when I eat sugar or other carbs the joints in my fingers inflame and ache fast.