Double Jab
02-12-2010, 07:18 PM
Crash Course in Athletic Nutrition for Noobs
*DISCLAIMER*
I am writing this just for myself, I have a tendency to remember things more clearly when I write them out. Also, I have the potential of being wrong, I am still learning myself, so if you see something you do not agree with, please by all means call me out on it. I’d rather be wrong here and now that be considered a jackass for doing something useless the next few years. I’m sharing this just in case anyone else was interested.
*END DISCLAIMER*
1. What you eat, protein, carbs, and fat.
2. How your body uses these things
3. How much your body needs
4. Where to get it.
5. Summary of what you want to do.
1. WHAT YOU EAT, PROTEIN, CARBS, AND FAT.
Proteins: A combination of something called amino acids. There are roughly 9 essential (you must eat them to get them) amino acids and roughly 12 non-essential (your body can produce them) amino acids. Once the amino acids bind, they can become protein, which is then used to repair damaged muscle tissue. Exercise, damages muscle tissue. This is why the basic theory behind working out, then eating protein, is beneficial, because once exercise is completed, the body heals the muscle a little bit stronger, so the same damage is less likely to happen. This is how gains are, well, gained.
Carbs: There are basically two kinds of carbs, simple and complex. Simple carbs are digested and glucose (what is used for energy) is sent into the bloodstream in great amounts. This is good after workout’s, because your muscles have used up a lot of their energy, and need to be replenished. The down side is, if your body does not need the extra glucose in the blood stream, it makes insulin to inhibit the glucose, which makes it more difficult to get around the body. (This is why you have a quick jolt of energy, followed by feeling like crap when you eat something like a twinkie or white bread).
A complex carb has to be broken down before it can be used as energy, and it cannot be absorbed as fast, which makes the energy flux much less noticeable, as well as giving the body time to clear the glucose out if it isn’t needed, so the body doesn’t make nearly as much insulin.
Fats: Trans fat, Saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and polyunsaturated fat. Here is what they basically do. Trans fats are no good, it is in fried products, just try to limit it as much as you possibly can, it doesn’t matter. Saturated fat increases cholesterol deposits in vein walls (bad, LDL). Monounsat fat doesn’t effect the deposits of cholesterol in vein walls (neutral). Polyunsat fat still delivers cholesterol, but not only that, it removes cholesterol in the vein walls and recycles it (good, HDL).
Now, why is cholesterol important. It is used to regulate hormones, used to make cell membranes, and basically all kinds of good things, that isn’t the point. When cholesterol is distributed into the blood stream by LDL, it can give it too much cholesterol, and if the cholesterol isn’t used, it is stored on the vein walls, which later in life can lead to clots, which can break and enter a vein that it cannot fit through, blocking it, places like the heart (heart attack) or the brain (stroke). HDL, on the other hand, still spreads cholesterol through the body, but if there is too much, it will take it off the walls and recycle it, clearing up potential clots. Why is this important? The less clotting in the blood, the better the blood flow, which increases oxygen efficiency, which in turn…helps cardio. LDL bad, HDL good.
2. HOW YOUR BODY USES THESE THINGS
Carbs are broken down into glucose, which in turn becomes glycogen. Glycogen is stored in the muscles, and then when needed, it is broken down and used. Best part, this system doesn’t need oxygen. (anaerobic, like lifting and sprinting.) But it does run out after a while, and this is muscle fatigue, and muscle fatigue causes damage, and after the workout, protein is used to repair that damage, and rebuild the muscle a little stronger to adapt to the situation. Protein is crummy at producing energy, so forget about that. Fat on the other hand, is decent, as long as oxygen is available. Fat is broken down into a substance which can be used to produce energy (specifically ATP). Problem is, this process requires oxygen, and it removes unneeded parts of the broken down fat into the kidneys and out when you pee. This is why heavy long distance cardio people, pee and poo more often then people who are more couch potatoish.
3. HOW MUCH YOUR BODY NEEDS
The most basic calculation of how many calories you need a day to stay at the same weight, is your weight in lbs x 10, then multiply that by anywhere from 1.1 to 1.5, depending on your daily routine. 1.1 is a desk job, basically sitting all day. 1.2 is standing with some movement, most customer service jobs, gardening. 1.3 is walking and light load carrying, golf without a cart, carrying your own clubs. 1.4 is carpentry, lifting heavy objects throughout the day, football, tennis, basketball. 1.5 is professional athlete, who basically trains for 8 hours a day.
Now, lets use me as an example. I am 188 right now, and im a 1.2. 1880 x 1.2 = 2256 calories. I want to lose about one lb of weight a week, to get down to 165. 3500 calories in a lb of fat, 7 days a week, so I remove 500 calories a day to get roughly 1750, and for the last 2 months, I have been losing a lb a day. (and looking sexy the whole time). The safe fat loss is 1 to 1 ½ lbs of fat a week, so don’t restrict yourself too much if you are trying to lose.
Next is the percentage. Some people do 50% carbs, 25% fat 25% protein, or 60/20/20. My personal favorite, which I have been using, is 40/30/30. So, 40% of 1750 = 700 calories from carbs. And 30% = 525 in protein and fat. Lastly, carbs are 4 calories, protein is 4, and fat is 9, so take all those numbers, and divide them with the number of calories, and now you know what to eat.
For me, 175 g carbs, 131 g protein, 58 g fat.
Make sense? Lets move on.
4. WHERE TO GET IT
Here are the things I eat, mono and poly unsat fats, both types of carbs, and protein in the form of eggs, animal meats, and whey isolate protein powder.
Mono fats : http://www.nutritiondata.com/foods-000032000000000000000.html
Poly fats : http://www.nutritiondata.com/foods-000047000000000000000-5.html
Simple carbs: http://www.weightlossforall.com/simple-carbs.htm
Complex carbs: http://www.weightlossforall.com/complex-carbs.htm
Protein: http://www.weightlossforall.com/protein_content_from_good_source.htm
5. SUMMARY OF WHAT YOU WANT TO DO
Step one, find out how much your normal metabolic rate is with the formula in 3. Find out how much you want to remove or add a day, and then, use the division to split it into carbs, fat, and protein.
Once you have done that, find your favorite foods, and try different ones, and do your best not to go over those amounts.
And don’t forget, each person is different. Try different times to eat the food (like either fats or carbs in the morning, or both in the morning, to see which makes you feel the best) as well as what percents you want to use, the only rule, protein and fat have to be the same percentage.
That is the gist of it. Let me know if you have any questions, or if something I said is completely wrong.
*DISCLAIMER*
I am writing this just for myself, I have a tendency to remember things more clearly when I write them out. Also, I have the potential of being wrong, I am still learning myself, so if you see something you do not agree with, please by all means call me out on it. I’d rather be wrong here and now that be considered a jackass for doing something useless the next few years. I’m sharing this just in case anyone else was interested.
*END DISCLAIMER*
1. What you eat, protein, carbs, and fat.
2. How your body uses these things
3. How much your body needs
4. Where to get it.
5. Summary of what you want to do.
1. WHAT YOU EAT, PROTEIN, CARBS, AND FAT.
Proteins: A combination of something called amino acids. There are roughly 9 essential (you must eat them to get them) amino acids and roughly 12 non-essential (your body can produce them) amino acids. Once the amino acids bind, they can become protein, which is then used to repair damaged muscle tissue. Exercise, damages muscle tissue. This is why the basic theory behind working out, then eating protein, is beneficial, because once exercise is completed, the body heals the muscle a little bit stronger, so the same damage is less likely to happen. This is how gains are, well, gained.
Carbs: There are basically two kinds of carbs, simple and complex. Simple carbs are digested and glucose (what is used for energy) is sent into the bloodstream in great amounts. This is good after workout’s, because your muscles have used up a lot of their energy, and need to be replenished. The down side is, if your body does not need the extra glucose in the blood stream, it makes insulin to inhibit the glucose, which makes it more difficult to get around the body. (This is why you have a quick jolt of energy, followed by feeling like crap when you eat something like a twinkie or white bread).
A complex carb has to be broken down before it can be used as energy, and it cannot be absorbed as fast, which makes the energy flux much less noticeable, as well as giving the body time to clear the glucose out if it isn’t needed, so the body doesn’t make nearly as much insulin.
Fats: Trans fat, Saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and polyunsaturated fat. Here is what they basically do. Trans fats are no good, it is in fried products, just try to limit it as much as you possibly can, it doesn’t matter. Saturated fat increases cholesterol deposits in vein walls (bad, LDL). Monounsat fat doesn’t effect the deposits of cholesterol in vein walls (neutral). Polyunsat fat still delivers cholesterol, but not only that, it removes cholesterol in the vein walls and recycles it (good, HDL).
Now, why is cholesterol important. It is used to regulate hormones, used to make cell membranes, and basically all kinds of good things, that isn’t the point. When cholesterol is distributed into the blood stream by LDL, it can give it too much cholesterol, and if the cholesterol isn’t used, it is stored on the vein walls, which later in life can lead to clots, which can break and enter a vein that it cannot fit through, blocking it, places like the heart (heart attack) or the brain (stroke). HDL, on the other hand, still spreads cholesterol through the body, but if there is too much, it will take it off the walls and recycle it, clearing up potential clots. Why is this important? The less clotting in the blood, the better the blood flow, which increases oxygen efficiency, which in turn…helps cardio. LDL bad, HDL good.
2. HOW YOUR BODY USES THESE THINGS
Carbs are broken down into glucose, which in turn becomes glycogen. Glycogen is stored in the muscles, and then when needed, it is broken down and used. Best part, this system doesn’t need oxygen. (anaerobic, like lifting and sprinting.) But it does run out after a while, and this is muscle fatigue, and muscle fatigue causes damage, and after the workout, protein is used to repair that damage, and rebuild the muscle a little stronger to adapt to the situation. Protein is crummy at producing energy, so forget about that. Fat on the other hand, is decent, as long as oxygen is available. Fat is broken down into a substance which can be used to produce energy (specifically ATP). Problem is, this process requires oxygen, and it removes unneeded parts of the broken down fat into the kidneys and out when you pee. This is why heavy long distance cardio people, pee and poo more often then people who are more couch potatoish.
3. HOW MUCH YOUR BODY NEEDS
The most basic calculation of how many calories you need a day to stay at the same weight, is your weight in lbs x 10, then multiply that by anywhere from 1.1 to 1.5, depending on your daily routine. 1.1 is a desk job, basically sitting all day. 1.2 is standing with some movement, most customer service jobs, gardening. 1.3 is walking and light load carrying, golf without a cart, carrying your own clubs. 1.4 is carpentry, lifting heavy objects throughout the day, football, tennis, basketball. 1.5 is professional athlete, who basically trains for 8 hours a day.
Now, lets use me as an example. I am 188 right now, and im a 1.2. 1880 x 1.2 = 2256 calories. I want to lose about one lb of weight a week, to get down to 165. 3500 calories in a lb of fat, 7 days a week, so I remove 500 calories a day to get roughly 1750, and for the last 2 months, I have been losing a lb a day. (and looking sexy the whole time). The safe fat loss is 1 to 1 ½ lbs of fat a week, so don’t restrict yourself too much if you are trying to lose.
Next is the percentage. Some people do 50% carbs, 25% fat 25% protein, or 60/20/20. My personal favorite, which I have been using, is 40/30/30. So, 40% of 1750 = 700 calories from carbs. And 30% = 525 in protein and fat. Lastly, carbs are 4 calories, protein is 4, and fat is 9, so take all those numbers, and divide them with the number of calories, and now you know what to eat.
For me, 175 g carbs, 131 g protein, 58 g fat.
Make sense? Lets move on.
4. WHERE TO GET IT
Here are the things I eat, mono and poly unsat fats, both types of carbs, and protein in the form of eggs, animal meats, and whey isolate protein powder.
Mono fats : http://www.nutritiondata.com/foods-000032000000000000000.html
Poly fats : http://www.nutritiondata.com/foods-000047000000000000000-5.html
Simple carbs: http://www.weightlossforall.com/simple-carbs.htm
Complex carbs: http://www.weightlossforall.com/complex-carbs.htm
Protein: http://www.weightlossforall.com/protein_content_from_good_source.htm
5. SUMMARY OF WHAT YOU WANT TO DO
Step one, find out how much your normal metabolic rate is with the formula in 3. Find out how much you want to remove or add a day, and then, use the division to split it into carbs, fat, and protein.
Once you have done that, find your favorite foods, and try different ones, and do your best not to go over those amounts.
And don’t forget, each person is different. Try different times to eat the food (like either fats or carbs in the morning, or both in the morning, to see which makes you feel the best) as well as what percents you want to use, the only rule, protein and fat have to be the same percentage.
That is the gist of it. Let me know if you have any questions, or if something I said is completely wrong.