Nutrition
- Nutritional Program
For more than two decades, athletes have diligently
followed a high-carbohydrate, low-fat dietary regimen. And why not? It has
been recommended by an infinite number of coaches, trainers and sports nutritionists
for years.
But things are changing. The typical diet-which consisted of 60 to 70 percent
carbohydrate, 15 to 25 percent protein and 10 to 15 percent fat has come
face-to-face with a more balanced ratio of 40 percent carbohydrate, 30 percent
protein and 30 percent fat.
That's right. Thirty percent fat. If you are a high-carb advocate who is
ready to skip this story, hold on. Sit back and read this with an open mind.
Scientific reasoning definitely plays a role, but common sense is a major
factor in understanding why the 40/30/30 ratio may dramatically improve
your athletic performance.
Have you ever felt mentally or physically tired
in the middle of the day for no apparent reason? Welcome to the not-so-wonderful
world of hypoglycemia, which, as you may know, can really put a damper on
your training.
It is a condition that occurs when your blood
glucose (sugar) concentrations fall to abnormally low levels. Symptoms include
fatigue, restlessness, and unclear thought and hunger cravings.
The hormone insulin is the culprit behind hypoglycemia. Secreted from the
pancreas, insulin's job is to regulate blood glucose levels. When the levels
rise, insulin is needed to transport excess glucose into various parts of
our bodies.
Ideally, a meal will produce a mild rise in blood glucose. Insulin is secreted
and either redirects glucose into our body's cells for immediate energy
or stores it as glycogen (future energy) in the liver and muscle tissue.
In an unfavorable situation, a meal produces a surge of blood glucose and
the pancreas counters by secreting extra insulin. With more of the hormone
in circulation, blood glucose concentrations are effectively lowered-but
too rapidly. Energy levels plummet, leaving you listless and suffering from
a classic case of hypoglycemia.
Furthermore, when insulin needs to quickly react in compensation for excess
blood glucose, it converts a high percentage of the glucose into fat. Insulin
is very proficient at doing this-to the point that it can make you fat.
As an athlete, you do not want to be hypoglycemic, and you definitely do
not want to be fat. Based on the information above, it is obvious that meals
stimulating an overwhelming amount of insulin should be avoided. Ironically,
the very same high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet followed by millions of athletes
induces the hormone in abundance.
To enhance athletic performance, you must properly
manage insulin and control your blood glucose level. To do this, you'll
need to have an awareness of the glycemic index.
The glycemic index is a measure of how fast carbohydrates break down into
blood glucose. High-glycemic carbohydrates, such as rice cakes and bread,
spike blood glucose levels and rapidly induce insulin secretion. Low-glycemic
carbohydrates, such as most fruits and vegetables, break down much slower
and require less insulin. Furthermore, the addition of protein and fat to
your meals lowers the overall glycemic response. This is optimal for sustaining
energy levels and avoiding insulin's fat storage effect.
Better yet, when carbohydrates are moderated, your body will utilize a higher
percentage of body fat for energy. This is especially good because glycogen
storage is limited. The average individual can only store 1,200-2,000 calories
in the form of glycogen.
Body fat, on the other hand, can supply even the leanest athlete with a
minimum of 10,000 calories. Those on a high-carbohydrate diet will burn
a much lower percentage of body fat because increased concentrations of
insulin will block the secretion of glucagon.
Working adversely to insulin, glucagon is a mobilizing hormone that is stimulated
by protein. One of its functions is to release stored fat (in the form of
fatty acids) into the bloodstream where it is made available to muscle cells
for energy.
Let's now take a closer look at the 40/30/30 nutritional program.
The 40/30/30 Diet
Carbohydrates are still an important part of
the 40/30/30 ratio, but quality takes a back seat to quantity. The bulk
of your carbohydrate consumption should come from those with a low-glycemic
index. This includes most fruits, vegetables and legumes.
High-glycemic carbohydrates such as breads, cereals and pastas should be
eaten sparingly. Besides, they are so processed they virtually have no nutrients.
Even minimally processed "whole grains" must be fortified and enriched to
replace nutrients that have been stripped out. Because of their weakened
structures, these types of carbohydrates digest very quickly and spur on
insulin secretion.
With the popularity of the high-carb, low-fat
diet, many athletes are not getting enough protein. Many are getting 90
percent of their calories from carbohydrates!
You must understand that carbohydrates are utilized chiefly as an energy
source and cannot be converted into essential amino acids. Supplied by protein,
amino acids are hugely responsible for the making of a complete athlete.
Not only do they aid in the building and repair of muscle tissue, but they
are the foundations of our organs, hormones, enzymes and immune system.
The best sources of protein are derived from chicken, fish, eggs, low-fat
dairy products and lean cuts of beef. For those of you who are strict vegetarians,
invest in a high-quality protein powder. It's difficult to consume enough
protein on a vegan diet (especially while training), because proteins from
vegetable sources are not utilized as efficiently as those from dairy or
animal products. The main reason for this difficulty is that grains and
vegetables are primarily carbohydrates, while nuts and seeds are essentially
fats. Some of these foods may contain a significant amount of protein, but
their fiber content inhibits proper bodily absorption.
No longer to be avoided like the plague, fat
should be included in a balanced athletic diet. Aside from being a superior
source of energy, fats provide bodily insulation and act as a shock absorber
for internal organs and skeletal joints. Moreover without an appropriate
fat intake, the body is ineffective at transporting the fat-soluble vitamins
A, D, E and K.
One of the biggest deficiencies that you face on a low-to-no-fat diet is
getting an adequate intake of essential fatty acids. The body can synthesize
(produce) many types of fats, but is unable to produce linoleic or linolenic
polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Linoleic acid is from the omega-6 family and is found primarily in vegetable
oils, nuts and seeds. Linolenic acid is a member of the omega-3 family and
is found in fish and flaxseed oil. These essential fatty acids are necessary
for the manufacture of a series of hormones called Prostaglandins. Controlling
virtually every cell of the body, Prostaglandins promote injury recovery,
immune defense and regulate inflammation.
Choice fats are found in cold-water fish (salmon), cold-pressed vegetable
oils (canola and olive), nuts, seeds and avocados. Keep saturated fats to
no more than 10 percent of total fat intake and avoid hydrogenated oils.
These are chemically processed fats found in food items such as commercial
baked goods, chips and margarine. Hydrogenated oils contain highly unfavorable
trans-fatty acids, which our bodies metabolize with extreme difficulty and
can block your arteries.
The key to putting together a 40/30/30 meal
is to base it around a protein source. Using grams as a measurement, carbohydrates
should be approximately 1.33 times greater than the total protein. Fat can
be determined by multiplying total protein grams in the meal by four (calories
per gram of protein). This sum divided by nine (calories per gram of fat)
is equivalent to the number of fat grams that should be present in your
meal.
Following is an example of a balanced dinner, which has 47 grams of carbohydrate,
36 grams of protein and 16 grams of fat: 4.5 ounces baked or broiled chicken
breast, 1/2 baked red potato, one cup broccoli, one large dinner salad,
and two teaspoons of olive oil.
In just about everything we do, balance is
the key. So why should our nutritional habits be any different?Consuming
a diet with 60 percent plus carbohydrates is hardly a balance. The secret
to this program, which does not require expensive sports supplements, is
the 40/30/30 macronutritional balance.
So if you follow a high-carb, low-fat diet, compromise on the carbohydrates
and add more protein and dietary fat. You'll find that is a simple and effective
way to avoid low-energy levels, maintain a favorable body composition, and
improve your overall health and athletic performance.
References
Philip
N. LeClair, C.N., CFT, staff nutritionist at Biofoods, Inc., the makers
of Balance nutritional products. He is also the editor of The In Balance
Health and Fitness Newsletter.
