So.. if you read my last blog, you'll know I had a theory I wanted to try for the a/bpu british powerlifting. But before I dive into it I want to say where this theory came from. Also there is no science behind this just observation of reading random stuff on Internet and personal experience. So here goes..
As a powerlifter I was always cutting weight not much but usually I'd be looking at anything between 2-5kg to make weight. And as I only have basic nutrition knowledge this was always try and error. Beginning of my career I only had 2hr weigh ins or basically on the day weigh in. So I had to make sure I make weight and still have energy to compete. So starving myself wouldn't be a good idea, as I've seen people get dehydrated, fail lifts or under perform. So what I would do is 2 weeks out I would cut out snacks during the day and basically only have breakfast (coffee and toast) then dinner (what ever I was feeding the kids) supplements was just creatine I would do this till I was about 48hrs out where I would only have 1 meal per day and my last meal would be about 6pm the night before then I wouldn't eat until after weigh in. Where I would refuel with energy gels, lucozade and lots of jelly sweets. This would be similar to when I now have 24hr weigh ins except now I don't eat for 24hr then after weigh in I then have 24hrs to refuel where I would just eat anything except pasta as this would make me feel sluggish so usually I'd have a big curry or something then during comp same sugary stuff. I didn't always do this for every comp cause sometimes I just wasn't bothered what weight class I was in or I was comfortably already in the class I wanted. Now since being keto (I'm probably more of a low carb diet and not fully strict keto.) I've been more aware of what I eat and how it's affecting my strength. Now some might say I've only been keto for 6mths so what do I know, or I haven't done it properly or just talking shit. But like I said this is my experience and my theory.
So looking back to February where I underperformed at the powerlifting but then 2 weeks later kinda over performed as in recovery and even some of the events I did better than I thought specially when they upped some of the weights last minute. And this got me thinking and I started googling keto for strength are supplements like bhb good for strength etc. And I came across a few talking about the energy system aerobic and anaerobic and how strength uses the atp system which most of us understand from school etc. And I started reading about how bhb can still work even for those not on a keto diet. Looking back on the times I did well in comps I noticed that I was kinda starving my self of carbs, probably not enough to be in keto but still lowering carbs then overfeeding on carbs, day of comp. Plus I was probably fasting when I didn't even know I was doing it. So what does this all mean you may ask. Well I found a few people that wasn't keto that would use bhb for recovery this would help them recover quickly between sets. And when I thought of it, it did make sense.
So this is my thought process. When you do any thing explosive sprinting, lifting, anything basically under 10sec you use ATP and when that runs out your body is looking for creatine and glucose to refuel your ATP. But to use bhb you need oxygen to activate it (I could be wrong this is just my opinion) so there for bhb would be no good at improving your strength because ATP doesn't use oxygen. But bhb would help during the recovery after your set or sprint cause now you be heavy breathing or basically run out of ATP and this is when the bhb would kick in. This is when I think my recovery during the strongman comp was so good. And I had enough creatine stored up to refuel my ATP. And this got me thinking what if I use carbs (simple carbs) like a pre workout that way I can have the energy source for my max lifts but still be able to recover quickly through keto. What people got to realise this isn't an excuse to eat carbs or use it as an excuse I lift weights so need carbs. Because most of your day your using your aerobic system and there for keto is a better way of burning energy for this. So I would only have carbs before a workout this is not a big bowl of pasta but just simple carbs like a bottle of lucozade or something because at the end of your workout you want to be able to have use all the carbs so then your back in keto. (This is my theory) and this is what I will do at the British comp.
So its last week before comp, so my last chance to tweak any issues and final check on what my opener lifts will be. Weight I am currently 1kg over but that shouldn't be an issue to loss. As I be cutting out carbs as much as I can and only using a energy gel(has about 24g of carbs) for my pre workout.
Last deadlift session I took 15g creatine as I do every morning in a glass of electrolytes I use 10g of electrolytes with 2000ml of water everyday. I will also be using 5g of bhb daily leading up to the comp then on the day I'll be mixing 10g of electrolytes with 15g of bhb in 2000ml of water which I will drink during the day for recovery and use 1 energy gel per round eg squats bench and deadlift. So.. back to my deadlift session. This was just deadlift and no other exercise. I treat it like a comp day so my warm up is exactly the same as the comp and then I do my first attempt and that's it I do this so I don't tax my nervous system and everything is fresh for the comp. This is also my first time trying my theory and seeing what happens. So hour before my workout I take 5g bhb and a energy gel. Last week the 180kg felt good but couldn't do 200kg. Today I thought I do 180kg and see how it feels and it felt good so as tempted as I was to try 200kg I decided to do 190kg I did it. It was slow but felt OK. I felt I was fresh/explosive in all my lifts no sign of buring out and recover eg breathing, fatigue was as if I just walked in the gym. And anyone that does deadlift can tell you it can be taxing on your nervous system. So so far I'm feeling positive about my theory cause me last deadlift session I felt a lot more fatigue and sore after. Now this could be cause of carbs or the bhb or both. Remember I'm doing this based on how I feel not as a nutritionist or expert and also as someone that only trains for strength. I know some of the keto community be getting they voodoo dolls out with the thought of me using carbs. But most of you don't train strength you may go to the gym and lift weights or you mainly get your exercise through running or aerobic classes. But your not chasing that 1 max rep. So please have an open mind, to the way I'm thinking. So two sessions left squats and bench press. Squats opener felt good again energy was good I was feeling great so thought I'll try 160kg and see how depth was etc. So I unrack it, depth is good but on the way up I feel a pull/pinch or something in my hip flexor and fail the lift (thank god for safety bars) bench on the other hand was good worked to a 120kg. Still feel a bit of pain where my ac joint is but nothing muscular, so a few painkiller/ibuprofen should keep it at bay 🤞. So rest up and hopefully hip flexor will be ok.
Few days before comp I got a 1kg bodyweight to loss to make the u82.5kg so next few days I'm cutting out all carbs and keeping it to 1 meal per day. Keeping my 2000ml of electrolytes and bhb along with 15g creatine. So hopefully (this is friday) by Monday evening when I weigh in I will be under 82.5kg then I will be refueling as much as I can along with cooked breakfast in the morning of the comp I should be ok. Nerves are high as this be my lightest not just in comp but in about 20yrs. And I feel I got so much more in the tank and believe 6-12mths at this weight and my strength be more than when I was in the u100kg class. And at 44yrs old and drugfree I feel this is a massive achievement.
I arrive Monday evening to get weighed in and I weigh in 81.6kg. So I have 12hrs to refuel. So off I go to the local pub and order the biggest mixed grill they have. Fill my belly then off to sleep.. 6am I'm up showered fill my bottle with 10g electrolytes 15g bhb and plenty of cbd heat balm on my shoulders and thighs. Then off down to breakfast nerves starting so couldn't eat much so only a few sausages bacon eggs and a coffee..
First lift squats warm up was OK opened on 150kg ✅️ 160kg ✅️ 165kg ❎️ as I got to the bottom of the squat I felt a pull and that where I stayed
Time to rest drink some of my electrolytes and bhb ready for bench press. During bench warm up I take an energy gel these have 24g of carbs. I go out and open with 120kg ✅️ felt good so I get a bit gready and jump to 130kg and fail twice whether it was the pain in my shoulder or just to cocky I'm not sure. By the end of bench I was 2.5kg behind 1st place but I knew he was a good sumo deadlifter so i had to go all out.. again warm up went well took another gel energy was good open on 180kg felt good I had to then do 200kg just to stay close but strength just wasn't there so ended up with 2nd place.
So my conclusion is....
The electrolytes and bhb as well as being on a low carb lifestyle (carbs around 20-30g little higher on training days) helped keep me fresh and full of energy (comp started 9am finished 6pm). And the carb gels helped keep my explosive power full. I finished with squat 160 bench 120 deadlift 180 at 81kg when I was 100+kg my lifts were squat 175 bench 135 deadlift 210 so to loss 20kg in 6mths that's not for off getting my strength back I think in another 6mths I could be same or better. But I do feel this is how I will continue with my eating and use a carb as I pre workout when I'm using max effort or around the 3-5 reps range any higher I won't need the carbs as the aerobic system will be working.
Hope you enjoyed my blog and feel free to comment I'd love to know other people's opinions. This is mine and as I said this is based on what works for me it's not science based.
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