Exercise and Low Carb Diets Make Poor Partners
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.
A 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 losingmuscle 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.
About The Author
By Charles Remington
Nutritionist
Founder of THE FAT LOSS COACH
Customized Fat Loss System
1303 Highland Ave
Cheshire, Ct. 06410
203-272-0014
thefatlosscoach.com
[email protected]
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Reasons for Obesity
Causes of Obesity
Just like there is no weight loss pill or single “magic potion”diet plan to cure obesity there is no single cause of obesity.
We are living in an age of two income families, job loss,stress, and time constraints. It makes it difficult to prepareand eat healthy foods. The ad agencies, the big food companies,and the 35 Billion dollar diet plan and diet supplementindustries are taking full advantage of the American people’sneed for instant gratification.
What weight loss research has uncovered is that there is noquick fix for permanent weight loss. A person who is consideredobese must realize that no weight loss pill, no shake, no dietplan or reduced calorie bar, is going to make him or her slimovernight. Weight loss pills are unhealthy because they tend toinduce jitters in people, and the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) oftentimes does not verify their safety. Just a few yearsago, weight loss pills containing ephedra were removed from themarket because they were believed to cause heart problems inpeople.
What we struggle with as a nation is the idea that everythinghas to happen now; no, make that yesterday. If we cannot haveimmediate results, we don’t want to know about it. Unfortunately, weight loss research clearly shows that we cannotexpect to lose fat weight quickly; nor can we do so in a healthymanner. The only path to permanent weight loss is through acommitment to a healthier lifestyle that incorporates regularexercise and a nutritious diet.
Depending on how much weight you have to lose, you may need theguidance of your doctor to begin a new workout program forweight loss. If you merely have five or 10 pounds to drop, youcan begin to take some steps to lose that weight safely. First,take a good look at what you are putting in your mouth. Replaceprocessed foods with natural foods, and make sure to drink atleast 64 ounces of water each day, more if you exercise heavily.
Limit alcohol and caffeine, as both can dehydrate you quickly.
Permanent weight loss can only result from burning more calorieson a daily basis than you consume. One pound of fat equals about3500 calories. You need to burn off those excess calories orthey are stored as fat, it’s that simple.
Rapid weight loss from fad diets usually is made up of waterloss. Muscle contains four times as much water as fat. So rapidweight loss reduces lean muscle, causing the metabolism to slow,making the diet program eventually level out and stop.
Educate Yourself about Weight Loss, nutrition and the causes ofobesity.
The point of my book, Living to Be Younger, is to educate peopleon weight loss research. I wanted people to know the facts sothat they could make informed decisions regarding their ownhealth.
Only you can make the decision to live a healthy life by eatingwell, exercising regularly, managing stress, and getting enoughsleep. If you want to look and feel fabulous, you can. Justremember that you must put in the necessary work to reach yourhealth goals. I believe you can do it, and more than that, Ibelieve you deserve to live your best life. Why not go for it?
Martin Harshberger is a sucessful business consultant, and fitness advocate. He has done extensive research and testing of nutrition, diet and exercise programs. His interest was initiated by a personal health issue, and he was sucessful in losing over 50 pounds, lowering his stress and blood pressure, as well as increasing muscle mass all at age 57. This was after he failed at the so called expert programs.
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