Okay, I Think I Have This Worked Out...

As I mentioned yesterday I have re-evaluated my approach to this diet. I have now re-read, in its entirety, the section on tweaks for athletes.

Turns out you do need to consume carbs, in the form of glucose drinks, and maybe even the odd potato. Horror!

It also turns out that I had read that bit before, but because I am a certified maniac, I ignored it.

So, a more deliberate and mature James has gleaned the following, ordered into 2 (two) bullet points. The logical extension is explained afterward:

• The Paleo Diet is adequate to maintain glycogen (carb) levels in the muscles, if one is not exercising.

• Immediately after exercise your body is much more receptive to carbohydrate restoration, the good kind. Not the turn-it-into-fat kind.

So, here's what this means. You don't so much carbo load as you do carbo compensate. You 'break' the paleo rules during, and immediately after exercise. According to the theory, this is the best way to make sure tomorrow's run goes well.

(Note that I am not talking about wussy exercise, like going for a 'hike' in Marin, or riding your carbon-fiber bike between coffee shops in your spandex. No, I'm talking about real gutbusting exercise, like running until the screaming pain drowns out the screaming demons, or doing yoga until there's a moat of sweat around your mat on the nice hardwood floor. That's right, the tough kind of exercise, the kiwi kind.)

So it's not about eating carbs in advance, it's about filling the hole afterward.

So I wrote up a wee cheat-sheet and pinned it to my fridge. I can and should consume glucose, simple carbs (like potatoes and pasta) within a certain window (of time) after exercise (an hour or two), and then return to the PD proper.

Right, sorted.

My cheat-sheet is posted here.