IF and Low-Carb decreasing performance?

David Green · 10-22-2009, 05:59 PM

I have been doing IF for a while (15-16 hr fasts almost everyday) along with eating mostly paleo at pretty low carb and for a while it was great but lately my performance seems to be decreasing.

my carbs the last few weeks have been mostly just vegetables with a little fruit except for on the weekends.

On the weekends sometimes I go a little crazy and binge eat (including not clean carbs but maybe not enough??) so during the week I really tighten up and maybe my calories go too low? I have tried upping my fat only but it hasn't seemed to bring back my performance.

I think my testosterone levels have dropped because I definitely have decreased sex-drive the last 2 months or so as well. could this be due to the low carbs? or just too few calories? I feel like overall i am getting enough calories throughout the week that calorie deficit shouldn't be the problem but I am kind of at a loss.

I'm wondering if I should start including some carb-up days with sweet potatoes and whatnot.

I was doing half a sweet potato post-workout for a while but i have recently gone back to no PWO nutrition. neither seemed to make a huge difference. Any advice would be appreciated.

-DG

oh and i follow the MEBB program pretty strictly sometimes switching what the ME exercises i do are and i do one day a week of sprints.

Garrett Smith · 10-22-2009, 07:34 PM

If you are really lean already, you may not have enough fat.

One thing I look at first if recovery sucks is increasing my protein.

I don't think I've ever eaten just one sweet potato, much less a half of one. Sounds like you just plain need some more food.

Steven Low · 10-22-2009, 08:45 PM

Take most of your carbs PWO if you're going to go low carb

Derek Weaver · 10-23-2009, 12:38 AM

I'm going to throw a couple ideas in here as well.

Like Garrett said, you probably need more food. When you say you've been IF'ing and going low carb for "a while"... what does a while mean? 4 weeks? 12 weeks? 20 weeks? A time frame is best.

If your sex drive is dropping I'd hazard a guess that you're already really lean and could stand to put on a few pounds.

Darryl Shaw · 10-23-2009, 05:49 AM

Not enough calories or carbs. Eat more of both.

David Green · 10-23-2009, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derek Weaver

I'm going to throw a couple ideas in here as well.

Like Garrett said, you probably need more food. When you say you've been IF'ing and going low carb for "a while"... what does a while mean? 4 weeks? 12 weeks? 20 weeks? A time frame is best.

If your sex drive is dropping I'd hazard a guess that you're already really lean and could stand to put on a few pounds.

Thanks everyone. I'd say ive been doing lo carb and IF'ing for about 4 months? I've definitely gotten leaner but I don't think i'm too lean as i still have a good amount of stubborn fat but who knows. maybe that's not going away cause my metabolism is messed up from too low calories??

Liam Dougherty Springer · 10-23-2009, 10:33 AM

If you have been on a simmilar routine for about four months it is time to shake it up. Throw in a few hypertrophy sets after your heavy lift on ME days in the same movement patern as the lift you did that day. Eat alot and try gaining weight for a little while give your metabolisim a reason to work. You are probrably just not experienceing results because you are used to the stress being presented. Oh and on your third day in each cycle try a moderate or heavy metcon workout never longer than 10 minutes the heavier the shorter. Just for a while shake it up and see what happens.