Papa Murphy's has a new low-carb pizza. Burger King has a low-carb hamburger. Applebee's has rolled out a new low-carb menu, as have dozens of other national restaurant chains. There are low-carb tortillas, breakfast cereals, breads, and just about anything else you'd care to eat! No doubt about it.....low-carb dieting is the biggest trend since deep-fryed turkeys!
But as we've discussed in the last few articles, low-carbing may not be right for everyone. While the evidence does support the claim that a reduction in carbohydrates will help you lose weight, conclusive evidence on the long-term impact of low-carbing remains elusive.
In this article we're going to take a look at some professional bodybuilders. With single-digit bodyfat and loads of muscle, bodybuilders are arguably among the most fit people on the planet. After all, professional bodybuilders are paid to exercise!
Jay Cutler, the IFFB 2002 and 2003 Arnold Classic Champion, includes brown rice in his diet when preparing for a contest. The sample menu shown on his website, jaycutler.com, states that Jay eats brown rice at least twice per day. With 32 grams of carbs per serving, brown rice certainly would not make the grade with some low-carb diets.
Garry Holmen, who among other things gives nutritional advice to bodybuilders, advises his clients to 'carb cycle' when preparing for a competition. Without going into a long explanation, carb cycling is simply reducing carbohydrate intake for 3 days and then replenishing carbohydrates stores on day 4. On carb depletion days, Garry recommends that bodybuilders still get 20% of their calories from carbohydrates.
Female competitor Debbie Patton (debbiepatton.com), on her FAQ page, says: "I eat a diet high in protein, with moderate carbs. Lots of chicken breasts, egg whites, tuna, protein shakes, brown rice and potatoes." Debbie is the November, 2002 NPC Mid States Muscle Classic 1st Place Women's Middleweight Overall Title & Best Abs Champion.
While there are literally hundreds of other examples of bodybuilding diets, these three are sufficient for our purposes: how do bodybuilders eat to get them so lean?
The consistent theme you'll find when examining the diets of all bodybuilders is that they do not ever completely eliminate carbs from their diet. That's because not all carbs are bad. On the contrary, some carbohydrate in your diet helps you maintain a balanced diet.
Although most bodybuilders do not completely eliminate carbs from their diet, it is important to note that they do restrict carbohydrate intake. Rarely, if ever, will you see a professional bodybuilder eating the 'garbage carbs' that are so popular today: french fries, cake, cookies, crackers, white bread, etc.
Bodybuilders are also very careful to get their carbohydrates from quality sources like brown rice, vegetables, and whole grains. So although they are not eliminating carbs altogether, they are eliminating 'garbage carbs'.
So what's the bottom line? Can we learn more about low-carbing from bodybuilders? After all, they're paid to be healthy! Most of them employ a personal doctor, trainer and nutrition expert!
Here are the low-carb lessons from professional bodybuilders: 1) Most people should not remove all carbs from their diet. 2) Get your carbs from high-quality sources. 3) Don't consume 'garbage carbs' which are those high in fat and/or have no other nutritional value. 4) If you do follow a restricted-carb diet, consider cycling in some moderate-carb days. 5) Talk with your doctor before starting a low-carb diet. 6) Don't forget to exercise!
Since so many people in the United States are currently in the middle of a "carb-frenzy", this series of articles has focused on the pros and cons of the low-carb diet. Topics of discussion have been 1) Can you stick with a low-carb diet for the long term, 2) Conflicting messages about carbs and 3) bodybuilders and low-carb dieting.
This article will define and describe carbohydrates and what role they play in the human body.
Carbohydrate - Chemical compound of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen, usually with the hydrogen and oxygen in the right proportions to form water. Common forms are starches, sugars, cellulose, and gums. Carbohydrates are more readily used for energy production than are fats and proteins. One of the three basic foodstuffs (proteins and fats are the others), carbohydrates are a group of chemical substances including sugars, glycogen, starches, dextrins, and cellulose. They comprise the body's main source of raw material for energy. Carbohydrates can be classified as either a simple carbohydrate or a complex carbohydrate.
Digested carbohydrate enters the circulatory system in the form of monosaccharides, primarily glucose. Lesser amounts of fructose and galactose are also absorbed, but these are eventually converted into glucose in the liver. Before they can be absorbed into the bloodstream, polysaccharides and disaccharides must be broken down into monosaccharides by specific enzymes during the digestive process.
When you comsume carbohydrates, your digestive system converts them to blood sugar (glucose). This glucose is stored in your muscle cells and in your liver. Your brain operates with the help of glucose in your blood as energy. When training is intense, glycogen stored within your muscles provides most of the energy for contractions. When training with low intensity, your blood-borne sugar acts as an energy source. A problem occurs when there is leftover glucose in your blood following a refill of carbohydrate stores. The remaining carbohydrates are stored as fat.
There are several types of carbohydrates, some better than others. Starch, sugar and dextrose are all types of carbohydrates. The three main types of carbohydrates are:
* Monosaccharides (one-sugar molecule)
* Disaccharides (two-sugar molecule)
* Polysaccharides (three or more sugar molecules)
Monosaccharides and disaccharides are commonly called sugars, while polysaccharides are called complex carbohydrates or glucose polymers. Some of the more commonly encountered carbohydrates in these three categories include the following:
* Polysaccharides: Starch, dextrin, cellulose and glycogen, all of which are made of chains of glucose. Found in whole grains, vegetables, nuts, some fruits and legumes. Fibers are mainly the indigestible complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides) that make up plant cell walls.
The Glycemic Index is a handy rating system that tells you what carbohydrates provide the best energy for prolonged training periods. By consuming a food with a low glycemic rating, you will experience a more stabilized blood sugar level.
Remember, carbohydrates are your body's preferred energy fuel source, although fats work well too., particularly during aerobic training. Remember that protein and carbohydrates both have 4 calories per gram, while fat has 9 calories per gram.
SOURCE: (International Sports Sciences Association; Frederick C. Hatfield, Ph.D.; 2001)
Tracie Johanson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Lose Weight and Nutrition. * Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women, focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit. Tracie Johanson's top article generates over 1500000 views. to your Favourites.