Over the last twenty five years the most common questioned asked
me by frustrated exercisers, has been what exercise routine will
get me the body I desire? My answer is always the same. They need
to start exercising better judgement and learn that exercise alone
will not solve their body composition problem. I believe the number
one reason for starting an exercise program is weight reduction,
even before fitness and health concerns....
Exercise by itself is a poor weight manager and it increases
the need for better nutritional requirements. I believe I would
receive very little disagreement that a combination of nutrition
and exercise is the answer to improvement in weight loss ( fat
loss ), fitness and health risk concerns. With obesity reaching
epidemic rates and the drop out rate of most health clubs’
remaining high this article intent is to lay the foundation why
exercise and low carbohydrate diet’s are poor partners.
Over the last three decades I have seen extreme changes in the
macro nutrients ( proteins, carbohydrates and fats ) combinations
in our quests for the ideal body. Everything from high carbohydrate,
low fat, high protein, to the current low carbohydrate craze has
bombarded us, though the failure rates in managing our weight
continue to rise. The problem lies in our bodies ability to adapt
to change, especially extreme change. If your goal is to lose
fat you must provide your muscle enough quality fuel without being
over fueled. This is especially true if your goal to lose fat
includes exercise. The secret is not found in elimination of macro
nutrients, but in management of them. Understanding how to fuel
your muscles prior to exercise sessions and replacing fuel after
workouts is critical or your body will break down muscle for fuel.
Understanding how our muscles use the calories we eat as fuel
for muscle contraction is the first step in knowing what to do
and not to do. A basic nutritional knowledge tells us that proteins
repair and rebuild cells, carbohydrates energize cells and fats
provide hormonal foundation for cells. When we lack balance in
protein, carbohydrates and fats are bodies adjust and can use
all three as a source of fuel for muscle contraction and cellular
energy. Though energy is needed for all cellular function, the
focus of this article is muscle contraction and body composition.
All muscle contraction derives energy from adenosine triphosphate
or ATP. The primary source of ATP comes from glucose, which is
stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen ( glucose and water
). Muscle contraction during anaerobic activity ( resistance training
) can use glycogen directly to form ATP. The process is anaerobic
glycolysis, meaning it can use the glucose as energy with very
little oxygen ( 90% glucose, 5% oxygen and 5% fatty acid ). Our
muscles only store enough ATP for short periods of muscle contraction,
when depleted leads to muscle failure. The rest period between
weight training sets allows additional ATP to be produced. During
early stages of aerobic exercise, ATP is again created primarily
from glucose until the heart and lungs provide enough oxygen to
the muscles to allow fatty acids to be used to create ATP. So
there you have it during resistance training and the beginning
stages aerobic training the primary source of fuel is glucose.
This supports my claim that low carb diets and exercise make
poor partners. To uncover why, we need to quickly look at the
concept behind low carb diets and how they work. Any diet that
provides 100 grams or less of carbohydrate daily. This article
classifies as low carb diet’s. This will quickly deplete
the glycogen stores in the muscle and liver. This by itself is
testimony that our muscle’s primary source of fuel is glucose.
Fatty acids stored in the adipose tissue ( fat cells ) are now
released into the blood and processed by the liver and some are
turned into glucose ( gluconegenesis ) and some remain fatty acids
and both provide ATP for muscle contraction. One of the by products
of this process is ketone bodies which can provide energy to brain
and nervous system. The problem gluconegenesis ( non glucose turned
into glucose ) provides fuel to the muscle less efficiently than
glycogenesis ( glucose ). The end result is increased muscle fatigue,
decreased muscle power, which leads to poor athletic performance.
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recent study performed at the University of Connecticut showed that
exercisers who switched from a balanced diet ( proteins, carbohydrates
and fats ) to a low carb diet experience the following drop’s
in athletic performance. There was a 7 - 9 percent drop in muscle
power and 6 percent drop in VO2 max of cardiovascular performance.
Another factor to consider is the recuperation of muscle between
workouts is decreased on low carb diets. So why would someone go
on a low carb diet, especially when exercising? Because the initial
weight loss that comes from the glycogen depletion is believed to
be fat loss. We have become so focused on weight loss, that any
weight loss is seen as good. As identified earlier in this article
glycogen is a mixture of glucose and water and the majority are
stored where? You guessed it, the muscle. A large percentage of
the initial weight loss is coming from muscle loss. I don’t
think any exerciser’s desire is to have smaller muscles as
a result of their exercising. The goal of exercise should be to
improve body composition, the percentage or ratio of muscle to body
fat. This can only be accomplished by losing fat without the loss
of muscle tissue. Maintaining muscle mass is vital to sustainable
weight control. The following steps will protect your muscles as
your losing fat, while reaching your ideal weight and ideal body
composition.
FAT LOSS COACH Keys to losing FAT without losing MUSCLE
1. Cycle fat burning days with recovery days.
The secret to losing fat without losing muscle starts with not
being too aggressive or extreme with your reduction of carbohydrates.
You need carbohydrate management, not carbohydrate elimination.
Over the last 12 years, with more than 10,000 clients I’ve
found by reducing carbohydrates by 20% of daily needs and within
48 hours replenishing the glycogen in the muscle by eating 100%
of daily carbohydrate requirements, allows for fat loss, without
muscle loss. In essence you have two fat burning days, then a
recovery day. By doing this you’ll have the best of both
worlds. You will experience fat loss that averages between 1-2
pounds weekly, while muscles are being well fed. You never drastically
deplete the glycogen stores in the muscle so athletic performance
is not affected like on a low carb diet.
2. Exercise on days where you are receiving more carbohydrates.
Exercising on days where muscle are getting more carbohydrates
for fuel and taking days off from exercise when you are being
aggressive about fat loss. One of the most difficult thoughts
for exercisers to accept is that most of the results from exercise
come when we are not exercising. They come after we exercise and
in direct response to how the muscles receive nutrition after
exercise.
3. Exercise 1.5 - 2 hours after eating when blood sugar levels
and insulin levels are slowly declining.
As insulin levels increase in response to a rise in blood sugar
after a meal, the cells are in an anabolic state ( receiving nutrients
). Insulin is the hormone that feeds are cells. As blood sugar
levels drop, insulin levels drop and the pancreas produces the
hormone glucagon and nutrients stored in the fat cells are released
to the blood and used for energy. The management of this blood
sugar rise and drop is important. If blood sugar levels go to
high insulin feeds the muscle cells and deposits excess into fat
cells. If insulin levels go too low, the muscle cells are being
under fed. A slow rise in blood sugar provides good nutrition
to the muscles and a slow drop allows glucagon to take from the
fat cells. Timing your exercise to this blood sugar decline allows
the muscles to receive from the fat cells more effectively. It
is important to never exercise without having at least one meal
left in your day so that muscles can recuperate from exercise.
Final Thoughts
Long term success managing weight starts with the right approach.
If you are overweight, the real problem is that you have too much
body fat for how much muscle you possess. A body composition solution
is needed, not just a weight loss diet. Your goal should be to
lose fat without losing muscle or sacrificing your health in the
process. To maintain your results your eating habits must develop
life long character. Low carbohydrate diets provide initial weight
loss, but at the high cost of losing muscle and reducing metabolism.
They are inadequate sources of fuel to support exercise activity,
which is vital in maintaining good health. The risks to your health
long term makes low carbohydrate diet's poor solutions for life
long weight management.
By Charles Remington, Nutritionist, Founder of THE FAT LOSS COACH,
Customized Fat Loss System, 1303 Highland Ave, Cheshire, Ct. 06410,
203-272-0014, charlie@thefatlosscoach.com
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