Desibaba
New Member
Diets
Many people want something for nothing. This attitude also applies to those wishing to lose body fat, gain muscle, and improve their physical fitness or sports performance. There is no miracle means to good nutritional practices. With thousands of foods to choose from, you can easily see how many diets can exist using different food combinations and dieting angles. However, upon close examination, many of these trendy diets may be deficient in important macro- and -micronutrients. Most of these diets do not provide adequate nutrition and therefore are not meant for individuals who are on a fitness or athletic training program. Fad weight-loss diets can be too low in protein or carbohydrates, and some of them are too high in fat. They can also leave the dieter in a poor state of health, with a damaged metabolism. Typically, the weight lost from fad dieting consists of water weight, fat, and muscle mass. This loss of muscle mass is where the problem exists, because it reduces the body's ability to burn calories. When the fad dieter has lost weight, their body has a lower capacity to burn calories. As most dieters soon return to their old eating habits, they tend to gain more weight as body fat and can end up having a higher percentage of body fat, even if they do not return to their previous high weight.
Carbohydrate-Restricted Diets
Fad diets almost always severely cut carbohydrate foods from their lists of recommended consumption. Not only does this sap your energy, it can also harm athletic performance. The fact is, you need carbohydrates for your brain, heart, and muscles, among other vital organs. The main fuel of the brain and central nervous system is glucose, which is most easily obtained from carbohydrates. If carbohydrates remain unavailable for several days the body attempts to conserve essential protein by producing an alternative fuel source known as ketones, made from the partial burning of fatty acids. As the breakdown continues, these ketones build in the blood causing an abnormal condition called ketosis. Initial weight loss is NOT fat but water, as the kidneys attempt to rid the body of excess ketones. Ketogenic diets make the blood more acidic, upsetting the body's chemical balance and causing potentially serious and unpleasant side effects like headaches, bad breath, dizziness, fatigue, and nausea. In addition, fat can only be metabolized via Krebs cycle oxidation. It is essential to recognize that a reduction in Krebs cycle intermediates due to low- or no-carbohydrate diets will result in a diminished rate of ATP production from fat metabolism. When carbohydrate stores are depleted in the body, the rate at which fat is metabolized is reduced. Carbohydrates are therefore essential in the ability to metabolize fat. It is only the free fatty acids that are metabolized via the Krebs cycle that are used in ATP production, that go toward reducing body fat levels during exercise.
It is true that a large volume of weight will be lost as glycogen (stored carbohydrate) depletes in the muscles and liver, but this weight is from water loss. This will not help body composition or overall health. It is also true that the body will rely more on free fatty acids for fuel when muscle glycogen is depleted, but the body will rely much more on amino acids (protein) supplied from the breakdown of lean tissue. So while you may burn fat, you will also burn more muscle. In addition to this, individuals on a carbohydrate-restricted diet have lower energy levels and experience shorter time to fatigue during exercise. This means that workouts will likely be shorter and lower in intensity.
Protein-Restricted Diets
Diets that drastically cut protein are another culprit in unhealthy eating. Active athletes and fitness enthusiast, you are simply asking for trouble. Muscle soreness, general fatigue and overall weakness accompany low protein consumption.
Although your body appears to be unchanging, it is always in a constant state of flux. Body protein is constantly being turned over as old cells die and new cells replace them. Science has proven that 98% of the atoms in your body are replaced within one year. In three months, your body produces an entirely new skeleton. Every six weeks, all the cells have been replaced in your liver. You have a new stomach lining every five days. Every month you produce an entirely new skin as dead cells are shed and new cells grow underneath. The proteins in your muscles are continually turned over as muscle is broken down and new tissue is synthesized. Every cell in your body is constantly being recycled. Where do all these new cells come from? These new cells come from the protein you consume every day.
The fate of an amino acid after it is transported to the liver is highly dependent on the body's immediate needs. Some amino acids enter the bloodstream, where they join amino acids that have been liberated during the constant breakdown and synthesis of our body's tissues. Each cell, directed by its own DNA blueprint, draws from the common pool of available amino acids to synthesize all the numerous proteins required for its functions.
In order for protein synthesis to occur, an adequate supply of both essential and non-essential amino acids is vital. If one of the essential amino acids is missing, synthesis is halted. Any amino acids that are not used within a short time cannot be stored for future use. Restriction in protein intake will result in protein degradation and muscle breakdown (catabolism).
Many people want something for nothing. This attitude also applies to those wishing to lose body fat, gain muscle, and improve their physical fitness or sports performance. There is no miracle means to good nutritional practices. With thousands of foods to choose from, you can easily see how many diets can exist using different food combinations and dieting angles. However, upon close examination, many of these trendy diets may be deficient in important macro- and -micronutrients. Most of these diets do not provide adequate nutrition and therefore are not meant for individuals who are on a fitness or athletic training program. Fad weight-loss diets can be too low in protein or carbohydrates, and some of them are too high in fat. They can also leave the dieter in a poor state of health, with a damaged metabolism. Typically, the weight lost from fad dieting consists of water weight, fat, and muscle mass. This loss of muscle mass is where the problem exists, because it reduces the body's ability to burn calories. When the fad dieter has lost weight, their body has a lower capacity to burn calories. As most dieters soon return to their old eating habits, they tend to gain more weight as body fat and can end up having a higher percentage of body fat, even if they do not return to their previous high weight.
Carbohydrate-Restricted Diets
Fad diets almost always severely cut carbohydrate foods from their lists of recommended consumption. Not only does this sap your energy, it can also harm athletic performance. The fact is, you need carbohydrates for your brain, heart, and muscles, among other vital organs. The main fuel of the brain and central nervous system is glucose, which is most easily obtained from carbohydrates. If carbohydrates remain unavailable for several days the body attempts to conserve essential protein by producing an alternative fuel source known as ketones, made from the partial burning of fatty acids. As the breakdown continues, these ketones build in the blood causing an abnormal condition called ketosis. Initial weight loss is NOT fat but water, as the kidneys attempt to rid the body of excess ketones. Ketogenic diets make the blood more acidic, upsetting the body's chemical balance and causing potentially serious and unpleasant side effects like headaches, bad breath, dizziness, fatigue, and nausea. In addition, fat can only be metabolized via Krebs cycle oxidation. It is essential to recognize that a reduction in Krebs cycle intermediates due to low- or no-carbohydrate diets will result in a diminished rate of ATP production from fat metabolism. When carbohydrate stores are depleted in the body, the rate at which fat is metabolized is reduced. Carbohydrates are therefore essential in the ability to metabolize fat. It is only the free fatty acids that are metabolized via the Krebs cycle that are used in ATP production, that go toward reducing body fat levels during exercise.
It is true that a large volume of weight will be lost as glycogen (stored carbohydrate) depletes in the muscles and liver, but this weight is from water loss. This will not help body composition or overall health. It is also true that the body will rely more on free fatty acids for fuel when muscle glycogen is depleted, but the body will rely much more on amino acids (protein) supplied from the breakdown of lean tissue. So while you may burn fat, you will also burn more muscle. In addition to this, individuals on a carbohydrate-restricted diet have lower energy levels and experience shorter time to fatigue during exercise. This means that workouts will likely be shorter and lower in intensity.
Protein-Restricted Diets
Diets that drastically cut protein are another culprit in unhealthy eating. Active athletes and fitness enthusiast, you are simply asking for trouble. Muscle soreness, general fatigue and overall weakness accompany low protein consumption.
Although your body appears to be unchanging, it is always in a constant state of flux. Body protein is constantly being turned over as old cells die and new cells replace them. Science has proven that 98% of the atoms in your body are replaced within one year. In three months, your body produces an entirely new skeleton. Every six weeks, all the cells have been replaced in your liver. You have a new stomach lining every five days. Every month you produce an entirely new skin as dead cells are shed and new cells grow underneath. The proteins in your muscles are continually turned over as muscle is broken down and new tissue is synthesized. Every cell in your body is constantly being recycled. Where do all these new cells come from? These new cells come from the protein you consume every day.
The fate of an amino acid after it is transported to the liver is highly dependent on the body's immediate needs. Some amino acids enter the bloodstream, where they join amino acids that have been liberated during the constant breakdown and synthesis of our body's tissues. Each cell, directed by its own DNA blueprint, draws from the common pool of available amino acids to synthesize all the numerous proteins required for its functions.
In order for protein synthesis to occur, an adequate supply of both essential and non-essential amino acids is vital. If one of the essential amino acids is missing, synthesis is halted. Any amino acids that are not used within a short time cannot be stored for future use. Restriction in protein intake will result in protein degradation and muscle breakdown (catabolism).
