TruBlog

By Mike Parnes

Myth #3 — Body builders need exponentially more protein than other types of athletes

Find a body builder and you will find a theory about protein needs. Better yet, find a teenage male with a gym membership and you will find a theory on protein needs. Fortunately, this has been extensively studied in the academic literature and researchers have examined how much is too little, enough, and too much (1). The most important consideration when bodybuilding is taking in adequate energy or enough calories. Research shows that to add one pound of muscle, athletes needs to consume an additional 2270 – 3630 kcal a week (approximately 500 extra kcal a day), along with appropriate weight training. These calories should be distributed according to your metabolic nutrition profile across all three macronutrient categories selecting for high quality unprocessed foods.

Myth #4 — High sugar fruits and vegetables will make you gain weight

This myth is interesting because in reality the opposite is true. The carbohydrate found in fruits is called simple carbohydrate. But, far from making you gain weight, fruits and vegetables are high in water and fiber which are essentially non-caloric, and contribute to a lower calorie, higher nutrient intake. Studies show that low-energy-density diets are associated with high diet quality in adults in the United States (2).

Myth #5 — Drinking water helps you feel full and eat less

This is a common diet strategy. However, some well-recognized research by Barbara Rolls (3) indicates that when water is mixed with a food (i.e., a soup or casserole) subsequent intake is decreased, but when ingested separately as a glass of water it does not seem to decrease appetite or intake. Bottom line, fitness professionals do want people to drink water, but using it as a satiety mechanism may not be effective. Studies show that eating a high fiber, low calorie salad before a meal will decrease appetite more effectively than drinking water (4).

1. Hawley JA, Tipton KD, Millard-Stafford, ML. Promoting training adaptations through nutritional interventions. J Sports Sci Jul 2006;24(7):709-21.

2. Rolls BJ, et al. Low-energy-density diets are associated with high diet quality in adults in the United States. J Am Diet Assoc Aug 2006;106(8):1172-80.

3. Rolls BJ, et al. Water incorporated into a food but not served with a food decreases energy intake in lean women. Am J Clin Nut Oct 1999;70(4):448-55.

4. Rolls BJ, Roe LS, Meengs JS. Salad and satiety: Energy density and portion size of a first-course salad affect energy intake at lunch. J Am Diet Assoc Oct 2004;104(10):1570-1576.

Tags: Healthy Weight Loss, Metabolic Nutrition, Optimum Health, San Diego Personal Trainer

This entry was posted on Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 10:45 am and is filed under Healthy Weight Loss, Metabolic Nutrition, Nutrition. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.