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Are sports drinks superior to water? Can I still build muscle if I'm a vegetarian? How much protein do I need to build muscle? I know that I need to eat more fiber, but I don't like the way I look and feel when I get gassy. Do you have any suggestions? I've heard that timing when I eat around exercise is important. What are the most important things to do? I have been on a high protein, low carbohydrate diet, but my Mother keeps telling me that I need to eat more fruits and vegetables or I'll get sick. Is this really true? If you could tell me one magic thing to do with my diet to help with my training, what would it be? What do you think of creatine for strength trainers? I travel a lot and need to eat fast food. What is the best place to get healthy choices? How many calories and carbohydrate do I need to build muscle? Are sports drinks superior to water?In some cases — yes. For general types of exercise lasting less than one hour, water is still the best sports drink around. The nutrient you most need to replace during and after these types of workouts is water. Glucose-electrolyte solution drinks (also known as sports drinks) do have their place — mostly for high-intensity intermittent exercise, for exercise lasting more than 45 minutes, and especially for use by endurance and ultraendurance athletes. These products are a mixture of water, carbohydrate, and electrolytes. Electrolytes are dissolved minerals that form a salty soup in and around cells. They conduct electrical charges that let them react with other minerals to relay nerve impulses, make muscles contract or relax, and regulate the fluid balance inside and outside cells. In hard workouts or athletic competitions lasting 45 minutes or longer, electrolytes can be lost through sweat. Where glucose-electrolyte solutions may have an edge over water is in their flavor. A lot of people just don't drink much water because it doesn't taste good. When soldiers participating in a study at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine were given the choice of drinking plain chlorinated water, flavored water, or lemon-lime glucose-electrolyte solution drinks, most chose the glucose-electrolyte solutions or flavored water over plain water. One way to sneak more water in and still get the flavor is to dilute your glucose-electrolyte solution or use one of the new flavored waters such as Propel. If you're an avid water drinker and really like water, you'll benefit just as much from water as you will from using a glucose-electrolyte solution — unless you're exercising an hour or more. But if you don't like water, or tend to avoid it during exercise, try filtered water, which has an improved taste. Or try a glucose-electrolyte solution that contains less than 8 percent carbohydrate and some sodium. Another idea is to put some powdered sports drink mix into your water, although the powdered mixes don't taste as good as their pre-mixed counterparts. At the least, if a glucose-electrolyte solution encourages you to drink more, it has done its job. Can I still build muscle if I'm a vegetarian?Absolutely! Whether to include or exclude meat in your diet is a matter of personal choice. If you decide to go meatless, plan your diet carefully to avoid certain nutritional danger zones-namely iron, zinc, and B12 deficiencies. These deficiencies can hurt exercise performance. Here are some tips for avoiding deficiencies if you're a vegetarian strength trainer. Get Enough Protein in Your Diet Make sure to get in the 1.6 grams of high-quality protein per kilogram of body weight (0.73 grams per pound) required daily to support muscle growth. You can do this by including plenty of low-fat dairy products and protein-rich plant sources, like soy, in your diet. If you are a pure vegan , increase your protein intake to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (0.91 grams per pound) a day. Include Some Heme Iron Sources in your Diet All types of animal protein contain the more easily absorbed form of iron, heme iron. If you're a semi-vegetarian-that is, still eating fish or chicken but no red meat-you're in luck. Chicken and fish contain heme iron. Watch the Meat-Fish-Poultry Factor Meat, fish, and poultry (MFP) also contain a special quality called the MFP factor that helps your body absorb more nonheme iron. When meat and vegetables are eaten together at the same meal, more nonheme iron is absorbed from the vegetables than if the vegetables had been eaten alone. If you're a semi-vegetarian, your body will absorb extra iron from vegetables. Include Vitamin C Sources Fruits, vegetables, and other foods that contain vitamin C help the body absorb nonheme iron. For example, if you eat citrus fruits with an iron-fortified cereal, your body will absorb more iron from the cereal than if it had been eaten alone. Guard Against a B12 Deficiency Vitamin B12 is one of the most significant nutrients typically missing from the diets of vegans. That's because vitamin B12 is available only from animal products. Fortunately, the body needs only tiny daily amounts of the vitamin. T he DRI is 2.4 micrograms for adults. Vegans should eat B12-fortified foods and take supplements to ensure a healthy diet. Watch Iron and Zinc Blockers Some foods contain phytates, oxalates, or other substances that block the absorption of iron and zinc in the intestine. Coffee and tea (regular and decaf), whole grains, bran, legumes, and spinach are a few examples of foods containing blockers. These foods are best eaten with heme iron sources or fitamin C sources to help your body absorb more iron and zinc. Consider Iron and Zinc Supplements Our bodies don't absorb the iron that comes from vegetables as easily as the iron that comes from animal foods. Nonmeat eaters, especially active people or menstruating women, must pay attention to their dietary iron needs. Animal flesh is the major source of zinc in our diets. So all styles of vegetarian eaters may be at greater risk of having marginally low intakes of this mineral. Although dietary supplements are not good replacements for food, it may be a good idea to supplement if iron and zinc are in short supply in your diet. Daily supplementation of iron and zinc at the level of 100 percent of the DRI is good insurance against harmful deficiencies. How much protein do I need to build muscle?With increases in training intensity, you need additional protein to support muscle growth and increases in certain blood compounds. On the basis of the latest research with strength trainers, I recommend that you eat 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (0.73 grams per pound) a day. Here's how you would figure that requirement if you weigh 150 pounds or 68 kilograms: 1.6 g protein x 68 = 109 g of protein a day 0.73 g protein x 150 = 109 g of protein a day If you engage in regular aerobic exercise, consume 1.8 g of protein per kg (0.82 g/lb) of body weight daily. Strength trainers living in high altitudes need even more protein: 2.2 g per kg (1.0 g/lb) of body weight daily. And, vegan vegetarians should take in 2.0 g of protein per kg (0.91 g/lb) of body weight a day to make sure their diets are providing all the amino acids their bodies require. Are you a brand new strength trainer? If so, you may need to eat more than a veteran strength trainer typically consumes — as much as 40 percent more. I know that I need to eat more fiber, but I don't like the way I look and feel when I get gassy. Do you have any suggestions?I recommend that the majority of the starchy foods in your diet be whole grains. First, they are higher in fiber. Second, unlike refined foods, whole grains are less likely to cause insulin resistance — a condition in which elevated blood sugar circulates in the blood because body cells respond abnormally to the action of the hormone, insulin. High intakes of refined foods can lead to insulin resistance. Many of my clients have voiced the same concerns about a high fiber diet. Use the list below as a great resource for high fiber foods that are low on the gas-producing end. Recommended High-Fiber Foods For Strength Trainers
I've heard that timing when I eat around exercise is important. What are the most important things to do?To achieve superb shape and maximum performance, forgo the usual "three squares a day" approach to meals. Active people must fuel themselves throughout the day. That means frequent small meals and snacks every two to three hours. There are numerous research-confirmed benefits to doing so. For example, eating multiple meals (four or more a day) increases "thermogenesis," the production of heat by the body as it digests and absorbs food. During thermogenesis, metabolism steps up, and your body processes nutrients more efficiently. Increased meal frequency also stimulates fat burning, improves the body's use of protein, preserves lean muscle, and reduces appetite. Another advantage of multiple meals is mental performance. Regular, timed meals help you think and process information more effectively, increase your attention span, and boost your mood. So — the question is: What should you eat and when? The key is to time your meals around your workout schedule. In a nutshell, exercise and food intake work in concert to build lean muscle. The table below provides a step-by-step look at how to time your meals properly and the benefits of doing so. The supplements listed in the table are discussed in detail in my book, POWER EATING®. Throughout the Day
Before Exercise
During Exercise
After Exercise
From POWER EATING®, 2nd Edition, 2001 I have been on a high protein, low carbohydrate diet, but my Mother keeps telling me that I need to eat more fruits and vegetables or I'll get sick. Is this really true?Along with the vitamins, minerals, and fibers that are found in abundance primarily in fruits and vegetables and in small amounts in other foods, two other new types of chemicals have been identified that are absolutely essential for your health, and are pretty good reasons to keep plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
There are lots of reasons why we should be piling more fruits and vegetables on our plates. First, plant foods provide significant protection against many cancers. In fact, people who eat greater amounts of fruits and vegetables have about one-half the risk of getting cancer and less risk of dying of cancer. So I guess that your Mom is right. Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. You will not only stay healthier, but you will train harder and get better results, too! If you could tell me one magic thing to do with my diet to help with my training, what would it be?Drink this magic formula after your hard workouts: **Kleiner's Muscle Formula PLUS** 2 packets INTACT colostrum OR 24 g whey protein 1 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries 1 medium banana 1 cup nonfat vanilla soy milk fortified with calcium, vitamins A & D 1 cup orange juice fortified with calcium and vitamin C Blend for 60 seconds until smooth. One serving contains: Nutrients: 512 calories, 90 grams carbohydrate, 30 grams protein, 4 grams fat, 8 grams dietary fiber Food Group Servings: 4 fruit servings, 1 other carbohydrate serving, 1 nonfat milk serving, 3 very lean meat serving, 1 fat serving What do you think of creatine for strength trainers?Quite probably, creatine is the most important natural fuel-enhancing supplement yet to be discovered for strength trainers. Unlike a lot of supplements, creatine has been extensively researched. Exciting experiments show that creatine produces significant improvement in sports that require high levels of strength and power, including strength training, rowing, and cycling sprints. Another big plus for creatine: Several creatine supplementation studies have shown gains in body mass averaging 2 to 4 pounds. It was once thought that this increase was mostly water weight gain. But now we're seeing that a significant amount of the gain is pure muscle, and only a small portion is water. How It Works You "load" creatine into your muscles, just like endurance athletes do with carbs. Consequently, you can push harder and longer in your workouts because creatine boosts the pace of energy production in your muscle cells. Creatine supplementation doesn't build muscle directly. But it does have an indirect effect: You can work out more intensely, and this translates into muscle gains. How Much? Creatine usually comes in a powdered form as creatine monohydrate. Scientific research shows taking four 5-gram doses a day (that's about a teaspoon) will do the trick. From there, two grams a day — about half a teaspoon — will keep your muscles saturated with enough extra creatine. The logic that if a small dose is good, a large dose is better isn't a good idea. The body has a ceiling on the amount of creatine that it will store in the muscles. If you keep taking more, creatine will not continue to load in the muscles. While loading with creatine, make sure to drink extra water. This may control any cramping that may occur. And you're asking for trouble if you belt down daily dosages of 40 grams or more. Such high doses may cause possible liver and kidney damage, according to some reports. Before trying any supplement, you should make sure that your diet, your training, and your rest is the best that they can be. No supplement can replace food, training, or rest. I also don't recommend creatine for adolescents. With the benefit of growth on your side, the use of creatine should be unnecessary. Check with your physician before supplementing with creatine. I travel a lot and need to eat fast food. What is the best place to get healthy choices?My favorite really is Subway. They have done a great job offering healthy choices. The subs are better choices than the salads because the bread balances out the meal with a good slug of energy-packed carbohydrates. Here is the chart that I give to the athletes that I work with, so that they can grab a quick sub and run: Subway Restaurant Almost all selections at Subway restaurants are good choices EXCEPT the following high fat foods: 6-inch Cold Subs Classic Italian BMT: 450 Calories, 42% of Fat Salads Seafood & Crab: 157 Calories, 40% of Fat Steak & Cheese: 182 Calories, 40% of Fat Cold Cut Trio: 193 Calories, 56% of Fat Tuna: 198 Calories, 55% of Fat Meatball: 232 Calories, 50% of Fat Classic Italian BMT: 269 Calories, 64% of Fat Super Subs Classic Italian BMT: 668 Calories, 53% of Fat Cold Cut Trio: 517 Calories, 42% of Fat How many calories and carbohydrate do I need to build muscle?Building muscle requires tremendous energy; energy to do the muscle-building exercise, plus the energy to build the tissue itself. In a 1990 study, researchers determined that the energy requirement for trained strength-trainers to maintain their muscle mass was 44 kilocalories per kilogram body weight (20 kcals/lb.). Further research has shown that to build muscle and maintain cardiovascular fitness, serious athletes need at least 52 kcals/kg (23.6 kcals/lb.) or more. Getting in enough calories is important, but so is getting in the right kind of calories. The predominant energy source for muscle-building exercise is carbohydrate. The harder and longer your workout, the more glycogen your muscles require. Once your muscles are depleted of glycogen, your workout is over. The bottom line is that with 500-600 grams of carbohydrate a day, your muscles will stay packed with enough glycogen to power both strength and cardiovascular training. To personalize carbohydrate needs, base your intake on a figure of 7-8 grams of carbohydrate per kg body weight (3.2-3.6g/lb.). |
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