# Food programme, Carbs fats and running



## Ralph-YK (Feb 25, 2018)

Radio 4 The Food Programme (was on 12:30pm today), available online.
They talked to a doctor (no idea of the name) who has written on diet (carb loading) and was taken up by runners.  He later changed his mind and wrote in favour of high fat and low card.

The programme can be played on this page:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09smnhd
Podcast page (it wasn't on when I looked, hopefully it will be)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnx3/episodes/downloads


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## HOBIE (Feb 25, 2018)

Is that why they eat bananas after a marathon ?


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## Matt Cycle (Feb 26, 2018)

It's Tim Noakes - something of a controversial figure.  On one of the discussions on here I asked some time ago for anyone to name an elite athlete who follows a full time LCHF diet.  I'm still waiting for an answer.  All I got was anecdotal evidence about runners and some woman who I'd never heard of.  The likes of Team Sky spend lots of money on nutritionists.  If there was any sort of advantage to be gained from it they would be all over it.  As a diet it's up to him what he does and his own experience has been repeated time and again on here - i.e. I'm 40/50/60, overweight and diagnosed with T2 diabetes and have been put on metaformin (sic).  I fit one of those (I'm 50) but follow what I would call a balanced diet including carbs and have carbs during and following exercise.  I don't need to lose any weight, my blood glucose control is reasonable after more than 30 years of T1 and I enjoy my exercise.  I think I'm going to carry on doing what I'm doing.


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## Dave W (Feb 26, 2018)

Did you listen to the broadcast Matt? I found it quite interesting as there were a range of views expressed. Tim Noakes is T2D and I would guess (may be wrong) that a T1D isn't quite as diet reliant on controlling BG levels. I've a good friend who was diagnosed in the same month I was, he's T1 and reckons he's got an easier life as he just injects to compensate for what he eats. Personally I'd rather not have to stick needles in me other than for BG tests!
One thing in the programme that I found very interesting was a reference to the Wiseman Institute research in Israel in 2015 that showed fairly conclusively that the human microbiome has a very significant influence on our reaction to foods and explains why we all react differently to specific foods. It explains why I can't eat breakfast cereals but some others can. It might also explain why Tim N. found he could run better when he cut out carbs.


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## Matt Cycle (Feb 26, 2018)

Ha, I'm not sure it's an easier life with T1 Dave and I'd rather not have anything wrong with me but didn't have a choice. Obviously they're different conditions with different causes and taking into account all the other factors - stress, liver glucose release, exercise etc, etc and trying to match insulin doses with carbs is an art in itself.  Yes I did listen to the programme.  I think that was an interesting point when the presenter was talking to Michael Mosley and mentioned that Tim Noakes can't explain why the Kenyan athletes utilise a high carb diet.  Although from what I know and have read most athletes would aim for a balanced diet including carbs and then use carbs during and post activities - certainly true of the pro cyclists.  I think people tend to forget these athletes are professionals at the top of their game and us mere mortals and weekend warriors don't need to consume anything like what they are doing.


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