Wahl Diet Update;

Three weeks ago I started to dramatically change my diet in favor of a paleo-ish diet loosely based on the Wahl’s Protocol (you can see a full breakdown of my plan from last month here). I have always felt that my diet was a detractor from my performance generally, and want to consume a plant-based diet. Unfortunately, I suffer from Crohn’s disease and tend to experience pain when I consumer plants in excess. As such, the paleo diet appeals to me; there’s a fair amount of plants and vegetables, but the freedom to include so low fiber foods to supplement caloric needs. Especially during training periods, an athlete may require in excess of 4000 calories per day; dropping below that number greatly increases the risk of injury and burnout.

So my first update on the Wahl’s protocol is that it’s not great for endurance athletes. In short, my plan to completely avoid carbohydrates dramatically reduced the number of calories I could consume. Compounding this issue, the foods I wanted to consume were too bulky and hard to digest to consume around exercise. So I took a step back and relaxed my diet, specifically around exercise. I gave myself a roughly one hour window before and after any exercise that was not “recovery”, where I could consume grains and other restricted foods.

The results of this relaxation have been dramatic and overwhelmingly positive. Prior to the change, I felt my recovery was poor and intervals were specifically challenging. I believe that my body was struggling to restore glycogen stores in my muscles following hard workouts, and then I was entering subsequent workouts unprepared. Adding carbohydrate before and during training seems to have helped somewhat with performance during hard sessions. I’ve been shooting for 200-400 calories of moderately refined carbohydrate about 90 minutes before training. Things like bran muffins, fruits, smoothies, and occasionally packaged foods have all seemed to work well, but I feel best on a combination of fruit and some whole grain.

Immediately after exercise, I’m finding it very beneficial to consume a smoothie of fruits and protein powder. My recovery has been shortened considerably by this practice. I haven’t quantified exact macronutrients for the practice yet, but I’ve been avoiding dairy in the smoothie in favor of fruit juice, frozen fruits, flax, and whey protein. Blueberry Chocolate has been a staple in this department, as it’s simple and tolerable tasting.