How to use TR while keto (for migraine) - trust the AI or the human?

Training
1

I was training - using TR - for a 10 day-1000mile tour earlier this year when my chronic migraine issue and some meds got the better of me. It was grim. I could not recover from the training and was massively cognitively dulled.

Things are looking up again and I’m going to try the tour in 12 months time - the difference is that I am fully leaning into the keto diet. I’m male and in my 50s and not that fit, so the performance being left on the table by going keto I can live with. I hope to get my life back instead.

My migraines are - the neurologist thinks - effectively caused by insulin resistance in the brain and some metabolic dysfunction and essentially I need to embark on a programme of mitochondrial healing, which in traditional terms would also mean bucket loads of Zone 2.

This is where advice would be helpful:

  • Should I ignore TR plans for the next 12 weeks and just amass as much Zone 2 as I reasonably can? Fat adaptation is going to take some time, as will the mitochondrial healing.
  • If I ride three times per week and do gym/strength classes 3x per week for that 12 or 16-week period, will the gym cover me for intensity, allowing the zone 2 on the bike to work its magic?
  • For those who have gone keto, how did you fuel during the adaptation phase and while getting fit?
  • I have two events in September, both circa 80 miles - I’ll be able to complete, but not in Zone 2 as that would take forever - do I do them and just eat to survive, or do I try to keep carbs low (say 40g per hour) and just grind through? How would you think about this?

And to put the migraines in context: About two years ago I was suffering 16 attacks per month, then I radically ramped up my salt intake and got to 8 to 10. Huge improvement. Keto is helping me down to about 1 attack per week - and I hope that as fitness returns, that number will go down further.

Is the human plan smarter than the machine plan in this instance?

2

I think you have to listen to your medical practitioner and I doubt anyone else will tell you otherwise. :slight_smile:

Good luck hope you get to help your migranes and also do the tour.

3

Maybe you can approach the issue other way around:

  • how much low intensity volume do I need to improve mitochondrial function?
  • and how much time/energy is still left to fit in higher intensity workouts after that?

After answering those questions, you can tweak in plan builder number of interval days and duration during each day.

Side-topic: couple years ago had to spend 4 months at Z1/Z2 (bottom) to heal overuse injury. Did not improve FTP but extended TTE to 70min and when returned to Sweetspot training, boosted in couple weeks from none to SS/1x105 :flexed_biceps:

4

If I were you, my goal would be to maximize personal health. Your post indicates (“you are ok with leaving some performance on the table”) that that’s your goal, too. Then I would do the following:

  • If in doubt, discuss everything with your medical professional.
  • Adjust your diet and other needs to minimize the number of migraine episodes. If keto does that for you (in terms of nutrition), stick to that.
  • Still, I would experiment with on-the-bike nutrition. Maybe you can vary your carb intake within reason, e. g. try upping your carb intake from 40 g/h to 50 or 60 g/h. Or by adding a protein-rich recovery shake after your workouts.
  • I would put more emphasis on strength training, because strength training doesn’t require fueling with carbs in the same way endurance sports do.
  • I would not alter my training to get fat adapted. Doing mostly Z2 will make you very blunt, and is IMHO unnecessary. I’d just stick to a reduced plan with, say, 3 rides instead of 5.