Episode 436 - Q&A with Robb and Nicki #29

We're here with Episode 436, Q&A #29!

Submit your own questions for the podcast at: https://robbwolf.com/contact/submit-a-question-for-the-podcast/

If you want to see the video for this podcast, be sure to check out our YouTube channel.

 

Show Notes:

 

1. Endurance Fueling For A Keto Athlete [2:00]

 

Cassandra says:

Dear Robb + Nicki,

First off...thanks for the great job you two do in making complicated nutrition and fitness information easy to access and understand (even for uneducated gym rats like myself).  I've been listening to the podcast for years, reading the blog and the books (just got Wired to Eat) and I still find myself learning something new almost weekly.

Bottom line up front - how do you guys recommend tackling post-workout nutrition for endurance / high-intensity sports while on the keto train?

I'm 35, 5'8'', 155 lbs with a fairly muscular build.  I've been doing the Crossfit + weightlifting thing for 5-6 years now (4-6 times a week).  I've got 10 strict pull ups, a 250 lb 1 RM back squat, a 285 1RM DL and can hold an L-sit for a minute....so I think I'm pretty strong(?) - in some aspects anyway ...  Strict bedtimes at 8:30 every night with 8 hours of sleep, no injuries, no severe reactions to any type of food (except tequila) - BUT I perform and look a lot better when I'm strict about paleo.  I've been eating that way and it has been keeping me fueled really well in the aforementioned training situations. 

Due to the nature of my job - active duty Marine, I am required to run a 5k every year for time...so I do incorporate running into my weekly routine - usually no more than 15-20 miles a week...long-ish runs mixed with hill sprints or pushing sleds so I don't die of cardio boredom.

Within the past year - - due to losing a bet or being shamed into them (I can't quite remember), I've also been running a few half marathons and one marathon.  I plan do to one more full later this year, the Rock n Roll in Las Vegas - mostly because its an excuse to travel to Vegas with some girlfriends of mine. The low-carb/paleo diet has been awesome for my health  on the weightlifting/crossfit/sprinting side of things... but I'm struggling with the endurace side of my fitness.

For my runs more than 90 minutes, I've been fueling with some organic stinger chewies/gels near the end of my run and then other, whole-food-type carbs at the end....bananas, berries, coconut water...sometimes gatorade, (an occasional beer :)), etc.  My recovery has been OK...not awesome though (and when I take out the mid-run or end carbs, my energy tanks and my joints hurt for days)..... it takes me about me 1-2 days to get through my soreness for half marathons and almost 5 days for a run more than 22 miles WITH the intra and post-carbs.

I've recently jumped on the keto train in January...did your masterclass, read Mark Sisson's book, started listening to a lot of low-carb / keto based podcasts (Shawn Baker, Fat Burning Man, etc) and just started Wired to Eat.  I've been trying to do my own homework and listen to my body...so far this keto thing has been great! I've dropped about 10 lbs since the beginning of the year, have been sleeping a lot better and have seen gains in my strength.  But the race season starts up in May (the LV Marathon is in November but I have smaller races and training runs scheduled throughout the summer) and I want to be prepared. 

I *think* I'm generally fat-adapted...but I panic after 8 or 9 miles sometimes (the old advice of "carb loading" always creeps back in) and will suck down a terrible gel or gatorade because I've made the mistake of running these distances underfueled before and it was a painful, painful lesson.  I have heeded your electrolyte advice. I constantly track my sodium, magnesium and potassium levels and take the recommended supplements almost every day (normally on days with a taxing WOD or a workout lasting more than 90 mins). 

So what can I eat/drink to keep on the keto train that will help me recover and keep me going on some of these endurance events?  Nut butters? Whey protein and water? I want to be armed when I take on Vegas this year and not completely derail my eating habits. And I'd like to start experimenting with these foods now, while I still have time to adjust.

Sorry for writing the novel!  If I can find this info in a podcast or in one of the chapters of your books, please feel free to point me in that direction!  I appreciate any insight you guys have. Thanks in advance,

Cassandra

 

2. Should I Add Fat To My Whey Protein Shake?