I have been a competitive cyclist and runner on and off for a number of years. I stopped riding and running over the winter and have gained about 20 pounds that I would now like to shed.

I've read about the Atkins and other low card diets and believe I undertand the concepts. I am, however, concerned about attempting a low carb diet when my daily bike rides consist of 1 - 3 hours of fairly intense riding.

I currently try to eat a well balanced diet and keep my caloric intake below 1500, except on days with very long bike rides. This method has worked well in the past when I've need to lose weight but I'm interested in trying something new.

Is there any information regarding prolonged endurance sports and a low carb diet?

Thanks,
Tod Meinke