Exercise for Weight Loss

20-Minute Fat Burning Myth

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:11:00 +0000

by Christian Finn
The Facts About Fitness

Back in 1999 when I was studying full-time at university, and working both a full-time and a part-time job, one of the big challenges I faced was making the time to exercise.

Despite my best efforts, I often failed to make it to the gym at all, even for just 20 or 30 minutes. And even if I did manage to summon the enthusiasm to train, by the time I'd finished changing and warming up, it was almost time to leave again.

And I hated it. I felt fat, even though (compared to most people anyway) I still looked in reasonably good shape. I was moody and found it hard to concentrate on anything for more than a few minutes at a time. And a good workout would set me up for the day. Without it, I felt tired and listless.

I felt like an addict in need of my exercise "fix!"

After several weeks of moaning and complaining to anyone who would listen that it was now "impossible" for me to do any exercise at all, I decided to do something about it.

My plan was to cut each workout in half. Driving to work in the morning, I'd stop at the gym and get the first half done. On the way back home at night, I'd do the second half.

However, a few people I spoke with told me that this idea was "silly" and "wouldn't work."

"Your body doesn't start burning fat until you've been exercising for at least 20 minutes," they told me. I was warned that I "wouldn't lose any fat at all" unless I did at least 45 minutes of continuous aerobic exercise.

It's true that your body relies more on carbohydrate and less on fat during the early stages of exercise. It's also true that your body uses more fat and less carbohydrate the longer you spend exercising.

But this ignores what happens to your metabolism in the hours after a workout, when the number of fat calories burned rises significantly.

To lose fat, you need to create a calorie deficit — to consistently burn more calories than you consume. And it doesn't make a great deal of difference whether those calories are burned in one long workout or several shorter ones.

Some evidence for this comes from research carried out at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine [1]. For the study, a group of overweight women was assigned to one of two groups. Group one performed a single bout of exercise lasting 20-40 minutes. Group two did the same amount of exercise, but it was split into several smaller bouts lasting just 10 minutes.

And the result?

Twenty weeks later, the women who split their workouts into shorter bouts had lost 20 pounds, compared to just 14 pounds in the single-bout group. The reason for the extra weight loss is simply that women in group two did more exercise (and thus burned more calories) than women in group one, possibly because they found it easier to fit shorter workouts into their day.

Research published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition shows similar results [3]. There were no significant differences in weight loss with three 10-minute bouts of exercise per day compared with two 15-minute bouts or one 30-minute bout.

Changes in body composition weren't reported in this study, so we don't know how much of the lost weight came from muscle and how much came from fat. I'm guessing that the women lost some muscle, which is fairly common with aerobic-only exercise programs.

That's why it's always a good idea to do some kind of resistance training to help preserve lean muscle when you're losing weight (see How to Fight Fat and Win II for a highly effective whole-body resistance-exercise program).

So, what does all of this mean for you?

Fat is stored energy. To lose it, you have to use more energy (calories) than you get from your diet. And it doesn't really matter whether you burn those calories in one long workout or several shorter ones. As these studies and my own experience show, both approaches work.

References
1. Jakicic, J.M., Wing, R.R., Butler, B.A., & Robertson, R.J. (1995). Prescribing exercise in multiple short bouts versus one continuous bout: effects on adherence, cardiorespiratory fitness, and weight loss in overweight women. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 19, 893-901
2. Kanaley, J.A., Weltman, J.Y., Veldhuis, J.D., Rogol, A.D., Hartman, M.L., & Weltman, A. (1997). Human growth hormone response to repeated bouts of aerobic exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 83, 1756-1761
3. Schmidt, W.D., Biwer, C.J., & Kalscheuer, L.K. (2001). Effects of long versus short bout exercise on fitness and weight loss in overweight females. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 20, 494-501

Why does holiday weight gain happen at all?

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:38:00 +0000

My Holiday fitness challenge to you

Tom Venuto
Burn the fat

Media reports say that most people gain between 5 and 10 pounds of body fat in the six weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. According to research from the New England Journal of Medicine, the average amount is much more modest - just over a pound. However, even modest holiday weight gain may be cause for concern: A study by the National Institutes of Health found that this seasonal weight gain - even just a pound - is usually not lost after the holidays; it simply adds to the "weight creep" that sneaks up on us as we get older.

Whether the weight gain is a pound or ten pounds, did you ever ask yourself why does holiday weight gain happen at all?

Here are some common answers I've heard:

"I'm too busy over the holidays to work out as often as usual."

"I'm more stressed over the holidays, and the food is there, so I eat more."

"I have at least three parties to attend and then there's christmas and New Year's, so it's impossible to stay on a diet"

"No one can tell me not to enjoy myself over the holidays so I'm just going to eat whatever I want."

These answers all have a few things in common.

First, they assume that it's an either/or proposition: You can either get in better shape or enjoy yourself, but not both. Stated in reverse: You can either deprive yourself of holiday enjoyments or gain weight, but it has to be one or the other. The truth is, "either/or thinking" is a very limiting form of thought.

Second, these are all excuses or rationalizations. "I'm too busy" for example, is always an excuse, because I have never known someone who was too busy to make time for his or her highest life priorities. The problem then, is not lack of time, but that most people do not make exercise or eating healthy a priority. We all have the same amount of time - 24 hours a day - but the way people prioritize the use of time is the difference between success and mediocrity. And remember, words mean little. Actions reveal a person's true priorities.

Third, none of these are the real reasons most people gain weight over the holidays to begin with. The real reason is because an intention was never set for the opposite: To get in BETTER shape over the holidays.

Most people set a "goal" to get in worse shape over the holidays!

It's not consciously set, of course, as few people would intentionally set out to gain fat. They simply do it by default. In their minds, they accept that it must be just about impossible to stay in shape with everything going on over the holiday season, so why bother?

Once the decision has been made, then the rationalizing ("rationing lies") continues:

"Why should I deprive myself?"
"Family is more important"
"Worrying about diet and exercise during the holidays is neurotic"
"I don't care if I gain a few pounds, I'm going to enjoy myself anyway"
"It's only these two or three weeks that I let myself go wild"
"I'll start the first week in January and lose the weight then."

As a result of this "negative goal-setting," they expect to work out less, eat more and gain a few pounds, and they don't seem to even consider alternatives.

But what would happen if you set an intention and a goal to get in better shape between now and New Years's Day?

What would happen if you decided that it was not an all or nothing proposition and that you could enjoy the holidays and all it has to offer and get in better shape at the same time?

And what if you decided that your health and your body were the highest priorities in your life, because you realized that can't enjoy anything else in life, including family or holidays, if you don't have your health?

Here's what would happen: You would get in better shape!

I'm not all that different from you just because I'm a bodybuilder and fitness professional. I have many of the same problems, concerns and struggles as you do. Although today I always get in better shape between Thanksgiving and New Year's, that's a result of a conscious choice, a close examination of my old belief systems and a lot of action. For me, it all started about six years ago.

For most of my adult life, I wasn't much of a traveler and I didn't enjoy flying or staying in hotels. I had a belief that if I traveled, my workouts and nutrition would suffer. After all, "it would be hard to stick with my usual bodybuilding diet, and I wouldn't have access to my usual gyms." Because of these reasons (excuses), I never did much travel back in those days.

Then I was forced to take some trips for business reasons. Predictably enough, my nutrition and workouts suffered while I was spending time in airplanes and in hotels. With my experience having confirmed my beliefs, I re-affirmed to myself, "See, traveling is nothing but a pain. You just can't stay on a diet and training program when you're out of town."

After several more trips, I noticed that something very negative happened: I surrendered. I had resigned myself to "not bother" while I was on the road. I let my expectations create my reality.

But I didn't let it go on for long. As soon as I became aware of what was happening, I decided that I wouldn't tolerate it, so I challenged myself and my previous limiting beliefs. I asked myself, "Why the heck not? Why let myself backslide? Why even settle for maintaining? Why not challenge myself to improve while I'm traveling?" The answer:
There was no reason, there were only excuses.

From that day forward, I set a challenge for myself: To come back from every trip or vacation in better shape than when I left. Of course there were exceptions, as when I went on a vacation for total R & R. But I never let travel get in my way again.

I prepared food that I would eat on the planes so airline food was never an excuse.
I only chose hotels that had kitchens, so I could cook my own food.
I went food shopping immediately after chick-in.

And I actually found myself training harder than usual!

No matter where I was training - it could even be some "dungeon" of a gym in the middle of nowhere - it didn't matter because my mind was focused on improving and looking better when I came home than when I left. I had a goal!

What do you think happened? It's not hard to guess: I always came home in better shape than when I left.

Since then, my "travel challenge" has become somewhat of a ritual in my life. When I'm away from my "home-base" it becomes a "fitness road trip." I search the Internet or yellow pages or ask locals to help me find the most hard-core gym nearby wherever I will be staying. When I get there, I train every bit as hard as if I had a competition just weeks away. I look forward to it now.

In fact, this experience is what led me to my "holiday fitness challenge."

Like many people, I travel over the holidays, so I'm automatically in "travel challenge" mode at thanksgiving, Christmastime and New Year's. But with the additional temptations and busyness that the holidays bring on top of the usual travel stresses, I saw fit to declare a new challenge: "The Holiday Challenge." The difference was that for my "holiday challenge," I pledged to not only to return home in better shape than when I left, but to enjoy the holidays to the fullest at the same time.

People who think I "deprive" myself to look the way I do would be shocked: I eat some damn good food over the holidays including Pie at Thanksgiving and my mom's famous red and green Jell-0 Christmas cake. Then on New Year's I'm usually toasting champagne and having a blast with friends or family. The difference is, every other meal stays right on schedule and I work out hard and consistently over the holidays; I don't let everything fall apart just because 'tis the season.' In fact, I work out HARDER over the holidays!

The idea that you can either enjoy the holidays or stay in shape - but not both - is damaging and limiting. It hurts your social life, your emotional life and your physical life. Life is not an either or proposition; it's a matter of balance. Success does not mean going to extremes. Success can be a simple matter of re-examining your beliefs, rearranging your priorities, setting goals, changing the questions you ask yourself, re-evaluating your expectations and acting in accordance with all of the above.

Your expectations will become your reality.

What are you expecting this holiday season? Are you expecting to be in better shape after holiday parties, celebrations, banquets, dinners, and desserts? If not, then why not? What's preventing you from enjoying all of the above and still getting in better shape? Do you have a limiting belief which dictates that it's one or the other? Could it be that you never set a goal, intention or expectation to do it? Could it be that you're rationalizing or making excuses? If so, then I challenge you to change it this year.

I CHALLENGE YOU TO BE IN BETTER SHAPE ON JANUARY 1st THAN YOU ARE TODAY! I CHALLENGE YOU TO BE FITTER, HEALTHIER, LEANER AND MORE MUSCULAR!

There's less than a month until the end of the year. Why not see how much you can improve your physique over the holidays, without depriving yourself of any holiday enjoyments or festivities? Just step up your expectations. Step up your standards. Step up your nutrition. Step up your training. Step up your action. Step up to the "holiday fitness challenge" the minute you finish reading this, and then just see what happens!

Eat right, train hard and expect success

-Tom Venuto
Burn the fat

Can exercise or fasting make you burn muscle?

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:35:00 +0000

Could you imagine being told that you shouldn't exercise because it will cause you to burn muscle and store fat? Well this is just about as crazy as suggesting that this is what
happens when you fast.

After all, the specific metabolism caused by fasting is very similar to the one caused by exercise.

This is why exercise and fasting get very similar results.

The truth is, fasting and exercise are both fantastic ways to lose body fat. The only difference is that fasting (when done the Eat Stop Eat way) lasts for 24 hours, while exercise tends to last for 1-2 hours (depending on the type of exercise you are doing).

The bottom line is that the combination of fasting and exercise is an absolutely amazing way to not only lose body fat, but also preserve or even increase the size of your muscles. You get the chronic 24 hour effects of fasting and the Acute 2-3 hour effects of exercise.

This is why Eat Stop Eat is based on the combination of Fasting and resistance training.

You get the best body fat burning effects from this combination.

Brad Pilon

Eat -> Stop -> Eat

Resistance training for intermittent faswting

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 10:12:00 +0000

Resistance training is what allows the brief periods of fasting to
work so well at burning fat.

In fact, the workout portion of Eat Stop Eat is the part I receive
the most questions about. Typically, people want to know when the
best time to workout is when they are following Eat Stop Eat.

I've tried all different variations, from only working out during my
fasts, to only working out on fed days. I can tell you that from my
experience, it really doesn't make a difference.

I think the best thing you can do is make sure that you are fitting
your workouts and your fasts around the rest of your life, and not
the other way around.

The other question I often get is "what workout program should I
follow?".

I approach working out the same way I do nutrition. I look for the
simplest, least complicated way to get the results I want.

This is why I like Craig Ballantyne's Turbulence Training programs.

They are simple, easy to follow, and get the job done. Plus, I like
the fact that he has DVD's since I'm a "visual learner".

I also like Holly Rigsby's Fit Yummy Mummy Program. I've had the
pleasure of meeting Holly, and I know that she practices what she
preaches. If you are a new mom, then you will like this program.

So there we have it, my advice for working out is to follow a
workout program that you enjoy and fits your needs, that is not
overly complicated and that gets the job done. Combine this with
flexible intermittent fasting and you are following Eat Stop Eat
perfectly.

Brad

StrengthWorks Inc,
72 Fellowes Cr,
Waterdown, On L0R2H3,
CANADA

Why you must never 'starve the fat'

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:44:00 +0000



From: Tom Venuto

Burn the Fat



Previous research has concluded without a shred of doubt
that high levels of exercise are one of the keys to
keeping fat off and maintaining your ideal weight.

In this new study from Wake Forest University just published
in the October 2008 issue of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise,
researchers found for the first time, proof that the drop in physical
activity that happens automatically during calorie restriction
is directly correlated to weight regain.

We've known for some time that when you restrict calories,
your level of non exercise physical activity (non exercise
activity thermogenesis or NEAT), drops spontaneously, even
if you don't realize it's happening.

Your physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) also
tends to drop when you restrict calories.

Basically, when you cut calories, you get sluggish, you
move your body less, you don't feel like exercising
and if you do exercise, you do it with with less "gusto."

This means that unless you intentionally counter this
tendency by pushing yourself to keep active and keep up
the intensity, despite your low calorie intake, your
weight loss will slow down automatically as you continue
with caloric restriction. (can you say, "fat loss plateau?")

The new twist to this story is that in this latest study
the researchers followed up on the subjects through the
maintenance period - TWO YEARS into the maintenance
period.

This is significant, because most fat loss "success stories"
are reported immediately after the weight loss phase, but
you never know what happened to them afterwards.

Not surprisingly, it wasn't much of a "maintanence"
period... almost everyone gained back most of the weight.

The surprise was WHY they regained back the weight and
WHO regained the most...

The drop in physical activity during the diet was directly
related to the weight regain after the diet!

The researchers wrote,

"The greater the decrease in physical activity energy
expenditure (PAEE) during the energy deficit, the greater
the weight gain during the follow up."

Does anyone STILL believe that diet alone is the answer?

Some people might... if you only looked at the short term...
but when you extend out your time frame to 2 years, you
get a whole new perspective.

For years, I have been imploring my readers and subscribers
to "burn the fat" with higher levels of exercise - strength
training AND cardio training - while "feeding the muscle"
with a higher intake of clean food, instead of simply
"starving the fat" with low calorie diets and little
or no exercise.

"Eat More, Burn More"... "BURN The fat FEED the muscle."
those are the mottos you want to remember.

can you lose weight without exercise? Of course. Just be
sure you have a dietary-induced calorie deficit. Is it
the best way? Not by a long shot.

Bottom line: If you want to MAXIMIZE your fat loss, and keep
fat off permanentnly, it is imperative not only to keep up
a

Q&A about the 7 Minutes a Day Fitness

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:06:00 +0000

Q&A with Jon Benson

Best-selling author
Fit Over 40 and Every Other Day Diet

"Jon, I love what you're saying...but $77 seems a bit high. What gives?"

May I ask you something personal? How much do you make an hour at work? Let's say it's $20 an hour. Are you WORTH MORE than $20 per hour? Of course you are. But when it comes to money, you are “worth” what you are paid. (Yeah, I know, most of us are worth a lot more! But hang with me...) Now, that means you have a dollar figure for your hourly worth. Whether it's $10 or $1000, it doesn't matter—we all have a dollar figure for our time. Can you really look me in the eye and say $77 for a book and an entire SERIES of training videos is not worth a fraction of your worth? Come on! I'm literally going to save you months and maybe even years of time on this program. Now, how much are THOSE hours worth to you? Besides, with 7 Minute Muscle you get a lot more than just a book. You get a proven System: an e-book, six training videos, and some serious discounts on future products. I'd say $77 is a bargain! It will MORE than pay for itself in just a matter of days...maybe even hours.

"Jon, this sounds too good to be true. Are you exaggerating?"

It's not too good to be true, and you may be cursing my name at the six-minute mark! I am not exaggerating: The exercise protocol is timed at exactly 7 minutes for Level 1 trainees. That's about half of the trainers in the world. About 25% are high-level intermediate trainees. They can try the 14-minute protocol if they want, but they probably don't need to. The only group of trainees who MAY (read: may!) need to train longer are the elite-level bodybuilders, or people who just like the gym a hell of a lot. For them I have a 14-minute and 21-minute protocol. I don't even do the 21-minute protocol.

"Jon, does this time include cardio too?"

No it doesn't. I'm just being honest with you. However, the cardio routine I give you for TOTAL fat-burning and heart health is a whopping 9 minutes extra 2-3 days per week. That's it. The protocol I outline has been university tested but I can count on one hand how many people know about it. I've used it for years! If you want the absolute best of everything, include my walking routine outline in the book. But that is optional.

"Jon, is this just an e-book?"

No! This is an e-book and SIX (6) bonus training videos! I'm giving you everything for just $77. Videos, e-book, and even a few surprise bonuses later down the road. The book is delivered to you immediately in PDF format...no waiting!

"Jon, how solid is your research? Is this just a wild theory?"

Solid as a rock. My original draft had over 100 cited references to specific studies on muscle growth, natural hormonal manipulation, fat loss, mind over muscle (a vital part of the program!), and more. I edited this down to less than 50, but that took months of work. The book is FAR from "fluffy". It's short (under 100 pages) but a serious study of brevity training principles with solid, peer-reviewed research supporting the protocols behind the System.

"Jon, what is this mind over muscle thing all about? New age stuff?"

Nah. No 'chanting crystal power'... : ) My "Mental Equation" chapters are some of the most researched. The science is called "Psychophysiology", or how the mind and body affect one another to increase performance. You'll learn about my 3-Flow Technique and how just THIS will increase your training results by over 200%. You'll discover how a particular brain wave that you produce every day naturally can be stimulated without anything but your thoughts (specifically, where you choose to put your attention) that will increase your results even more.

"Jon, what's this about training videos?"

One of the professional trainers I used during my "guinea pig" testing phase loved 7 Minute Muscle so much he shot all the videos for me at no cost! They're all in digital format, not DVDs, so you can start watching them TODAY, as soon as you order. We take you through every workout in the Level 1 7 Minute Muscle Protocol. Level 2 and 3 users are advanced enough to know what to do after that. These videos, professionally edited and shot, will show you EXACTLY how to use the 7 Minute Muscle System. In fact, Vince shot these videos LIVE with a counter running! They're amazing.

"Jon, I'm a girl wanting to increase my tone, but I don't want to look like you!"

Well, you're in luck, your muscles have no clue what the word "tone" means. And the 7 Minute Muscle System is perfect for getting the look you really want. Slightly larger muscles and less bodyfat THAT is "toned!" Hey, there are three girls in our videos. One is a doctor and a mom with three kids! One is only in her early 20s. It's perfect for women or men.

"Jon, I don't have a gym membership. Can I still do 7 Minute Muscle?"

You can, but you will not see the results a gym can give you unless you get some dumbbells for your home. Isn't a better body worth a few minutes in a gym?

"Jon, I have problems with my butt and legs."

Then this is your lucky day! We include a BONUS (bonus!) audio that shows you how to get a great butt and shapely legs without going to the gym! All you need is a ball, bench, and possibly some light dumbbells. Of course you can use this workout in the gym too.

"Jon, are you serious about the 60-day No Questions Asked Money-Back Guarantee?"

Serious as can be. If you apply yourself using 7 Minute Muscle for 60 days and for ANY reason do not find it the most effective, time-saving, muscle-building workout you've ever done, I'll gladly refund your money. No questions, no hassles!

Top 15 workouts: fat-blasting, abdominal, 15-min, zero-equipment

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 13:48:00 +0000

You can have f.r.e.e. access to 15 workouts right now including...

1. The best 4 exercise abdominal workout for a rock-solid core

2. A fat-blasting workout created by fitness expert Alwyn Cosgrove

3. Get a great workout anywhere in less than 15 minutes - with zero equipment!

4. The ultimate get ripped workout taken from our boxing trainer!

5. Full body express workout using just a medicine ball that'll get you fit quickly!

If you're tired of wasting your time looking for actual sample workout, you need to check out these 15 workouts.

In less than 30 seconds you could be reading these incredible workouts and start improving the most important asset in your life, your body!


Big League Workouts	Fitness Ballu	Hoop Workouts	Swimming Strength	Hurdle Strength


100 Meter	Golden Glove Workouts	Water Polo Workouts	Lax Workouts	Ice Hockey Workouts


Abs Like Stone	Ballantyne Workouts	Shot Maker Workouts	World Cup Workouts	Agility Workouts


Grid Iron Workouts	Boyle Workouts	Kettlebell X	10 Minute Workouts	Body Weight Fit


Ultimate Vertical	Handball Workouts	Silver Workouts	Fast Weight Loss For Men	Quick Weight Loss For Women


Wrestler Workouts	Healthy Back Workouts	Jumping Into Plyometrics	Cosgrove Workouts	Volleyball Workouts


Quatro Fitness	Total Workouts	Gymnastics Workouts	Cressey Workouts	Medicineball Workouts


Pregnant Workouts	Ultimate Fighting Workouts	Sandbag Workouts	eTennis Training	Fast Pitch Workouts


Movement Games	Boone Workouts	Split Body Workouts	Field Hockey Workouts	Lower Body Workouts


Rugby Workouts	Functional Training Workouts

Athletes able to fast and perform at a high level

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:17:00 +0000

Every once in a while I get the rare opportunity to watch some college football. Living in Canada, I don't get a lot of NCAA coverage on television, so when I do, its a real treat.

I can remember one game I caught this season where the announcers were actually talking about fasting. Apparently, one of the players on the Washington Cougars practices fasting, and during this particular game, he was right in the middle of a fast.

This player wasn't fasting for weight loss, (he was already incredibly lean and muscular) but interestingly even while following a regimen of short-term fasting he was still able to play a very high level sport that involves very explosive and intense periods of activity, that can go on for hours.

Even more interesting is that his older brother plays in the NFL, and he also fasts. Fasting during an NFL game - talk about intense! These two brothers are a perfect example of what I have found with the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle.

You can workout while you are fasting without feeling tired or performing poorly. In fact, I feel an amazing amount of energy when I workout while fasting! The cool thing is, this is exactly what some recent research on fasting has found - fasting doesn't slow you down. In a research study published in the journal of Sports Science and Medicine, ten elite power athletes were studied before, during and after 30 days of intermittent fasting.

The researchers found that there was no drop in performance during their fasts or even in the days after their 30 day fasting period. Pretty impressive considering the guys were ELITE athletes. So, just like the NCAA and NFL football players I was telling you about, these athletes were able to fast and still perform at a super high level. I do my best workouts while fasting. It allows me to attack them with a clear head and that feeling of alert-energy you can only get when you are fasting. If you haven't tried this yet, you need to. The experience is eye-opening.

Brad
Eat Stop Eat

The secret to gaining lean bodyweight

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:05:00 +0000

By Tom Venuto

The secret to gaining lean bodyweight is calories. Most people who want to gain weight and are having a difficult time doing so just aren't eating enough. Simple isn't it? Of course there's more to it than just calories; like the nutrient density, calorie density, meal frequency and the ratio of calories from carbohydrate, protein and fat. There's also proper training, recuperation and sleep to factor in too. But when it comes to gaining lean weight, calories are the bottom line just the same. No matter what you eat and no matter how hard you train, if you're not eating enough it is physiologically impossible to gain muscle.

There are many factors involved in gaining lean bodyweight, but the starting point is to calculate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), which is the number of calories you require to maintain your bodyweight. According to exercise physiologists William McArdle and Frank Katch in their excellent textbook, Exercise Physiology, the average TDEE for women in the United States is 2000-2100 calories per day and the average TDEE for men is 2700-2900 per day. To calculate TDEE you must first determine your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your BMR is defined as the minimum level of energy required to sustain the body's vital functions in the waking state.

Here's a simple formula developed by Dr. Fred Hatfield of the International Sports Sciences Association that you can use to estimate how many calories you burn in a day based on your bodyweight in kilograms. (One kilogram is 2.2 lbs.)

Men's BMR = 1 X body weight (kg) X 24 Women's BMR = .9 X body weight (kg) X 24

Example: You are male You weigh 172 lbs. (78 kilos) Your BMR = 1 X 78 X 24 = 1872 calories

The formula above is based on total body weight, not lean body mass, therefore it will be fairly accurate provided your body fat levels are not above the average ranges (14-19% for men, 20-25% for women). If your body fat is substantially higher than average, then basing caloric needs on total bodyweight alone will overestimate calorie expenditure.

If you know your lean body mass, then you can get an even more accurate estimation of your BMR. This formula from Katch & McArdle takes into account lean mass and therefore is more accurate. The difference in calorie expenditure between men and women is due to the fact that men generally have a higher lean body mass and a larger total body surface area. Since this formula accounts for lean body mass, it applies equally to men and women.

BMR (men and women) = 370 + (21.6 X lean mass in kg)

Example: You are male You weigh 172 lbs (78 kilos) Your body fat percentage is 14% (24.1 lbs fat, 147.9 lbs lean) Your lean mass is 147.9 lbs (67.2 kilos) Your BMR = 370 + (21.6 X 67.2) = 1821 calories

Now that you know your BMR, you can calculate TDEE by multiplying your BMR by the following activity factor.

Activity factor Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 Moderately active = BMR X 1.55 Very active = BMR X 1. 725 Extremely active = BMR X 1.9

Continuing with the previous example: You are a 172 lb. male with 14% body fat and a BMR of 1821 Your activity level is moderately active (work out 3-4 times per week) Your activity factor is 1.55 Your TDEE = 1.55 X 1821 = 2822 calories

Once you've determined your TDEE, the second step is to increase your calories high enough above your TDEE that you can gain weight. It is a basic law of energy balance that you must be on a positive calorie balance diet to gain muscular bodyweight. If you consume the exact amount of your TDEE you will simply maintain your weight. Generally speaking, you'll need to add another 300-500 calories per day onto your TDEE in order to gain weight. To be more specific, add a minimum of two calories per pound of bodyweight on top of your TDEE to determine your optimal caloric intake to gain weight.

Continuing with our example: Your weight is 172 lbs. Your TDEE is 2822 calories Your additional calorie requirement for weight gain is 2 X 172 = 344 Your optimal caloric intake for weight gain is 2822 + 344 = 3166

Using the formulas above, we have determined that our "typical" 172 lb. moderately active male will need 3166 calories to gain weight. Keep in mind that this is merely an estimate: All calorie expenditure formulas are estimations. Due to genetic factors, there may be a 20% variance of BMR either way. Age is another factor that you may want to take into consideration. According to Dr. William Evans, PhD., one of the world's leading authorities on exercise and aging, we may need as much as 100 calories less per day per decade to maintain our body weight. Also consider that certain athletes train so frequently and so intensely that their TDEE can be off the normal activity scale limit of 1.9. Daily energy expenditure can be much higher for competitive athletes or extremely active individuals. Some triathletes and marathon runners have been reported to require as many as 5000-6000 calories per day or more just to maintain their weight!

Don't just focus on gaining weight. It doesn't do you any good to gain weight if most of it is fat. The goal of a weight gain program is to gain lean muscle mass with little or no increase in body fat. If you have access to body fat testing, get it done every 1 -2 weeks. If you find yourself gaining fat, first add in 20-30 minutes of cardio 3-4 days per week. If, after adding cardio you still gain fat and the quality and quantity of calories is correct, then you will need to begin cycling your calories up and down in a "zig-zag" fashion. Three high calorie days at your optimum calorie intake for weight gain, followed by three lower calorie days at or slightly below your maintenance level (TDEE) will allow you to add solid weight while keeping your body fat in check.

Using these calorie guidelines, you can expect to gain muscular bodyweight at a rate of 1/2 to 1 lb. per week, or slightly slower if you are female. If two weeks go by and you haven't gained any weight, you're doing something wrong; most likely, you're not eating enough and you should increase your calories. After 3 - 4 months, the rate of muscle gain tends to slow down closer to 1/2 pound per week. Eventually, as you get closer and closer to your genetic limit for carrying muscle mass, the rate of muscle gain will slow down to 1/4 lb per week. Even at this rate, that's still 13 pounds of solid muscle per year.

The next installment of "How to Gain Lean Bodyweight" will discuss meal frequency, meal ratios, caloric density and proper food choices for packing on the muscle.

[Tom Venuto is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, a certified personal trainer and a performance nutrition specialist who has been developing individualized nutrition programs for bodybuilding, fitness, weight loss and weight gain since 1987.]

How to gain muscles

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:51:00 +0000

<> By Tom Venuto

"Big Ernie," one of my old lifting buddies from Pennsylvania, e-mailed me last month after reading the articles on my website about proper nutrition for weight gain. In his usual sardonic tone he wrote, "Seeing all the scientific stuff on your web page reminds me - here is a good formula for you:

HM = BC + HW

HUGE MASS (HM) = BIG CALORIES (BC) + HEAVY WEIGHT (BW)."

I was rolling on the floor laughing when I read this, but afterwards I got to thinking that he was absolutely right - the formula for getting big isn't anything overly complex or scientific - it's actually very simple; just eat big and lift big on basic exercises. This may seem like an oversimplification, but that's really all there is to it. I've already discussed eating to get big in the first two parts of this series, so now I'd like to discuss the third and final component; how to train big to get big. A successful approach to gaining muscle involves choosing basic, compound exercises, progressively adding resistance, allowing enough recuperation and keeping workout sessions brief and intense.

Get "Back to Basics"

When Vince Lombardi took over the Green Bay Packers everyone asked him what he was going to do: "Are you going to change the playbooks?" "Are you going to change the players," "what are you going to do differently?" To these questions he replied, "I'm not going to change anything, we're just going to get brilliant on the basics. Our opponents may be able to predict exactly what we're going to do, but we're going to be so good at the basics that they won't be able to stop us."

When your goal is to gain muscle, your training mantra must become "back to basics." I believe there are three reasons why people fail to get back to basics. The first is because they have been on a fat-reducing plan for so long that they become locked into a fat-burning training and nutrition mentality and they simply refuse to shift gears for fear of getting fat. You should stay reasonably lean all year round, but trying to stay ripped all the time will severely limit your size gains. When you've finished dieting to lose weight, shift gears, get back to basics and get focused on a mass-building mentality.

The second reason people fail to get back to basics is because the basics seem so basic. What I mean is that people don't see the forest for the trees. People are always looking for some exotic, esoteric, magical formula, theory or program. Meanwhile, the answer is right in front of their face, but they overlook it because it seems too obvious.

The third reason people fail to get back to basics is because the basics are so darn hard! It never ceases to amaze me how people always gravitate towards the easiest exercises while avoiding the harder, more result-producing exercises. Let's face it, squats are tough - real tough! But if you don't learn to love heavy, basic exercises like squats, you'll never join the ranks of the massive.

Choose Compound vs isolation movements

First and foremost, "back to basics" means using compound, multi-joint exercises over isolation movements. Compound movements are those that involve the largest muscle groups as well as smaller, stabilizing muscles. Because they utilize a greater muscle mass, they allow you to lift the heaviest weights possible. There is a direct correlation between the amount of weight lifted in an exercise and the size of the muscle. Therefore, it is logical that a compound exercises like squats have a greater potential for building mass than isolation movements like leg extensions because squats allow the utilization of much heavier poundages, resulting in much greater hypertrophy.

The Best Mass Building Exercises

Here is a list of the best basic mass building exercises for each body part:

Quads: Squats, Front Squats, Leg Presses
Hamstrings: Stiff-Legged Deadlift, Lying Leg Curl
Back: Deadlift, Bent Over Row, One Arm Dumbbell Row
Chest: Barbell Bench Press, Dumbbell Bench Press, Weighted Wide Grip Dips
Deltoids: Press behind Neck, Dumbbell Press, Military Press, Shrugs
Triceps: Lying Tricep Ext., Close Grip bench Press, Pushdowns, Seated Tricep ext.
Biceps: Standing Barbell Curl, Seated Alternate Dumbbell Curl, Preacher Curl
Calves: Standing Calf Raise, Donkey Calf Raise, Seated Calf Raise

If you don't Squat, You Ain't Squat!

Out of all these basic mass building exercises, no exercise is better for packing on pounds of quality muscle than the squat. Ironically, however, no exercise in more ardently avoided either. I've heard just about every excuse in the book for not squatting, and believe me, after rupturing a lumbar disk, I've had every reason not to squat myself. Despite my injuries, I squat any way. Why? Because barbell squats are positively the single most result producing exercise you can do. I'm not suggesting that you ignore the advice of your physician if you have an injury, but if you are physically capable of squatting and you're not doing them, you are compromising your results. Squats hype your metabolism, pump up your legs and make your whole body grow! Leg presses are OK, but they just aren't the same.

Rest and Recuperation

Muscles don't grow during a workout. They grow between the workouts - if you allow them to rest, that is. All too often, the over-enthusiastic trainee works out longer and more often under the impression that more is better. Over training is the arch-nemesis of the bodybuilder. Training by itself does not necessarily translate into growth; training plus recuperation does.

Proper recuperation includes two separate components; specific recuperation and systemic recuperation. Specific recuperation refers to how much time you allow between training a particular body part. The rage these days seems to be training every day and hitting each muscle group once per week. This is not a bad idea, but if you're training six or seven days per week, you're defeating the purpose of one body part a week training. Individual muscle groups need to rest between training sessions, but so does the entire body. Systemic recuperation means allowing your entire body to recuperate by not training too many days in a row. If you train too frequently, this places excessive demands on your nervous system. Two or three days of weight training in a row is the most you should ever do. If you are a "hard-gainer" then an every other day routine might be even better. A two on, one off schedule where you work each muscle every five to seven days is extremely effective. This allows individual muscles and your entire body sufficient recuperation for maximal growth.

Progressive Resistance - The # 1 key key to gaining mass

There are many factors involved in building a muscular physique, but in the long run the only thing that really matters is that you progressively overload your muscles. There are many ways to overload a muscle such as decreasing rest intervals, increasing volume, slowing rep speed, increasing time under tension, doing more repetitions, and using stricter form, but the granddaddy of them all is simply adding weight on the bar. The more weight you can lift in strict form, the bigger the muscle will get, period. Constantly adding weight at every session can seem like an insurmountable task at times, but the best way to achieve this goal is to make tiny, incremental increases consistently over time. Don't attempt large jumps in weight loads too quickly. Aim for adding just 2.5 lbs to 5 lbs with every workout on the basic exercises. You may not always be able to increase the weight, but you must make progress in some form at every single workout or you are wasting your time.

Keep your workouts brief in duration and high in intensity

The definition of intensity is the degree of momentary muscular effort that you exert during a set. In other words, intensity is how hard you workout. Most people simply do not train hard. Most likely this lack of intensity is due to the volume being too high. There is an inverse relationship between intensity and volume. The harder you train, the less sets you'll be able to do (and the less sets you'll need to do). As a general rule, it's most effective to keep your workouts brief and intense (under 60 minutes). More is not better, harder is better. Always train to the point of failure or just of failure.

Avoid excessive cardio work

The entire point of adding a 250-500 calorie surplus to your diet is to allow extra nutrients and energy to support the growth of new muscle tissue. If you continue to do cardio every day for prolonged periods as you do in a fat-reducing program, you'll only be burning off those extra calories you needed for growth. Never completely stop doing cardio. Everyone should always do 20-30 minutes of cardio 3-4 days per week year round regardless of your goals - that should be a part of any healhty lifestyle. But too much is counterproductive.

Conclusion

Getting big is not the result of using some secret eastern bloc training program, a miracle diet or a super muscle building supplement. Gaining muscle isn't rocket science. The formula for getting big is deceptively simple; it is just a matter of being "brilliant on the basics." Do yourself a favor; stop wasting your time searching for an easy way, because it doesn't exist. Just eat big, work hard, work heavy on the basic exercises and get plenty of recuperation and you'll soon be adding pounds of lean body mass faster than you ever thought possible.

Exercising 14 Hours A Week and Gaining Fat

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:33:00 +0000

by John Berardi, PhD, CSCS

Exercise Without Diet

A few weeks back I shared with you an article called "When Exercise Doesn't Work."

And in this article, I reviewed some fascinating new research demonstrating that, without a dietary intervention, exercise doesn't have much of an impact on body composition.

Even to the tune of 6 hours per week...

Even when it's high intensity exercise....

...participants following an exercise plan, without being cognizant of their nutritional intake, only tend to lose an extra pound of fat vs. those folks who do nothing for the same 12-16 weeks.

Disheartening, I know.

But oh so true.

Especially when supported by this new information I'm going to share with you today.

More Support For the "No Diet Hypothesis"
Just yesterday, I received an interesting email from Dr Gary Homann, a faculty member at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO.

(Some of you may recall that we collaborated with Dr Homann a few years back and came up with some interesting insights, spotlighted here: Long Haul Training)

Gary, intrigued by my last article, shared with me the results from a very telling study he completed back in 2003. Here's what he found.

2 Hours a Day and They Still Got Fatter!
In Dr Homann's study, 56 girls between the ages of 14 and 17 - all of whom were in a program run by the South Dakota Department of Corrections - volunteered to get involved in a 4-6 month wellness program.

The idea was to have the girls exercise for about 14 hours per week (2 hours per day consisting of various activities such as hiking, running, circuit training, step aerobics and basketball) while following the USDA Food Guide, as it appeared in 2003.

At the beginning of the study and again at the end, a host of measures were recorded, including:

A step test and timed mile for cardiovascular fitness

Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), skinfolds (for % body fat), waist and hips circumference for body composition

Shuttle run for agility

Standing jump, sit-ups and bench press test for muscular strength and endurance

And sit-and-reach and straddle tests for flexibility

So, what happened?

Well, as expected, cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance, agility, and flexibility all improved. That's great!

What's not so great is that body composition measures worsened.

Instead of losing body weight and fat, these girls, on average, gained 6lbs, increased their waist circumference by 1/2 and inch, increased their hip circumference by 3/4 of an inch, and increased their body fat by over 1/2 a percentage point.

Now, I don't know about you.

But this isn't exactly what I'd expect to happen if I went on a 14 hour per week exercise binge!

The USDA Food Pyramid circa 2003
(note: the pyramid has since been updated...thank god!)

Exercise + The Food Pyramid
As you'd imagine, I'm kinda disappointed to learn that it's actually possible to gain body fat when exercising 2 hours per day, every single day. You're probably disappointed too.

However, what's even more disappointing is the fact that it's possible while actually following a nutrition plan!

Remember, participants in this study were following the recommendations of the USDA - you know, that famous food pyramid that everyone talks about. The one that dietitians across the land recommend that we follow. The one recommending 6-11 servings of breads, cereals, and pastas each day.

(Now, it is true that the USDA has since changed their recommendations - for the better. But can you blame me if I'm a little gun shy on backing their new recommendations? Especially after the checkered history of the last food pyramid?)

Questions
Now, you might have some questions about the study design...as I did when first reading it.

After all, maybe the girls didn't follow the USDA plan to a "T"...

Or maybe they were going thru puberty at the time of the study and that explains the fat gain...

Or maybe being put in a detention center isn't exactly condusive to fat loss in the first place.

Well, after speaking with Dr Homann, I'm pretty confident that these factors can't really explain away the fact that these girls exercised for 2 hours every single day, while following the USDA's guidelines, and got fatter.

For starters, the girls were living in a detention center and they were provided all their meals. So there wasn't much room to cheat.

Further, the girls were starting out quite over fat. Indeed, their average body fat was just over 30% to begin with. So they did have fat to lose. And their fat gain can't be explained by simply "getting older" or "puberty".

Let's Bottom Line This
I could probably go on and on here...but I'll spare you that. Instead, I'd like to simply say the following.

The data are pouring in.

And they paint a pretty clear picture. If you want to look better, feel better, and perform at the top of your game, you definitely have to exercise...(although 14 hours a week probably isn't necessary).

But, even more importantly, you've got to look after your nutrition - specifically what you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat it.

Indeed, without the right nutritional intake, you simply can't expect inspiring, noticeable results. Heck, in some cases, you might even expect to get worse!

So don't leave your nutrition up to chance.

And if you need some help getting your nutritional intake straight, Precision Nutrition can help.

Opinion: 95% supplements is a waste of money

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:09:00 +0000

Q: Does the The Truth about Six Pack Abs Program require me to buy any expensive supplements, powders, or diet pills?

A: Approximately 95% of all supplements and diet pills are a complete waste of money anyway. They are simply luring you in with their devious marketing ploys to try and get you to believe that there is a "magic pill in a bottle" that will solve all of your body fat and muscle issues and have you looking like the fitness model on the bottle in a couple days.

The fact is that you don't need supplements to develop the body of your dreams! All you need is the most effective style of training, the right mindset, as well as good quality wholesome food in the right combinations and proportions, at the right times, and in the right quantities to achieve whatever your goals are... whether they are fat burning or muscle building goals.

The high-intensity interval training for metabolic resistance

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:06:00 +0000

The Best Exercise Type for Metabolic Resistance

by Tanya Zilberter, PhD

Until recently, in order to improve cholesterol profiles of people with metabolic syndrome, doctors usually advised a moderate-intensity exercise such as walking. Now, we have new information indicating that though it’s good enough for weight loss and blood pressure, it may be not enough to improve your cholesterol profile.

Researchers at Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim studied how exercise type influenced people with metabolic syndrome and showed that those who was on a high-intensity interval training program had significantly improved HDL-cholesterol levels. Their exercise consisted of four sets of 4-minute high intensity bouts at 90 percent of maximal heart rate (220 minus age) each followed by a 3-min active rest. These people exercised three times a week for 16 weeks.

The control group exercised continuously for 40 minutes at 70 percent of their maximal heart rate three times per week for 16 weeks. In both groups, participants improved their blood pressure and lost weight but only the interval training group showed improved HDL levels.

”When we retested the patients at the end of the 16-week study, of those who underwent the interval-training program, nearly half had trained themselves out of the metabolic syndrome, whereas just 37 percent of patients in the moderately trained group did so,” the principal researcher Dr Tjonna said. “While metabolic-syndrome patients could perform more intense exercise, clinicians are reluctant to prescribe it.”

"There is a understandable reluctance to encourage sedentary, overweight middle and older aged patients to exercise at that high a level of exercise because of a perceived greater risk of cardiac events and the likelihood of greater musculo-skeletal injuries.We almost always tell patients to begin with a walking program and go from there,” agreed Dr James Gaulte in his “Retired Doc’s Thoughts” blog.

The exercise routine described in the Norwegian study is rather tough but since the participants exercised under professional supervision, it’s been OK. It can be safer to start with a milder program and gradually increase the workload. Read more about it here.

So where does it leave you if you are not sure whether or not you can start an interval training program? Try this safe and simple fitness test. It can be done at home.

Don’t Forget About Strength Training!

Strength training is also as important: there are preliminary results of a long term clinical study conducted on 3,233 men, aged 20 to 80 years, which show that people with highest muscle strength had lowest risks of Metabolic Syndrome.

“Muscular strength was inversely associated with metabolic syndrome incidence, independent of age and body size,” the authors write in the article published by the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. “Potential benefits of greater muscular strength presumably through resistance exercise training should be considered in primary prevention of metabolic syndrome.”

Sources:

International Symposium on Atherosclerosis; June 21, 2006.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Nov. 30, 2005.

Exercise and nutrition for active adults

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:40:00 +0000

KEY POINTS

The following key points summarize the current energy, nutrient, and fluid recommendations for active adults and competitive athletes noted in this position paper. Sport nutrition experts can further adjust these general recommendations to accommodate the unique concerns of individual athletes regarding health, sports, nutrient needs, food preferences, and body weight and body composition goals.

During times of high-intensity training, adequate energy needs to be consumed to maintain body weight, maximize the training effects, and maintain health. Low-energy intakes can result in loss of muscle mass, menstrual dysfunction, loss or failure to gain bone density, and increased risk of fatigue, injury, and illness.
Body weight and composition can affect exercise performance but should not be used as the sole criterion for participation in sports; daily weigh-ins are discouraged. Optimal body-fat levels vary depending upon the sex, age, and heredity of the athlete, as well as the sport itself. Body-fat assessment techniques have inherent variability, thus limiting the precision with which they can be interpreted. If weight loss (fat loss) is desired, it should start earlybefore the competitive season and involve a trained health and nutrition professional.
Carbohydrates are important to maintain blood-glucose levels during exercise and to replace muscle glycogen. Recommendations for athletes range from 6 to 10 g/kg body weight per day. The amount required depends upon the athletes total daily energy expenditure, type of sport performed, sex of the athlete, and environmental conditions.
Protein requirements are slightly increased in highly active people. Protein recommendations for endurance athletes are 1.2 to 1.4 g/kg body weight per day, whereas those for resistance and strength-trained athletes may be as high as 1.6 to 1.7 g/kg body weight per day. These recommended protein intakes can generally be met through diet alone, without the use of protein or amino acid supplements, if energy intake is adequate to maintain body weight.
Fat intake should not be restricted, because there is no performance benefit in consuming a diet with less than 15% of energy from fat, compared with 20% to 25% of energy from fat. Fat is important in the diets of athletes as it provides energy, fat-soluble vitamins, and essential fatty acids. Additionally, there is no scientific basis on which to recommend high-fat diets to athletes.
The athletes at greatest risk of micronutrient deficiencies are those who restrict energy intake or use severe weight-loss practices, eliminate one or more food groups from their diet, or consume high-carbohydrate diets with low micronutrient density. Athletes should strive to consume diets that provide at least the RDAs/DRIs for all micronutrients from food.
Dehydration decreases exercise performance; thus, adequate fluid before, during, and after exercise is necessary for health and optimal performance. Athletes should drink enough fluid to balance their fluid losses. Two hours before exercise 400 to 600 mL (14 to 22 oz) of fluid should be consumed, and during exercise 150 to 350 mL (6 to 12 oz) of fluid should be consumed every 15 to 20 minutes depending on tolerance. After exercise the athlete should drink adequate fluids to replace sweat losses during exercise. The athlete needs to drink at least 450 to 675 mL (16 to 24 oz) of fluid for every pound (0.5 kg) of body weight lost during exercise.
Before exercise, a meal or snack should provide sufficient fluid to maintain hydration, be relatively low in fat and fiber to facilitate gastric emptying and minimize gastrointestinal distress, be relatively high in carbohydrate to maximize maintenance of blood glucose, be moderate in protein, and be composed of foods familiar and well tolerated by the athlete.
During exercise, the primary goals for nutrient consumption are to replace fluid losses and provide carbohydrate (approximately 30 to 60 g per hour) for the maintenance of blood glucose levels. These nutrition guidelines are especially important for endurance events lasting longer than an hour, when the athlete has not consumed adequate food or fluid before exercise, or if the athlete is exercising in an extreme environment (heat, cold, or altitude).
After exercise, the dietary goal is to provide adequate energy and carbohydrates to replace muscle glycogen and to ensure rapid recovery. If an athlete is glycogen-depleted after exercise, a carbohydrate intake of 1.5 g/kg body weight during the first 30 minutes and again every 2 hours for 4 to 6 hours will be adequate to replace glycogen stores. Protein consumed after exercise will provide amino acids for the building and repair of muscle tissue. Therefore, athletes should consume a mixed meal providing carbohydrates, protein, and fat soon after a strenuous competition or training session.
In general, no vitamin and mineral supplements should be required if an athlete is consuming adequate energy from a variety of foods to maintain body weight. Supplementation recommendations unrelated to exercisesuch as folic acid in women of childbearing potentialshould be followed. If an athlete is dieting, eliminating foods or food groups, is sick or recovering from injury, or has a specific micronutrient deficiency, a multivitamin/mineral supplement may be appropriate. No single nutrient supplements should be used without a specific medical or nutritional reason (eg, iron supplements to reverse iron deficiency anemia).
Athletes should be counseled regarding the use of ergogenic aids, which should be used with caution and only after careful evaluation of the product for safety, efficacy, potency, and legality.
Vegetarian athletes may be at risk for low energy, protein, and micronutrient intakes because of high intakes of low- energydense foods and the elimination of meat and dairy from the diet. Consultation with a registered dietitian will help to avoid these nutrition problems.

The fuel burned during exercise

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:31:00 +0000

The fuel burned during exercise depends on the intensity and duration of the exercise performed, the sex of the athlete, and prior nutritional status. All other conditions being equal, an increase in the intensity of an exercise will increase the contribution of carbohydrate to the energy pool (43,44). As the length of the exercise continues, the source of this carbohydrate may shift from the muscle glycogen pool to circulating blood glucose, but in all circumstances, if blood glucose cannot be maintained, the intensity of the exercise performed will decrease (45). Fat contributes to the energy pool over a wide range of exercise intensities, being metabolized at somewhat the same absolute rate throughout the range; however, the proportion of energy contributed by fat decreases as exercise intensity increases because the contribution of carbohydrate increases (46). Protein contributes to the energy pool at rest and during exercise, but in fed individuals it probably provides less than 5% of the energy expended (47,48). As the duration of exercise increases, protein may contribute to the maintenance of blood glucose through gluconeogenesis in the liver. In experiments in which subjects are tested in a fasting state, the contribution of fat to the energy pool will be greater than in people who are tested postprandially when exercise performed is moderate (approximately 50% of maximal oxygen uptake [VO2max]) (49). With exercise of higher intensity (greater than 65% of VO2 max), neither prior feeding nor training markedly affects the fuel used (49).

Data are not presently available, however, to suggest that athletes need a diet substantially different from that recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans(50) or the Nutrition Recommendations for Canadians (51) (55% to 58% of energy from carbohydrate, 12% to 15% of energy from protein and 25% to 30% of energy from fat). Although high-carbohydrate diets (more than 60% of energy intake) have been advocated in the past, the use of proportions in making dietary recommendations may actually be misleading in terms of providing optimum nutrition. When energy intake is 4,000 to 5,000 kcal per day, even a diet containing 50% of the energy from carbohydrate will provide 500 to 600 g of carbohydrate (or approximately 7 to 8 g/kg for a 70 kg athlete), which is sufficient to maintain muscle glycogen stores from day to day (52,53). Similarly, if protein intake in such a diet was even as low as 10% of energy intake, absolute protein intake (100 to 125 g per day) would exceed the recommendations for protein intake for athletes (1.2 to 1.7 g per day or 84 to 119 g in a 70 kg athlete, see the following discussion on nitrogen balance in men). Conversely, when energy intake is less than 2,000 kcal per day, even a diet providing 60% of the energy from carbohydrate may not provide sufficient carbohydrate to maintain optimal carbohydrate stores (4 to 5 g/kg in a 60 kg athlete). Typically, diets containing 20-25% energy from fat have been recommended to facilitate adequate carbohydrate intake and to assist in weight management where necessary. Thus, specific recommendations for individual energy components may be more useful when they are based on body size, weight and body composition goals, the sport being performed, and sex of the athlete.

Protein needs of athletes have received considerable investigation, not only in regard to whether athletesí protein requirements are increased, but also in relation to whether individual amino acids are a benefit to performance. Mechanisms suggested to increase athletesí protein requirements include the need to repair exercise-induced microdamage to muscle fibers, use of small amounts of protein as an energy source for exercise, and the need for additional protein to support gains in lean tissue mass (54,55). If protein needs are increased, the magnitude of the increase may depend on the type of exercise performed (endurance vs resistance), the intensity and duration of the activity, and possibly the sex of the participants.

For endurance athletes, nitrogen balance studies in men suggest a protein recommendation of 1.2 g/kg per day (56). Little information is available regarding requirements of endurance athletes who are women. Resistance exercise is thought to increase protein requirements even more than endurance exercise, and it has been recommended that experienced male bodybuilders and strength athletes consume 1.6 to 1.7 g/kg body weight per day to allow for the accumulation and maintenance of lean tissue (55,57). Again, data on female strength athletes are not available. Athletes should be aware that increasing protein intake beyond the recommended level is unlikely to result in additional increases in lean tissue because there is a limit to the rate at which protein tissue can be accrued (54), whereas other sources have suggested an intake of 1.2 to 1.4 g/kg per day (55). It must be ensured that energy intake is adequateóotherwise, protein will be used as an energy source, falsely elevating estimates of the requirements under conditions of energy balance. It is worth noting that the customary diets of most athletes provide sufficient protein to cover even the increased amounts that may be needed (7).

Exercise, athletic performance, and recovery are enhanced by optimal nutrition

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:25:00 +0000

Nutrition and athletic performance -- Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine

It is the position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine that physical activity, athletic performance, and recovery from exercise are enhanced by optimal nutrition. These organizations recommend appropriate selection of food and fluids, timing of intake, and supplement choices for optimal health and exercise performance.

This position paper reviews the current scientific data related to the energy needs of athletes, assessment of body composition, strategies for weight change, the nutrient and fluid needs of athletes, special nutrient needs during training, the use of supplements and nutritional ergogenic aids, and the nutrition recommendations for vegetarian athletes. During times of high physical activity, energy and macronutrient needs—especially carbohydrate and protein intake—must be met in order to maintain body weight, replenish glycogen stores, and provide adequate protein for building and repair of tissue. Fat intake should be adequate to provide the essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins, as well as to help provide adequate energy for weight maintenance.

Overall, diets should provide moderate amounts of energy from fat (20% to 25% of energy); however, there appears to be no health or performance benefit to consuming a diet containing less than 15% of energy from fat. Body weight and composition can affect exercise performance, but should not be used as the sole criterion for sports performance; daily weigh-ins are discouraged. Consuming adequate food and fluid before, during, and after exercise can help maintain blood glucose during exercise, maximize exercise performance, and improve recovery time.

Athletes should be well-hydrated before beginning to exercise; athletes should also drink enough fluid during and after exercise to balance fluid losses. Consumption of sport drinks containing carbohydrates and electrolytes during exercise will provide fuel for the muscles, help maintain blood glucose and the thirst mechanism, and decrease the risk of dehydration or hyponatremia.

Athletes will not need vitamin and mineral supplements if adequate energy to maintain body weight is consumed from a variety of foods. However, supplements may be required by athletes who restrict energy intake, use severe weight-loss practices, eliminate one or more food groups from their diet, or consume high-carbohydrate diets with low micronutrient density. Nutritional ergogenic aids should be used with caution, and only after careful evaluation of the product for safety, efficacy, potency, and whether or not it is a banned or illegal substance.

Nutrition advice, by a qualified nutrition expert, should only be provided after carefully reviewing the athlete’s health, diet, supplement and drug use, and energy requirements. J Am Diet Assoc. 2000;100:1543-1556.

Over the past 20 years, research has clearly documented the beneficial effects of nutrition on exercise performance. There is no doubt that what an athlete eats and drinks can affect health, body weight and composition, substrate availability during exercise, recovery time after exercise, and, ultimately, exercise performance. As the research and interest in sport nutrition has increased, so has the sale of ergogenic aids, supplements, herbal preparations, and diet aids, all aimed at improving sports performance.

The manufacturers of these products frequently make unsubstantiated claims to entice the athlete to use their products. The athlete who wants to optimize exercise performance needs to follow good nutrition and hydration practices, use supplements and ergogenic aids carefully, minimize severe weight loss practices, and eat a variety of foods in adequate amounts.

This position is focused on adult athletes, rather than children or adolescents, and does not focus on any particular type of athlete or athletic event. Moreover, the position is intended to provide guidance to dietetics and health professionals working with athletes, and is not directed to individual athletes themselves.

Vegetarian athletes may be at risk

noreply@blogger.com (Diet & Body) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:19:00 +0000

Vegetarian athletes may be at risk for low intakes of...
by ADA

Vegetarian athletes may be at risk for low intakes of vitamins B-12 and D, riboflavin, iron, calcium, and zinc, because many of these nutrients are high in animal products.

THE VEGETARIAN ATHLETE

Some athletes choose to follow vegetarian diets. Nutrition recommendations for these athletes should be formulated with consideration of the effects of both vegetarianism and exercise. The position of the American Dietetic Association on vegetarian diets (147) provides appropriate dietary guidance that should be considered in conjunction with the information provided herein.

Vegetarianism does not necessarily affect energy needs, though energy availability could be reduced slightly if a vegetarian has an extremely high fiber intake. As with all athletes, monitoring body weight and composition is the preferred means of determining if energy needs are satisfied. Some people-especially women-may switch to vegetarianism as a means of restricting energy intake to attain the lean body habitus favored in some sports. Occasionally, this may be a step toward development of an eating disorder (148). Because of this association, coaches and trainers should be alert when an athlete becomes vegetarian, and ensure that appropriate weight is maintained.

Studies consistently report that vegetarians have lower protein intakes than omnivores. Although the protein quality of a vegetarian diet is adequate for adults (2,51,149), plant proteins are not as well-digested as animal proteins (2). Thus, to adjust for incomplete digestion, an increase of about 10% in the amount consumed may be made (2). Accordingly, recommended protein intakes for vegetarian athletes would be about 1.3 to 1.8 g/kg body weight, using recommendations for athletes as a baseline (53,54,57). Vegetarian athletes with relatively low energy intakes may need to choose foods carefully to ensure that their protein intakes are consistent with these recommendations.

Vegetarian athletes may be at risk for low intakes of vitamins B-12 and D, riboflavin, iron, calcium, and zinc, because many of these nutrients are high in animal products. Iron is a nutrient that may be of particular concern to vegetarian athletes. Because of the lower bioavailability of iron in plant-based diets, the iron stores in vegetarians are generally lower than those of omnivores, despite total iron intakes that are similar or even higher (150). When combined with data indicating that exercise may increase iron requirements, it is possible that vegetarian athletes, especially women, may be at greater risk of developing poor iron status. Accordingly, it would be prudent for iron status to be monitored routinely in female vegetarian athletes.

ADAF 1999. Reproduction of this fact sheet is permitted for educational purposes.