When it comes to carb intake, cyclists have three main options: first, ‘fuel for the work required’ (FFTWR) – matching carb intake to the energy you intend to burn. Second, ‘low carb, high fat’ (LCHF) – eating few carbs and instead getting most of your energy from dietary fat. Finally, high-carb fuelling (HC) means feeding the body the maximum amount it can absorb while exercising vigorously – upwards of 90g per hour. The benefit of consuming plentiful carbs is obvious: you won’t run out of fuel. But why would you deliberately restrict carb intake, and is it worth the risk?
Low-carb, high-fat (LCHF)
Where did the idea come from?
The idea of consuming a diet low in carbohydrate has been around for a long time. Ancient Greek Olympic athletes are believed to have consumed little carbohydrate, since they ate mostly meat. Two thousand years later, in 1958, physician Richard Mackarness published Eat Fat and Grow Slim, calling for a massive reduction in dietary carbohydrate – the first popular, modern LCHF manifesto.
