Question regarding Carbs and Exercise

[pilgrim]

Hypothetically if I were to go out to my favorite Mexican restaurant and pig out 80 g ECC worth (like I did 3 hours ago) and then go run 2.8 miles (like I just did) what impact would it have?
At my weight and running speed 2.8 miles represents about 400 calories additional expenditure (or 100 g Carb if my body had burned all carbs which I know it didn't). Does anyone know what the actual impact of my run is on my system on the carb/insulin balance? Would the insulin spike be reduced, or the total amount circulating in my blood decreased?
It almost seems like it would have to be, but I haven't been able to find concrete information regarding this.
My reason for asking is simple; I am keeping a food/carb journal and have an allowance to work with daily and weekly. I would like to be able to give my self credit and/or make up for the occasional splurge by sweating it off on the road. To that end I have been crediting myself 10 g Carb per mile run, but I'm not sure I have a good basis for doing this. Any thoughts anyone?

[Martha]

I think I know what you want us to say but I've been unable to find any reliable data to support your hypothesis. The (re)sources on this board seem to suggest, it's behind you move forward, tomorrow's another day.

[gitfiddle]

Pilgrim, the beauty of the low-carb way of eating is that we switch our metabolism from burning carbs to burning fat. It takes a few days to make that change when you first cut the carbs. You might go through a period of time feeling "off" and it's generally referred to as the "carb flu". Once you make that transition, you're a fat-burning machine and exercise enhances the effect wonderfully!

Getting back into the carbs can derail you for a while and you may have to once again go through the transition period. Exercise can't hurt during that period, but as far as I know you can't just offset a carbfest with extra effort.

I usually will go very low carb and drink lots of water for a few days if I get into that situation. I work very hard NOT to get into that situation! ;)

Anyone, please feel free to correct me if I mis-spoke. :)

[Shadow]

Personally, I don't think moderate or even somewhat intense exercise is a reason to eat carbs. We can always justify bad behavior - but that doesn't make it any better for us OR our bodies ;). Perhaps if you were running a marathon, it would be another matter. But a simple mile just doesn't = 10 ECC, IMHO :).

[pilgrim]

Thanks. I agree, which is why I have both a daily and weekly allowance--I cut back for a few days after I transgress to reduce the negative impact. Regardless, it would be nice to know if exercise like this does give any offset. :rolleyes:

[lczeledoc]

Pilgrim,

I'd actually go running first (or any glycogen depleting activity--intense exercise), to deplete your glycogen stores. Then carb up. At that point insulin sensitivity is highest and any carbs ingested will go preferentially towards muscle glycogen replenishment.

[laughingW]

Basically I'm with lczeledoc. (how do you pronounce that anyway? )

But other than that it just seems like a bad idea, but I can't put my finger on why. Maybe just what Shadow said, there's no need to plan for such big consumptions. Once in a while is different - the Eades have written about that, and just make up for it in the following days.

Here is what I think.

First, the insulin spike. It is in response to the incoming carbs, so the run doesn't affect the first spike. However, there's the "area under the curve" as your blood sugar is disposed of and insulin goes down. If you are fairly insulin sensitive, and you run fast enough to require sugar, then yes it seems like BS would go down and so would insulin, so you would lessen the area under the curve of insulin.

On the other hand, I could show you a gazillion chubby ladies who have tried that approach, running off excesses on the treadmill, only to fail. I guess it depends on the size of the binge and, if your exercise results in increased inflammation and cortisol, it all makes it worse. But yours sounds small if I may say so, so maybe that's okay.

[pilgrim]

Thanks everyone for the replies. Actually the 80gECC isn't a complete blowout. My total for the day was 120 g ECC. I'm on maintenance and have been for 5+ years. My normal daily is 80 gECC and that keeps me on track. About once a year I cut back into the 40-60 gECC range to tighten up. I am about 180 lb lean body mass so at 206 (my current weight) I could stand to lose a few pounds, but overall I am pleased with where I am vs where I started with the PP WOE (40 pounds less and off of blood pressure meds, plus 10 inches off my waist). :)

[Shadow]

Pilgrim - Sounds like you're doing well :).

But FWIW, for me it's not whether I can eat that many carbs and maintain my weight - it's a matter of my health first and foremost. I came to low carb for my health - the weight loss was a great additional benefit. But my health comes first. So even IF I could eat carbs and get away with it or exercise it off or whatever - I still would opt to not increase my intake of something I don't need to begin with.

However, as with all things, YMMV and we all have to make choices. I've been in maintenace several years and prefer to stay at 40 - 45 ECC per day because that's where I feel the best and function the best. And I know it's doing my health no harm at all to be where I'm at :).

[pilgrim]

My wife shoots for the same target 40-45 ECC. It is where she does best and we still eat well, not feeling deprived.

80 keeps my weight stable and arthritis at bay. I say 80, but most days I am actually in the 60s. Above 80 too many days and I start to notice swelling in my fingers and the other telltale signs that I need to cut back.

Most of my carbs are in the form of vegetables plus I count 1 gram for each egg and normally have 4 to 6 eggs per day, plus cheese and nuts. We don't eat much starch (except when we go to the Mexican restaurant--which isn't very often).

[Shadow]

Pilgrim - Sounds like you're right on plan :). I can empathize with your wife - we women just don't seem to be able to get away with many carbs at all :rolleyes:. I don't tend to think about it much in the winter, but come summer and all the fresh veggies & fruits, I have to really plan carefully to squeeze all the good things in ;).