Today we look at what should you be eating in the days leading up to a big event like a marathon, Ironman or the Comrades Marathon when you are on the LCHF Diet.

It all boils down to your carbohydrate metabolism or if you’re fat adapted. If you are still carbohydrate adapted, you will need to do the traditional carbo loading in the few days leading up to a race. This is the stores and your reserves your body is use to using.

If you are fat adapted, it’s best to stick to your normal diet. You should continue to follow your LCHF plan, right until the day before. Here you can increase your carbohydrate intake to 200 grams, and take on carbs during the race.
Going on the LCHF diet and becoming fat adapted sees a complete change in your carbohydrate metabolism. If you are fat adapted and you take on extra carbohydrates, your body doesn’t see the carbs as fuel. What it does, is store them in your muscles. That is why when you have extra carbohydrates before and possibly during a race, you will have enough energy to tackle a race like the Comrades Marathon.

Carbohydrate metabolism is completely different

This is the reason why you can eat some carbohydrates as a fat adapted person, without it having an affect on your metabolism. On the other hand if you were still carbohydrate adapted; consuming only around 200 grams of carbs wouldn’t be enough. In this case not all the energy goes to your muscles, hence why you need to carbo load before a race.