In the coming weeks the entire gym space will change. In will stride a brigade of newbies who have vowed to make a difference in 2011 by signing up for a gym membership. If you’re one of these newbies, good on you for taking the plunge. Wearing new gym ‘Skins’ and clutching a BPA free water bottle, can make you feel prepared on the outside. But are you prepared for the nutrition advice you may find inside? To help you kick off the New Year, let’s sort through the low down on carb confusion.
About our expert:
The real Lisa Simpson is a Sports Nutritionist, Dietetics Masters Student, school teacher, gym instructor, cyclist, runner & video blogger. Lisa has been working as a primary school teacher for the last ten years and as a group fitness instructor in RPM, Body Attack, Body Pump and Pilates (Cert 3, Group Fitness). She leads an active life and is a competitive road cyclist, just take a look at her tweets.
I‘ve been working in the fitness industry for almost a decade and in that time I’ve seen and heard some crazy things. I’ve helped train the full gamut of gym participants; from body sculptors to grandfathers. As a nutritionist I’ve had to educate many so that they understand that what goes on inside the gym is a small fraction of the whole body equation. What goes inside the mouth is often the defining factor in whether or not my gym participants achieve (and more importantly, ‘maintain’) their dream body long term, not just for a wedding or summer vacation. You need to understand that long term results take time and perseverance, and that there isn’t a miracle protein shake that will sculpt their muscles or a pill that will melt unwanted fat away.
Carb concerns
The number one topic of debate I hear amongst gym goers is that of carbohydrates. It seems everyone has an opinion about how much or how little needs to be consumed to maintain optimal nutrition. Discussions about carbs being fattening is not uncommon and regularly I hear trainers suggest clients ‘drop carbs to drop weight’. It is true that a diet which omits or severely limits carbs will certainly trigger an initial weight loss. This is attributed to a loss of glycogen in the muscles, a drop in the body’s normal water content and unfortunately, a loss of some lean muscle tissue. This initial weight loss leads to a feeling of success and people naturally feel as though they are onto a good thing; that cutting carbs is the secret to weight loss. However, the body is clever at adapting and balancing things out and before you know it, the lost weight usually returns and is often accompanied by a few extra kilos.
Carbohydrates are critical when it comes to training and sports performance. It is the preferred source of energy for the muscle cells and for those wanting to increase muscle bulk, it’s the carbohydrates that promote protein retention and synthesis. A lack of sufficient carbohydrates makes exercise more difficult, this is because the muscle glycogen is depleted. By cutting carbs you are more likely to tire faster, your endurance will decrease and you are less likely to engage in regular, daily physical activity. It’s often people who follow low carb trends that fail to return to the gym after a few months of yo-yoing success, because they feel extreme fatigue.
For optimal nutrition it’s important that glucose provided from carbohydrates remains at a steady level throughout the day to avoid overloading the system, and that nutritious carbohydrates are consumed after exercise to aid recovery. Most of us are not elite athletes and certainly don’t need to ‘carbo-load’ for a Body Attack class, or skip breakfast to burn stored fat. Low GI carbohydrates in portion controlled quantities will help the system remain steady over the course of the day and help reduce feelings of fatigue experienced when accompanied with an exercise regime. Within half an hour after exercise however, a more moderate to high GI carbohydrate source is beneficial for restoring glycogen stores. Let’s take a look at a realistic day for a recreational athlete or gym participant that will support both training sessions and recovery.
What to do?
If you’re anything like me, a 5am wake up for an early morning training session is never easy and the thought of eating breakfast that early is enough to make most a little queasy. If you can identify with this, try half a banana or some diluted fruit juice (1 part juice, 3 parts water) to give you a little kick start. After training it’s important to replenish fluids and glycogen stores. Carbohydrate consumption within the first half hour after a cardio work out is crucial; the other half of your banana or a few dried apricots can be eaten as you walk to your car. If you’ve been doing weight training protein intake is also important, a glass of skim milk is sufficient for most, don’t waste your money on expensive ‘protein shakes’. That half hour window is when the body requires instant uptake to support muscle recovery and to replenish glycogen stores so lethargy and fatigue are kept to a minimum the next time you train.
Over the course of the day eat balanced meals that sit nicely within the ‘Plate Model’. Fill half your plate with fresh fruit or vegetables, less than quarter with low GI carbohydrates, and less than quarter with lean, quality protein. The other small portion of the plate is a dash of healthy fats. At breakfast this may be a big bowl of fresh fruit, a dollop of natural yoghurt and a sprinkling of mixed seeds and nuts. Lunch may be whole wheat pita bread packed with fresh salad vegetables, lean chicken and a spread of avocado. Dinner may be a large vegetable stir fry with thinly sliced kangaroo or prawns, with a 1/3 cup of basmati rice or buckwheat noodles. Reasonable snacks to be consumed around gym sessions include a small piece of fruit, a handful of raw nuts or dried fruit, or my favourite, a banana smoothie made with skim/soy milk, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a teaspoon of LSA. The smoothie will certainly fill you up until your next meal and help resist the urge to binge on a packet of biscuits.
Editor’s comment:
Despite what you may hear amongst gym goers and personal trainers, severely cutting carbs is not a long term or sustainable solution to weight loss, general health or to support regular physical activity. A training schedule requires the consumption of controlled portions of nutritious carbohydrate containing foods within a healthy framework. A new year is a great opportunity to start thinking about fuelling your body to move your body… for life. See a Registered or Accredited Practising Dietitian for expert advice. Love to hear your comments on what works in workouts for you?
