There are arguments presented for almost every approach noted and then some. One distinction that we need to talk about is eating for performance versus weight loss. Can you do both? What is optimal for your health?
Performance
What does performance mean. Well, to me it means you train for a specific event (biatholon, triatholon, running race, recreational or school related sports).
Weight Loss
For this category, you might run a race.... however, you're not worried about how fast you run it! Your focus is on losing weight. All the activity you do is done with the goal of burning calories.
Energy for Performance
The majority of energy for performance comes from sugars (carbohydrates) stored in the muscle, blood stream, liver etc. or fat for the most part. The body is capable of turning protein into carbohydrates, however this is a long inefficient process. Carbohydrates stored in the muscle or blood stream are primarily utilized for any activity over 10 sec up to a number of minutes. Anaerobic activities such as high intensity exercise, sprints, weight lifting, or others draw a lot of carbs for energy. The longer the duration, essentially the higher % of fat is typically burned. If someone has or is starving their body and is in ketosis then we have a different situation. Basically, carbs are king for those looking to optimize performance. In Nancy Clark's book Sports Nutrition Guidebook she lists the following as a guideline for carb intake divided over 3 meals or more per day.
Body Weight g\day
100 300-500
125 375-625
150 450-750
175 525-875
Balancing your calories with ample protein and healty fats is also recommended in a healthy eating plan for an active person looking to compete!
Eating for Weight Loss
Well this is a can of worms! Some of the basics of course that are undeniable are: 1) you can not eat more than you burn, 2) junk food needs to go (pop, chips, candy, sweets, etc.. in case your wondering), 3) adding ample servings of vegetables and some fruit is critical. I do advocate for tight control of carbohydrates in the case of the weight loss achiever! Making wise choices as to when and what type of carbohydrates you eat is key. Eat more of squash, yams, sweet potatoes, deep colored vegetables, and whole grains. Keep in mind that 1 gram of a carbohydrate is equal to 4 calories. Your planning should include around 40% of your calories in the form of carbohydrates. Be sure to eat ample carbs after a workout or exercise class. For most folks they can take the numbers above and shoot for roughly half of that listed as a range for carbs for the day!
Keep in mind if your having headaches, loss of sleep or feeling anxious, you may need to eat a few more carbohydrates. Of course if you have diabetes or other medical condition you should seek advice specific to your lifestyle. Good luck with your goals!
Need help: see http://www.optimalhealthperformance.com/ or brian@optimalhealthperformance.com
