Thrive for Distance Runners

hey guys,

i finished the Thrive program and i'm just wondering if there are any adjustments someone can recommend for distance runners regarding carb intake. i've read that as Thrive suggests, having a high fat diet does train your body to use fat as a fuel source, however when it comes to endurance athletes, burning carbs is far more effective when it comes to performance. 

assuming a situation where a runner is training 6 times a week sometimes twice a day a running 120-160 kms each week, what do you think is a balanced approach? should those cards be taken in the morning with breakfast before any running, or is having them the night before enough to prepare you for the following day?

thanks,

Oli

As with most nutritional topics, I am sure that you will find arguments for both sides. I personally have never understood the benefits of eating low carbs especially if performance was your goal. However, I'm sure that there are people out there that do just great on low carb diets even some endurance runners. The best approach would be to find what works for your unique individual situation. Why not give both of your options a go and see which one feels better for you. You could also try eating a moderate amount of carbs throughout most days and have 1-2 low carb days a week. The options are endless and their is no definitive answer. 

One thing that is clear is that when you eat carbs they should come be high quality. With a minimum amount of refinement.

16 hours ago, Oliver Bartoszek said:

 i'm just wondering if there are any adjustments someone can recommend for distance runners regarding carb intake.

But what is the exact problem that you want to solve with this adjustment (lack of energy, speed of recovery, etc), why the current Thrive setup is not working?

16 hours ago, Oliver Bartoszek said:

hey guys,

i finished the Thrive program and i'm just wondering if there are any adjustments someone can recommend for distance runners regarding carb intake. i've read that as Thrive suggests, having a high fat diet does train your body to use fat as a fuel source, however when it comes to endurance athletes, burning carbs is far more effective when it comes to performance. 

 

assuming a situation where a runner is training 6 times a week sometimes twice a day a running 120-160 kms each week, what do you think is a balanced approach? should those cards be taken in the morning with breakfast before any running, or is having them the night before enough to prepare you for the following day?

 

thanks,

Oli

Hey Oliver, two thoughts here from someone who has completed Thrive and stayed with it:

1. Thrive is *not* a high fat approach. I've broken down my macros many times with MyFitnessPal, and Thrive is actually pretty "balanced" between protein, carbs and fat. It's not as high carb as a Standard American Diet, but definitely not as high in fat as paleo or keto.

2. Distance athletes seem to be the one group that can get a performance boost with a truly high fat approach, because you can train your body to avoid "bonking." Check out the book "Primal Endurance" for a good overview of what this approach can and can't do.

I've done a ketogenic diet before combined with GST, and I found my performance suffered. But that's very different than distance running.

11 hours ago, Janno Rillo said:

But what is the exact problem that you want to solve with this adjustment (lack of energy, speed of recovery, etc), why the current Thrive setup is not working?

actually i think you hit the nail on the head with both of those Janno.. the problem i'm looking to solve is what balance of carb, fat, and protein intake will ensure i have enough energy for my workouts, as well as help with a speedy recovery?

so i guess the main thing i'm wondering is, in order to achieve those 2 goals, would you recommend a distance runners increase the number of carbs they are consuming (using Thrive as a baseline), and if so, where in the day you would place them? 

Hi Oliver,  

Here's what I do.  Prior to races or high intensity (intervals, speed, hill repeats, tempo) running sessions, I would supplement high quality, unrefined carbs.  Prior to distance/base work, I would not, and really focus on keeping your effort in the aerobic zone.  So essentially, 2-3 days/week you may benefit from extra carbs, the other days you shouldn't need them.  For recovery, I would take extra carbs.  You will likely find that your performance will suffer the next day or two if you do not replete. You may also find you're prone to viral illness if you don't recover well nutritionally.  I usually work out before dinner, so thrive's dinner fills this recovery quite well, however, if you work out in the mornings you may need to experiment with how your training goes the next day if you do not supplement post workout.  If I have a morning race, my usual thrive breakfast is the same, but supplemented w/ carbs, chiefly a fruit/oatmeal smoothie.