Low carbohydrate diets increase risk for muscle injury during training

[simmi2k6]

With a low carbohydrate intake during endurance training, this is inevitable since there is increased protein breakdown and consequent loss of lean body weight. Furthermore, the biomechanics of your running stride may be negatively affected due to cramping and muscle fatigue (also associated with depletion of muscle glycogen stores), aka “the wall”, thereby causing a variety of new aches and pains as well as muscle tightness. Finally, when insulin levels are chronically low, as they often are with a very low carbohydrate intake, catabolism (breakdown) of muscle protein increases, and protein synthesis is hindered.21