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Diets and the Problems
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Please Note: Robert Ferguson, CFT is not a Registered Dietitian — Policy Statement.
The American public is always looking for a quick fix. We are rewarded by ordering extra value meals, not being physically active. "We have literally engineered physical activity out of our lives"-John C. Peters, Ph.D. People are not concerned with why something works, just as long as it works. When someone becomes fat, they face social pressure to go on a diet to lose pounds quickly. This is when Americans turn to the three most popular diet concepts: carbohydrate-restricted diets, calorie-restricted diets, and fat-restricted diets. Each diet limits vital macronutrients and therefore none of them are long term and each one will limit your training goals.
THE FAT PARADOX AND WHY WE LOVE IT
When food enters the stomach fat receptors and stretch receptors are initiated, which send signals to the hypothalamus to create a feeling of satiety (fullness). However, our mouth triggers the hypothalamus to accelerate the intake of food. Fat triggers the receptors to a greater degree when compared to other macromolecules (Gawande, A. (2002). Complications: a surgeon's notes on an imperfect science. New York: Metropolitan Books. 170-171). Many people feel that humans have been engineered to conserve calories throughout history and it is only recently that we are telling our bodies to restrict our caloric intake. This idea ties into evolutionary mechanisms.
HIGH PROTEIN/LOW CARBOHYDRATE DIET
High Carbohydrate intake and the effect of Insulin:
Carbohydrates fall into three categories in the glycemic index; high, medium, and low-glycemic ratings. The glycemic index indicates the effect that carbohydrates have on your blood sugar. High-glycemic carbohydrates mean that the content is mostly sugar and this will cause the blood sugar levels in your body to spike and then rapidly fall. The rapid decline will likely cause you to consume more meals throughout the day. An example is glucose. Sucrose is in the medium GI range. It is important to understand that it is not due to the complexity of the molecule rather it is due to how tightly the molecules are bonded together. A molecule that has a lot of branches will break down easily compared to a molecule with a long, rod like shape such as fiber. Alpha bonds and beta bonds are carbohydrate bonds. Beta bonds are much stronger. For example, a starch molecule that bonds glucose molecules together consists of alpha bonds (Insel, Paul, Elaine R. Turner, and Don Ross. Nutrition. 2nd ed. Boston: Jones and Bartlett, 2004. 143-146).
When high blood glucose levels occur, insulin is released from the pancreas. Insulin signals fat cells, muscle tissues, and the liver to absorb the glucose as glycogen. If this occurs too often, or at the wrong time, an increase in adipose tissue may occur. Some believe if blood glucose levels are elevated consistently overtime, diabetes will develop; however, it is hard to determine if blood glucose levels or if weight gain is the cause for diabetes. The idea, for body builders, is to take advantage of the insulin sensitivity in the muscles. Muscle tissue becomes anabolic after workouts and weight lifters can make gains by consuming high-glycemic carbs at this time to stimulate muscle glycogen storage and protein synthesis. However, this is the only appropriate time to consume simple sugars. Check out nutrient timing.
Low-glycemic carbohydrates means that the content is usually made from whole grains and fiber or it contains fructose from fruit. These carbohydrates provide a steady release of blood sugar throughout the day. Fructose, fruit sugar, is a low-glycemic carbohydrate. Most whole grains are considered to be low-glycemic carbs; however not all complex carbs are. Whole grains still have their husk, endosperm, bran, and germ. These parts provide fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, remove these aspects of the kernel (Insel, Paul, Elaine R. Turner, and Don Ross. Nutrition. 2nd ed. Boston: Jones and Bartlett, 2004. 152). Eating low-glycemic carbs is a much healthier approach.
Low Carbohydrate diets:
It is important to understand that carbohydrates are needed to burn fat. This is why it is hard to find a diet that eliminates carbohydrates completely (Insel, Paul, Elaine R. Turner, and Don Ross. Nutrition. 2nd ed. Boston: Jones and Bartlett, 2004. 146). The belief concerning the idea that protein will not be converted into fat comes from the fact that protein has a greater thermogenic effect on the body, which causes more calories to be burned. This difference is rather small and is due to the structure of protein and the fact that the Atwater general factors--4cal/g of protein, 4cal/g of protein, 9cal/g of protein--are not exact, to an extent (Buchholz, Andrea C., and Dale A. Schoeller. "Is a calorie a calorie?" American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 79 (2004). 15 Jan. 2006 <http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/79/5/899S#SEC2>.). A carbohydrate-restricted diet deprives the body of its main fuel source, glucose. Glucose is easily synthesized from carbohydrates and when carbohydrates are limited by the diet your body has a hard time increasing its energy, which is why it is not recommended for individuals involved in manual labor or a workout routine. Your body must now use another fuel source called ketones, which is the result of partially broken down fatty acids. The fats are only partially broken down, because the diet lacks the carbohydrates necessary to completely metabolize fat in the krebs cycle. When they accumulate in high amounts the blood becomes acidic and the liver begins to excrete water in an attempt to ride the body of the buildup. This would explain why many dieters on a low carbohydrate diet experience weight loss in the first few weeks. Water loss is also due to glycogen loss, because glycogen contains stored water as well as stored glucose molecules. A condition called ketosis can occur with side effects such as nausea, headaches, and bad breathe. This condition will not help you in your training efforts as well. Your body also undergoes gluconeogenesis. This process uses other sources such as muscle protein to produce glucose. As a result you will lose muscle mass limiting your metabolic effect on burning extra calories. Once you are off the diet you will gain more fat back than before, because you lost mostly water weight and you are left with less lean muscle mass. Most of your energy stores will be depleted so your workouts cannot be at a high intensity level. This will not have long term benefits and it will deprive you of energy. High protein diets have been proven by clinical science that they are more effective than a high carbohydrate/low fat diet in the short run. After a year, however the diets compared to be about equal.
Source: Fahey, EdD, Thomas. "Low-Carb Diets: Hidden Dangers?" Fitness Rx Sept. 2004: 114-118.
Most Americans tend to limit their caloric intake by reducing the amount of food consumed, believing that they will lose weight. This is true considering the equation calories in equals calories out, however it is not a healthy choice by any means. When you restrict your caloric intake your metabolism slows down resulting in painstaking efforts to loose the final pounds. This leads to binge eating and other disorders. Limiting calories will inevitably limit your access to macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals. You will experience ketosis from inadequate carbohydrate intake. Gluconeogenesis will occur because your body will look for other means of energy resorting to protein in the liver and muscles. This will harm your bodily functions as well as your training routines. Participating in the calorie-restricted diet will leave you depressed with a feeble attempt at losing weight with a slower metabolism. You will experience hard times at the gym with energy levels low and body functions not up to par.
Source: Hatfield, PhD, Frederick C. Fitness: The Complete Guide. 8.1.5th ed. Santa Barbara: International Sports and Sciences, 2004. 531.
Many diets reduce the intake of fat in order to reduce body fat. This makes perfect sense, however it is never a healthy choice to deprive your body of a macronutrient. It is important to consume unsaturated fats so you will be able to store vital nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E, and K. These are the fat soluble vitamins and without fat they will be excreted without being used. Fat is also necessary in order to protect your vital organs. Lastly, fat is an energy source that is used in the oxidative pathway along with carbohydrates. Participating in this diet will limit your energy stores during aerobic training. Out of the three diets listed this is the healthiest and has the most long term benefits; however I only say this if you reduce your saturated fats to an appropriate level, eliminate trans-fats, and consume unsaturated fats such as olive oil, omega fatty acids, and canola oil. You can click here to read about the benefits of essential fatty acids. Saturated fat is beneficial to an extent, because it aids in the production of testosterone (Aceto, C. (2006, April). Start Smart. Muscle and Fitness, 136-142.); however, it blocks the receptors that bind to LDL to control the release of cholesterol, thereby increasing blood cholesterol levels (Insel, Paul, Elaine R. Turner, and Don Ross. Nutrition. 2nd ed. Boston: Jones and Bartlett, 2004. 191). Medium-chain fatty acids (MCTs), the ones found in oils, are more likely to be used as energy instead of fat storage, because they do not travel through the lymphatic system and are more readily absorbed.
Source: Hatfield, PhD, Frederick C. Fitness: The Complete Guide. 8.1.5th ed. Santa Barbara: International Sports and Sciences, 2004. 531.
PROBLEMS WITH THE FOOD GUIDE PYRAMID
Americans view the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as the number one reliable resource when it comes to what is healthy and what is not. The USDA believes that the proper diet should be based on a high intake of carbohydrates and a relatively low intake of protein. The RDA for protein is 0.36 grams per pound of bodyweight. Their reasoning comes from the fact that out of the 300 grams of protein synthesized by the body each day, 200 of those grams are recycled. This is known as the protein turnover rate (Insel, P., Turner, Rd, R. E., & Ross, D. (2004). Nutrition (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett.).
One main problem with this approach is that sedentary individuals were used to determine the RDA and they were only concerned with equilibrium nitrogen balance. Nitrogen balance in the body deals with how much protein is being synthesized. Protein synthesis is a term for when the body makes new protein. It is essential for bodybuilders to have a positive protein balance throughout the day. Through the consumption of protein it is possible to achieve a positive nitrogen balance. It is common sense to understand how an athlete, who breaks down more muscle fiber, needs more protein to rebuild their muscle fibers than the sedentary human being. Oddoye and Margen discovered that positive nitrogen balance could be maintained for fifty days if the individual consumed 3x RDA. Fern and colleagues discovered that individuals who consumed 3.3 g versus 1.3 g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight gained more muscle mass. Tarnopolsky and colleagues discovered that consuming more than 2.4 g/kg of protein did not increase protein synthesis (Ivy Ph.D. & Portman Ph.D., 2004, p. 73-74). Lastly, Dr. Peter Lemon in Nutrition Reviews (54:S169-175, 1996) wrote that strength athletes need 1.8 g/kg of bodyweight to maintain positive nitrogen balance (Hatfield, Ph.D., 2004, p. 476). It is true that glucose is the preferred nutrient for muscular contraction, but protein synthesis creates lean muscle mass.
Staunch health teachers and USDA personnel refuse to recognize this. However, the new food guide pyramid of 2005 takes into account your physical activity level. Keep in mind that the RDA values do not take your activity levels into account. The food guide pyramid increases protein intake for someone who works out more than 60 minutes per day by a 1/2 of an oz. This is practically nothing. The Food Guide Pyramid is a good guide for many adults who do not participate in strenuous activities. This being said, it is important to understand that consuming too much protein will lead to body fat gains, even though it is believed by many that protein will not be converted to fat.
Source: Ivy, PhD, John, and Robert Portman, PhD. Nutrient Timing. North Bergen: Basic Health Publications Inc., 2004. 73.
Americans have been following this diet since the 1960s, and as a result Obesity has become a worldwide epidemic. Many Americans see the big section of carbohydrates and feel as if they can eat a lot of white bread, white rice and white pasta. This is not necessarily healthy. The distinction between whole grains and simple carbohydrates should have been made. In March of 2005 the USDA made revisions to the pyramid, which can be seen at www.mypyramid.gov. I was impressed that they “turned the pyramid upside down,” in order for Americans to recognize that carbohydrates are they only good food and fats are to be avoided at all costs. I was also impressed to see how they finally accepted the fact that your age, sex, and physical activity has an effect on you calorie intake, even though these personalized recommendations are very modest. When they say 7 oz. of protein do not convert it into grams by multiplying the number of oz. by 28. They are referring to the actual food amount, not the nutrient amount. This is why I cannot stand the food guide pyramids. What is one serving size? No one knows, it is all an approximation. It is not based on grams at all. It is based on ounces and cups and no one knows what an ounce is. Another huge problem with the food pyramid is the fact that many of their recommendations and ways of wording them are to please lobby groups such as Coca-Cola and carbohydrate producers.
If you want to have the “dry” effect that you often hear about during body building contests you must change the amount of salts, water, carbohydrates, and protein that you consume. Muscle and Fitness suggests adding extra salt with your meals and increasing your water intake anywhere between nine and ten days before the contest. You may become bloated because sodium chloride, salt, increases water retention in the body. After this period drop the salt completely three to four days before the contest. Two days before the contest it is best to not consume water at all. Increasing the salt amount drastically and then dropping salt and water all together will flush out all the water underneath your skin.
Eat a high protein and low carbohydrate diet for two weeks prior to the competition. This is because a high cabohydrate intake can cause water retention.
It is up to you whether to take the week off from training completely or train with low intensity and with high reps in order to bring out the definitions better.
This is only for professional bodybuilders. Do not try this without physician consent.
Source: Muscle and Fitness
I recommend eating 5 to 6 smaller meals a day for a healthy diet, because in order for the glycolytic pathway to occur in metabolism there must be a steady supply of glucose. This pathway provides energy for your muscles if the exercise lasts over 3 to 5 seconds. Glucose is the form of carbohydrates that are located in your blood stream. It is also important to consume smaller, more frequent meals, because it keeps your metabolism running smoothly all day long. I would consume one meal about every three hours, at least. It is hard for Americans to understand and trust the fact that you must eat to loose weight, however it will work. If your metabolism slows down from not eating then you will not be able to keep the weight off and it will become very hard to loose the weight.
For an active individual, 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight at the most and 3 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight, at the least is often the recommendation. The ISSA recommends 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight for sport participants and 0.9 grams of protein per pound of body weight for daily heavy weight trainers. This is only an approximation. Pay close attention to your daily caloric requirements. It is recommended for athletes to consume 15% of their caloric intake as fat. Your carbs must come from whole grains. The days of white bread being at the bottom of the pyramid are over. Consuming sugars will increase your insulin response and cause hunger. Sugars are "empty calories," as well. Meaning that the added calories from sugar do not offer any nutritional benefits. You can adjust your caloric intake numbers depending on your intensity and what you will be doing in the next three hours. Always consume a variety of food and never leave one particular macronutrient out.
If you really want to loose a lot of body fat a good approach on top of the previous suggestions is to lower your caloric intake by 2 calories per pound of lean muscle mass for 4 to 5 days and then increase your caloric intake by 2 calories per pound of lean muscle mass for the next 2 to 3 does spread out over the 5 to 6 meals in order to keep your metabolic rate from dropping below normal.
It is important for Americans to understand that the diet industry is a multibillion dollar industry, and Americans should look for a long term solution rather than a simple fad diet.
Click here for Nutrient Timing!!!
Click here to calculate your Daily Caloric Intake!!!
*Please note that when your calories in=calories expended you are in energy balance. It is in this state that you will gain muscle mass. Consuming an excess of 3,500 calories will result in a gain of 1 pound of fat. A pound of muscle is 2,500 calories; however only fat is gained when your calories are in excess.
Last Updated:
February 9, 2007
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