Atkins and Bicycle Riding

If you're on the Atkins diet, you're getting most of your energy from protein and fat. Reducing carbohydrate intake while teaching the body to use fat as fuel is the central tenet of the Atkins diet. Though most cyclists rely on carbs as their primary fuel source, it is certainly possible to partake in a cycling regimen while on the Atkins diet, even though you're limiting your carb intake.

Carbs and Fat as Energy

The advantage of using carbs as energy is that carbs are quickly metabolized and provide fuel for cycling at all intensities. When your body runs out of these stored carbs, you shift to burning fat as your primary source of energy. This process is known as ketosis.

Cycling Slow: Minimal Carbohydrates Necessary

At lower intensities, your body can metabolize fat stores for energy very efficiently. As you increase your effort level, your body requires more and more energy per unit time. Because fat stores cannot be metabolized as quickly as carb stores, your body looks to satisfy this increased energy requirement with carbs. However, as long as you keep your intensity low, your body will continue to burn fat and not require carbs to fuel the exercise.

Cycling Fast: Carbohydrate Supplementation Required

Although you can cycle at a steady pace while only metabolizing your fat stores for energy, you might find yourself wanting to ride faster. This requires additional fueling in the form of carbs, which are metabolized more quickly to help you complete the more intense portions of your workouts. Without these additional carbs, your body won't be able to metabolize enough energy to ride fast, and you'll feel "flat," tired and unable to accelerate to a high speed.

For a harder bike ride, try consuming 50 to 75 grams of carbs for every hour you spend riding hard about half an hour before your start riding. Your body will continue to metabolize its fat stores, while also metabolizing the carbs, for additional workout energy. Due to the low amount of carb consumption, your body will shift back into ketosis at the end of the workout.

Developing Low-Carb Riding Schedule

For success while cycling on the Atkins diet, remember that you can cycle at an easy, steady pace for a relatively long time without modifying your diet. If you choose to incorporate harder riding into your riding schedule, supplement your diet with 50 to 75 g of carbs per hour of hard riding. If you find yourself riding more, or riding even harder, you'll need to increase this carb amount.