Another outstanding article by Alex Ostberg. His insights are consistently compelling, and I find myself eagerly anticipating each new piece he publishes. Catherine A.
How would you recommend dosing? Just finished a 5 mile run, and mixed 20 g of carbohydrates with water. I typically would take this about 30 minutes prior to the run, but after reading this article, I thought about trying it post run. With the idea of “wrapping” the run in carbs, maybe I take it prior to and post run…although that feels like a lot from a supplement mix. That said I don’t want to eat prior to a run…so maybe the answer is carb mix prior, natural carbs after.
Do the types of calories matter? I don’t know if I’m ever in a caloric deficit but I feel like strategizing around when I supplement protein and carbs make a difference. 😂🤪🙃
Good questions! Generally, your carbohydrate requirements will be highest before and after your longest and hardest sessions. If you just go out on an easy jog around the park for less than 45 minutes, you rely on stored fat as an energy source. Consuming lots of carbs before or after these sessions is not as necessary.
On the hard days, I recommend easily digestible carbs before/during the run (a supplement mix is appropriate here). Any complex carb with lots of fiber risks upsetting your stomach on a run afterwards. After the run, I'd suggest relying on carbohydrates from a proper meal, with a good source of protein. If you're not going to be eating within 1-2 hours, then bringing a snack could be useful.
It's generally good to get most calories from high-quality sources. However, I occasionally joke that "if the furnace is hot enough, anything will burn." In other words, when you've revved up your metabolism, you can get away with eating lots of simple carbohydrates, which would not necessarily be recommended to the general public. But those calories get processed and stored differently in the context of exercise than if you're a sedentary person.
Another outstanding article by Alex Ostberg. His insights are consistently compelling, and I find myself eagerly anticipating each new piece he publishes. Catherine A.
How would you recommend dosing? Just finished a 5 mile run, and mixed 20 g of carbohydrates with water. I typically would take this about 30 minutes prior to the run, but after reading this article, I thought about trying it post run. With the idea of “wrapping” the run in carbs, maybe I take it prior to and post run…although that feels like a lot from a supplement mix. That said I don’t want to eat prior to a run…so maybe the answer is carb mix prior, natural carbs after.
Do the types of calories matter? I don’t know if I’m ever in a caloric deficit but I feel like strategizing around when I supplement protein and carbs make a difference. 😂🤪🙃
Good questions! Generally, your carbohydrate requirements will be highest before and after your longest and hardest sessions. If you just go out on an easy jog around the park for less than 45 minutes, you rely on stored fat as an energy source. Consuming lots of carbs before or after these sessions is not as necessary.
On the hard days, I recommend easily digestible carbs before/during the run (a supplement mix is appropriate here). Any complex carb with lots of fiber risks upsetting your stomach on a run afterwards. After the run, I'd suggest relying on carbohydrates from a proper meal, with a good source of protein. If you're not going to be eating within 1-2 hours, then bringing a snack could be useful.
It's generally good to get most calories from high-quality sources. However, I occasionally joke that "if the furnace is hot enough, anything will burn." In other words, when you've revved up your metabolism, you can get away with eating lots of simple carbohydrates, which would not necessarily be recommended to the general public. But those calories get processed and stored differently in the context of exercise than if you're a sedentary person.
Great insight! thank you!
Love it