Low Carbohydrate Diets: Men v. Women
Low carbohydrate endurance protocols have been something I have been interested in for the past 13 years. I have employed it for ultramarathon training over that timespan, as well as helped others navigate this way of eating. Like many things, it has plenty of nuances, considerations, and tradeoffs that are worth considering when exploring if it is a good fit or not, so I usually jump at the opportunity to discuss this topic with others who are curious about its use.
Recently, I had Mikki Williden, PhD on my podcast to discuss a variety of topics around low carbohydrate protocols, including for endurance athletes. One topic of specific interest going into this interview was a conversation around how this way of eating impacts women and men differently. I recall asking Dr. Jeff Volek this back in 2014, while participating in the FASTER Study. At the time, there was still a lot to learn. In some sense, there still is, but it is a topic I would love to see explored more. Dr. Volek theorized at the time that it shouldn’t be a huge difference, but was clear about letting the future research tease out specifics. At the end of the day, we all have differing lifestyles, and men and women often have different societal pressures that drive the way they behave around food. Diving into the topic with Mikki touched on this a fair bit, as much of the research we have around low carbohydrate diets that suggest difference are not clear the results were not impacted by undereating.
Here is a list of all the topics we hit on for the full episode:
Chapters:
00:00:00 Introduction to Low Carb Endurance
00:05:32 Individualized Nutritional Strategies for Athletes
00:10:48 The Evolution of Health Optimization
00:16:03 Carbohydrates and Endurance Athletes: Study Insights
00:21:19 The Role of Continuous Monitoring in Health
00:26:36 Gender Differences on a Ketogenic Diet
00:32:34 Impact of Low-Carb and Ketogenic Diets on Bone Health
00:38:09 Energy Expenditure and Metabolism in Active Lifestyles
00:43:56 Intermittent Fasting and Ultramarathon Training
00:54:07 Carbohydrate Timing for Athletic Performance and Recovery
00:59:18 The Impact of Sleep on Weight Loss and Appetite
01:04:26 Nutrition and the Menstrual Cycle: Key Considerations for Women
01:10:50 Importance of Optimizing Protein Intake
01:16:08 Optimizing Protein Intake for Muscle Repair and Growth
01:21:49 Exploring Protein Requirements in Ketogenic and Vegetarian Diets
A recurring theme with all of these topics that I find interesting is the degree of success or failure is heavily weighted by proper application. Most of the time, success with any dietary input takes a back seat to the users ability to maintain proper application. Proper application is a moving target. This is especially true for endurance athletes, where your lifestyle may look quite different based on the training phase. I have used this example in the past, but my lifestyle needs differ quite a bit if I am doing a long run versus a rest day, or if I am in the offseason versus a speed work development phase. As we discussed in the episode, undereating, overeating, and weight maintenance intake can all impact results. I find this to mean that it is worth the time to truly assess the biggest goals from a dietary shift and how likely it is a person will find it sustainable enough to apply the specifics required for the benefits anticipated from a nutrition strategy.
Let me know what you think about the podcast episode, or any of these topics in general!
If you are interested in some additional support, I am currently onboarding for my group coaching package. It is designed for all abilities, and race targets that will help you better understand the training and racing process. It includes: access to my complete catalog of training plans from 5km to 200+ miles, weekly group meetings to help adjust your plan and cover questions/topics, recordings of meetings, future guest speakers, and a private forum for all members. Details can be found here.
Current Picks: here are some endurance training products I currently use, and a list of my favorite endurance books. Enjoy!
Podcast:zachbitter.com/hpo