Training & Nutrition - Carb's before a century

I would like to here some opinions on a high protein diet. Yes the Adkins thing. I have no problem with the high protein diet as a day-to-day thing. I feel great; have a lot of energy, and my blood pressure stay’s low. BUT I am getting ready to ride in my first century in ten years. In the past I loaded up on carb’s the day before the ride. How much of a difference does everyone think it is going to make with no carb’s in my system?

The last time I tried this was a disaster. I wasn't on the Atkins diet. Just made poor food choices the few days before and the morning of the century. And to compound the problem I wasn't drinking enough water. :(
I ate and drank and refilled my water bottles at each rest stop, but still bonked at about 70 miles. :( :crash:

Carbs and water are the two things your body needs for long extended periods in the saddle.

Originally posted by RonH


Carbs and water are the two things your body needs for long extended periods in the saddle.

Proteins are the building blocks but Carbs are the catalyst. You HAVE to have them for riding.

Originally posted by Funnyman
How much of a difference does everyone think it is going to make with no carb’s in my system?

No Carbs = No miles:p

I cycle metric centuries (100 km) from time to time.

I take with me the thermos with sweet tea and couple of sandwiches in the pannier.

Because after about 50 - 70 km, I start to bonk out without food and tea.

why would you eat only protein? you need carbs to operate. your diet should be 60% carbs, taking that away would give u no energy and u cant depend on fat...

I eat a walmart 2 pound bag of animal cracker starting 4:00 the day before the ride and finishing the evening of the ride day. I eat about 1 pound the night before, a dozen or so on the way to the ride, about 1/2 pound throughout the day and the rest on my way home. I blow through centuries like a commute to work, these little things seem to give me an endless supply of leg power, at the end on a century that includes 7000 feet of climbing I'm still ready for more. I tried doing a century with pasta insted of animal crackers and it wasn't a pretty sight, my times were slow and I hurt for the last 25 miles.

How much of a difference does everyone think it is going to make with no carb’s in my system?

i've personally never done anything but carbo loading and i've never tried the Akins or other high protein diets...

but from what i've heard, the body can convert proteins to energy (how i don't know) but it is a slow process somewhat close to the conversion of fats to energy...

thus, i would expect that with a high protein diet, at the beginning you should have ample energy, but after time, your body will not be able to convert enough protein to energy fast enough so you will bonk much sooner... how much sooner, i don't know.

if you're not doing it as a race, i would say try it and then as soon as you feel low on energy (i.e. before you BONK) eat some carbs then...

if you want maximum performance, i would eat some carbs.

Originally posted by Funnyman
I would like to here some opinions on a high protein diet. Yes the Adkins thing. I have no problem with the high protein diet as a day-to-day thing. I feel great; have a lot of energy, and my blood pressure stay’s low. BUT I am getting ready to ride in my first century in ten years. In the past I loaded up on carb’s the day before the ride. How much of a difference does everyone think it is going to make with no carb’s in my system?

The human body can easily convert amino acids into carbohydrates. The amino acids just produce more nitrogenous wastes which in the long term is bad for your kidneys.

In order to ride a century well, you need to have your 2000-2500 calories of glycogen topped off. You can probably do this in at Atkins diet but maybe not. Eating a good amount of carbohydrates the night before probably won't hurt you. You will burn it off the next day anyway. But a change in diet like that might upset you and as I said, amino acids are easily converted into carbs so it probably is not necessary.

I would say I have never ever heard of a high mileage cyclist who used a high protein diet (but who knows a few may exist). I notice that I tend to go more complex carb and less protein as my daily mileage rate goes up. I find that carbs just burn more easily and process better.