Monday, August 11, 2014

Nutritional Ketosis: Week One

They told me I would feel this way: lethargic, low-energy, dull. The symptoms set in on day 6. I had planned to indulge in a nice easy ten mile run, but every time I stood up, I would feel faint. I gobbled fat and protein, trying to raise some energy, but was unsuccessful. 

How I have felt for two days now

Keeping my daily carbohydrate intake below 50 grams has not been difficult. I've even managed to squeeze a couple beers in between handfuls of pepperoni slices, hard boiled eggs and string cheese. My blood ketones rose quickly, breaking the 0.5 ppm mark indicating nutritional ketosis by day three. Since then, my daily measurements have been 0.5 ppm or greater save for one measurement of 0.2 ppm.

This period of adaptation and lethargy could last up to a month, although I am hopeful that it will pass soon. My rapid blood ketone response may indicate a predilection  towards fat metabolism. Four days a week I am hitting the TRX trainer for about an hour. The sessions leave me wrecked. I lack the energy to run most days. By the time my energy returns, I will have to start over at a meager volume and build up to whatever trail race ends up on the schedule for this fall, likely the Golden Hills trail marathon in October. I may drop down to the 5k this weekend at the Gold Country Grand Prix event benefiting the Kellerman Foundation.

Stay tuned for another ketosis update in another week. I'll be posting some examples of foods I've been using, along with some weight/carb intake/blood ketone data. In addition, I am writing a review of the "Medicine and Science in Ultra Endurance Sports" conference held at Squaw Valley prior to Western States last June. It is where I learned about nutritional ketosis and many other subjects such as hypo-natremia. I will do my best to summarize the material for you.

We are all an experiment of one!

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