Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Hello everyone,

I've been doing paleo for about 5 weeks now, and while I don't do much cardio, I'd like to be able to at least run a mile at a good speed. I used to run 2-3 miles 7:00-7:30 pace no prob before paleo, now I can't come close to that.

I'm trying to lose the last bit of fat and havent been eating many carbs.

I'm 6'1 175 and have been eating about 150g protein and 50g carbs a day, all from vegetables and nuts, really no fruit. I've been at 65%/25%/10% fat-protein-carbs, or pretty close most days

flag	asked Sep 5 at 16:02 Patrick 1

	It's too bad that paleo is equated with low carb by so many people and that that's the impression given to newbies. Paleo should be associated with real food, which translates to different amounts of carbs for different folks. Plus, some people cycle their carbs, and/or do refeeds while being low carb. – Sol Sep 5 at 17:33
	You really need to specify what you mean by "I used to run..." Do you mean last week or a long time ago. There just seems to be some disconnect when you say that you don't do much cardio but you want to be able to run 3 miles. Also, how are you not making the run. Is your time slower than you want or you can't make the distance? – james barlow Sep 5 at 19:16
	Before paleo, as in 5 weeks ago. If I run a mile my time is above 8:00, even my pace, I don't usually finish as my legs feel so heavy I just stop... I just want to run a mile again at a pace close to what I did before paleo. It's frustrating to feel like I've lost all cardio fitness. – Patrick Sep 5 at 19:44
	Patrick, if I did my math correctly, then you are eating 390g of Fat per day or about 3500 Fat calories. And about 4300 total calories per day? Is that accurate? – CD Sep 5 at 19:58

Sleepyhouse22 · Answer 1 · 2012-09-05 16:24:01Z UTC

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"I'm trying to lose the last bit of fat and havent been eating many carbs."

That's your problem. Ever notice that when you eat low carb, your arms and legs begin to feel weak and tingly? It's because they are.

answered Sep 5 at 16:24

Sleepyhouse22
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	more carbs, more carbs, more carbs. – Renee Sep 5 at 16:51
	So I have to eat 100-150g carbs to run a mile? I'd imagine there's an alternative – Patrick Sep 5 at 17:14
	I have a good alternative for you, though it does involve ingesting fruit. nutribullet.com We started having this as our pre-workout meal instead of trying to scrounge up a bunch of eggs and whatever else. This gives me flat out pure energy to accomplish what I need to in my workouts. Yes, it will have fruit, but you need fruit. But you can also shove a lot of flax seed in there, protein powder, coconut water, spinach, broccoli, whatever else. Just a recommendation :) – Sleepyhouse22 Sep 5 at 17:26

Poop Master MC · Answer 2 · 2012-09-05 18:41:31Z UTC

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Eating 50g of carbs a day and expecting decent performance when you run just isn't realistic, you have to decide which you want more, to perform well athletically or to eat a low carb diet.

You can't have both.

answered Sep 5 at 18:41

Poop Master MC
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Not to mention, trying to lose body fat is a good idea ... after the race! – Michael Sep 5 at 21:03

Daibreak · Answer 3 · 2012-09-05 17:16:51Z UTC

It's time for a refeed! Load up on a bunch of glycogen rich carbs - sweet potatoes, even regular potatoes, fruit, maybe some maple syrup and honey added to some squash... You will feel like a million bucks, be able to complete your run and then most likely drop that last bit of fat. It will kickstart the fat loss process. My husband has to do regular refeeds as well in order to continue to be productive in increasing increments at the gym. Once a month to once every two to three weeks... Take one day and load up! :)

KA24 · Answer 4 · 2012-09-05 16:22:30Z UTC

I do sprint intervals once a week. I generally do 1 minute (10-12 MPH) and 2 minutes (3 MPH). 7-12 rotations, depending on energy. I've become quite adapted and would say am in very good shape, but this still leaves me quite sore.

I do 3 things after these sessions. 1. Eat protein. 2. Take Glutamine. 3. Ice soak for 15-20 minutes. I definitely make sure I get adequate protein for the day, along with supplementing with 5-8 grams of Glutamine. Within 12 hours, I literally sit (enough to cover legs and to the naval) in cold water w/ice. Not Cold Thermogenesis style, just moderately cold (around 60 degrees, a little below average tap water temp).

This is just N=1, but it works like a charm for me. I'm usually back at it within 36 hours doing Kettlebell or heavy lifting without any soreness.

Melissa · Answer 5 · 2012-09-05 16:44:55Z UTC

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I'm a runner, just 2 weeks into paleo and my runs are suffering greatly. I just don't have the energy and feel slow and depleted from the get-go. I upped my cards from 10% to 30% and I'm still struggling. Not sure what the answer is, but you're definitely not alone. I'm thinking of halting the paleo until after my 1/2 marathon. I can't even train like this let alone run 13 miles.

answered Sep 5 at 16:44

Melissa
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See my post below about a refeed... it really helps. – Daibreak Sep 5 at 17:17

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I'm a runner too and almost gave up 2 weeks in. Was training for Ragnar (200 mi relay race) and had nothing - no speed/strenght/endurance. Based on the advice from some in this forum I stuck with it and after about 2 1/2 weeks I took off! Now have more endurance and speed than ever. I run fasted (but race with some clean carbs) and don't have a problem. You might want to give it another week or so and see if your body adapts like mine did. – Judi Sep 5 at 18:01

I second that comment. You'll be fine after a month. But of course no problem introducing some paleo carbs into the mix as well. – Michael Sep 5 at 21:01

bj · Answer 6 · 2012-09-05 18:35:11Z UTC

I used to run 2-3 miles at 7:30 or so, several times a week, and in the first week of paleo my energy and stamina crashed pretty quickly. However, these two things worked for me:

1 - If you want to stay very low carb, try HIIT sprints. I jog for about 4 min then do 6-8 cycles of sprint for 30 sec / walk for 90 sec. With a short jog to cool down, this usually adds up to about 2 miles.

2 - If you want to keep the steady state cardio, then try upping the carbs. Have a small piece of fruit (plum, half of an orange) and 1/2 a sweet potato before your run. This worked great for me. I have the other 1/2 of the sweet potato and some almonds after the run.

ALSO - I found that taking 5-10g of BCAAs about 15 min before my run helped tremendously with energy levels, in both scenarios.

After getting past the initial drop in performance, I now run much better and faster than before paleo. My energy feels like it's coming from a 'deeper' place ... and I feel like I could keep going and going. Your body will adapt.

Good luck.

Tired Legs, no cardio endurance

6 Answers