CHAPTER
7 Nutrition
Chapter 7 - Nutrition ___________________________________
Did You Know That…
At present, there is no way to determine an individual‟s precise nutritional needs for optimum health and performance. Spinach is a poor source of iron. Most nutritional research is so contradictory that it‟s impossible to draw any clear-cut conclusion from it Research has revealed that 8 of every 10 nutritional supplements on the market don‟t contain what the manufacturers claim.
After reading this chapter you should be able to answer the following questions What are the health benefits of regular exercise? What makes people fat? Is a high protein diet necessary for individuals who exercise? Are vitamin supplements necessary when training? Should an individual eat immediately before competing? Is spinach a good source of iron? What is the function of the Federal Drug Administration (FDA)? What is the best diet for optimum health and performance? Are food supplements necessary?
Key Terms Body fat Calorie Lean body weight Carbohydrates Complex Carbohydrates Simple Carbohydrates Glycemic Index Hypoglycemia Hyperglycemia Proteins Fats Trans Fats Unsaturated Fats Saturated Fats Triglycerides High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Water Minerals Vitamins Vegetarian Vegan Glucose Glycogen Glucose receptors Hyperplasia Hyperphagia Glandular disorder Basal metabolism Daily Caloric Requirement Dr. Atkins‟ diet Cellulite
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Introduction _______________________________________________
In the last decade or so nutrition has evolved into one of those buzz words, you know, the kind of word that when someone mentions it, the nipples of everyone within shouting distance gets hard. Well, that‟s not the case with us. True, we still get some pilo-erection now and then when we hear the word…it‟s probably a conditioned response…but in general, the excitement is gone. In fact, in our opinion, nutrition is a buzz word without the buzz. Now, don‟t get us wrong, it‟s not that we don‟t think nutrition is important. On the contrary, we are convinced that good nutrition may be one of the most important variables for optimum performance and health. The problem is that the area of nutrition is about as confusing as a Rubik‟s cube and about as precise as a Chinese fire drill. First of all, there are all sorts of theories regarding just about every aspect of nutrition. There‟s the crystalline versus polypeptide amino acid debate, the well balanced diet theory, the “supplement is necessary” theory and the...well, the list goes on, but you get the idea. Of course the ultimate purpose of every one of these techniques and procedures is the same…to enhance health and performance. Interestingly, there is considerable research to substantiate just about every one of the nutritional procedures out there. From reading the research, it seems that one procedure is about as effective as another when it comes to increasing health performance. In other words, they want you to believe that everything seems to work. Yet, traditionally, nutritionists and/or followers of one method do not readily accept the teaching and validity of other methods. It‟s kind of like Western religions. The Catholics, Jews and Protestants all have the same ultimate purpose, yet they can‟t seem to agree on anything except that collections should be taken during every religious service and twice on Sunday. In brief, when it comes to religion and nutrition, you don‟t know who or what to believe. In all candor, we could write a book twice as long as War and Peace on what people told us to do and not to do as far as nutrition. What‟s really disturbing though, is that a lot of what we were told seems to be questionable. Even our childhood hero, Popeye the Sailor, apparently steered us wrong. You know how Popeye would always say, “I‟m strong to the finish „cause I eat me spinach?” Of course, physiologist, like your local gym instructor who was working at Burger King the week before, would tell you that it was the iron in the spinach that gave Popeye the strength to kick Brutus‟ butt. Well, we‟ve come to find that Popeye and those gym physiologists were all full of spinach, at least according to the University of California Wellness Letter. In their August 1997 issue, they indicated that spinach is a poor source of iron since it contains oxalic acid, which actually blocks the absorption of iron. You just don‟t know how that little bit of information sandpapered our butt, unless, of course, you‟ve eaten spinach every day of your life. Hell, our mothers even put it in our baby bottles. We hate you Popeye. We hope Brutus kicks your butt next time out! And let‟s not forget good old Yul Gibbons, the closest thing America had to a wildlife nutritionist. You remember Yul…the guy who would walk through the forest, pick up a rock, stick it in your face and say, “See this rock, many parts of it are edible.” Then he‟d move on over to a tree and say, “See this bark, many parts of it are edible. I know because I eat this stuff and I‟m as healthy as a horse. Living off nature is the way to go.” Just as we acquired a taste for rocks and trees, Yul died, apparently of stomach cancer. We have not had a bite of bark since. We know what you‟re thinking. None of the guys we‟re talking about are “real” nutritionists. Okay, let‟s talk about some real nutritionists, guys with degrees and titles and all that good stuff. Let‟s see, how about Durk Pearson and Mackie Shilstone. They‟re certainly two of the most renowned nutritionists at this point in time…which brings up an interesting question. Why is it that most nutritionists look like they‟re suffering from malnutrition? Let‟s be real. At best Pearson looks like a hockey stick with hair and Shilstone, who was so successful in building up Michael Spinks for his title fight with Larry Holmes, looks like he was following the opposite program he had Spinks on. Don‟t these guys follow their own advice or does being nutritionally sound mean that you have to look like an Ethiopian relief victim?
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Anyway, when we first started researching nutrition, everyone we talked to said that Durk Pearson was “numero uno” when it came to the science of eating. Consequently, we got his award winning book, Life Extensions, and thoroughly digested it…figuratively speaking. Trust us, that was no easy chore. The book is close to 900 pages and it is jam-packed with all sorts of neat nutritional research which is about as exciting as watching Virgil Ward‟s Sunday morning fishing program. Furthermore, you need a college degree in something other than underwater basket weaving to understand what the man is saying. Anywho, opinions run rampant. For example, in reference to growth hormone (GH) release, Durk says, “L-arginine, 5 to 10 grams and/or L-ornithine 2.5 to 5 grams, taken on an empty stomach at bedtime, causes GH release. These techniques can easily make a normal 65 year old man‟s GH levels resemble those of a young adult or even a teenager...an increase in GH is also capable of enhancing both muscle mass and strength and can decrease body fat.” Interestingly, when we were at the 1997 National Strength and Speed Clinic in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, we ran into Shilstone and asked him about Pearson‟s theory on GH. Basically, what Shilstone told us was that Pearson was full of...well, it wasn‟t GH. Worse yet, he told us the majority of what Pearson had to say was hard to swallow. In summary, according to Shilstone, we read 900 pages for practically nothing. We hate you Pearson. We hope Shilstone kicks your butt next time you meet. Well, on second thought, we don‟t know who to hate, because we don‟t know who‟s right. In the nutrition game you never know who‟s right. And to add chaos to a whole world of confusion, it seems that every month somebody is coming out with a new nutritional formula that promises everything from decreasing the size on your thighs to putting hair on your head. Oh, but there is research published on these products, you say? True, but did you ever notice who published this so called research? Many times, the only research you can find on a certain product or formula is conducted by the company who markets it! Hey, now that‟s what we call unbiased research. Think about this a second. Every year the tobacco companies in America release research that indicates that smoking cigarettes is not only safe, but can actually enhance health in certain cases. Now, is that crazy or what? But that‟s the type of biased information you can run into when companies conduct their own research. Oh, but the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) must approve and test drugs before they are sold, you say? Well, this is true for pharmaceutical preparations or drugs. But nutritional supplements fall under the category of natural substances, which cannot be prohibited. Without the big money to be made, these companies will not spend what‟s necessary to determine a natural substance‟s effectiveness. That means that it‟s up to “we the consumers” to determine a product‟s effectiveness or benefits. Or we could rely on the uncontrolled research produced by many of the supplement manufacturers. Did we already mention unbiased research? Well, the fact of the matter is that there are many unscrupulous quacks who prey upon people‟s ignorance, desires and vanity to sell substandard and ineffective products. One rule of thumb…if it sounds too good to be true, it generally is not true. Products based on secret formulas or ones that promise quick and painless increments in performance are usually a farce. Even research that is on the up and up has to be viewed with extreme caution. Indeed, it can be argued that most of the research dealing with nutrition has been characterized by inadequate designs. In truth, rigorous controls have seldom been employed in this area of inquiry. Consequently, much of the research pertaining to the efficiency of a particular nutritional procedure has been contradictory. In all fairness though, research in this area is about as easy to do as going fifteen rounds with Mike Tyson. There are so many variables that have to be controlled that it is nearly impossible to construct an experimental design that doesn‟t contain some major methodological inelegance. But as most researchers are quick to point out, even research with considerable methodological weakness is better than no research at all and it is certainly better than most people‟s opinion. You get no argument from us there, especially after considering some of the opinions we‟ve heard on nutrition. Still, at the present time there is no way to determine an individual‟s precise nutritional needs for optimum health and performance. On the bright side, there is a prolific amount of research being conducted to develop an inexpensive set of physiological and biochemical tests that can be administered to people to determine their nutritional needs for optimum efficiency and performance. Once this is accomplished, it will be possible to design a diet and supplement program that would provide an individual with a biochemical environment best suited to his individual
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needs. Until that time or until more is understood about nutrition, people will have to rely on trial and error with the recommended daily allowance (RDA) as a guide and what nutritionist Roger Williams calls “body intelligence” awareness of how the body reacts to what it is fed. If it‟s any help, we‟ve found that if it tastes good, it‟s bad, and if it tastes bad, it‟s good. How‟s that for precise research? Here‟s something else you might be interested in knowing. Most serious fitness enthusiast and athletes consume approximately 60 to 75% carbohydrates, 15 to 25% protein and 5 to 10% fat. This differs considerably from the 40 to 55% carbohydrates, 10 to 15% protein and 35 to 45% fat that the average American consumes. Of course, have you ever really looked at the average American…Gumby looks better? Anywho, until they find a way to ascertain your precise nutritional need, here‟s a few tips to hold you over. First of all, most experts in the field of nutrition recommend Nathan Pritikin‟s diet plan, which is basically a high fiber, low fat diet. In addition to alleviating fat from your diet, Pritikin suggests that you eliminate salts, stimulants, sugar, flour, hydrogenated fats, hot spices, alcohol, charcoal-broiled foods and foods containing additives or preservatives and a partridge in a pear tree. Don‟t panic! It sounds like everything but it really isn‟t. On the other hand, try to increase the consumption of fresh fruit, vegetables and whole-grain cereals. A multi-vitamin supplement might also be taken when inappropriate amounts of calcium and iron are not taken as determined by your age and sex. Remember, you are what you eat. Ask yourself, “Do I want to be a Twinkie?” Food supplements are yet another gray area that you‟ll have to deal with if you get serious about fitness. Page through any health or fitness magazine and you‟ll find tons of ads for food supplements. The way it works is simple. The ads promise you super human gains if you use the product. You send them your hard earned money and in turn they send you a food supplement that generally works as well as a placebo. Hell, most of the time they are placebos. They go right from your mouth to your tummy and then to the tidy bowl man. In reality, research has revealed that as many as 8 out of 10 nutritional supplements don‟t contain what the manufacturers claim, much less do what their advertisements boast. In actual fact, some supplements don‟t contain any of the ingredients that are listed on their label! Many others contain only 10% of what they are supposed to contain. According to W. N. Phillips, a sports medicine researcher, the nutritional supplement industry is so rife with fraud and deceit it is unbelievable. Each year, thousands of individuals are throwing away millions of hard earned dollars on supplements that don‟t work. In general, research does not indicate that supplements are necessary when an individual eats nutritious and well-balanced meals. There now, we just saved you millions of dollars. Best yet, we are going to save you millions more and at the same time improve you health significant. However, there is a little catch here…you have to read the rest of the chapter. Hay, everything has a price.