Time to Debunk Bodybuilding Nutrition Myths
If you frequent the Nutrition forums here on a regular basis, you'll notice that
the same questions are asked day in and day out. Most of the time, these
questions are formed based on what I like to call bodybuilding voodoo nutrition.
There's a plethora of bodybuilding nutrition myths circulating this forum, and
it's time to debunk them. With this thread, hopefully we can eliminate the
repetitive questions here in the nutrition forum. Let's get started.
Fruit Avoidance
Questions regarding whether or not fruit is acceptable in a bodybuilding
nutrition regimen are the most common here in the nutrition forum. It's just a
myth that fruit will make one gain unwanted pounds of fat because of the high
amounts of sugar it contains. What makes one gain weight is excess calories, not
fruit. Simple. What many people don't know is that all fruits are calorically
sparse and rich in nutrients, vitamins, and fiber. Most fruits only contain 4-7g
of fructose per serving. The fructose in fruits keeps the liver in a "fed state"
which conclusively keeps the individual in an anti-catabolic state. Unlike other
food sources, fruits are rich in antioxidants and other phytonutrients that go a
long way in aiding in recovery from brutal, grueling, intense workouts. It would
take a HUGE QUANTITY of fruit to experience any negatives associated with
fructose. Bottom line: eat your fruit!
Carbohydrates At Night
If I had a dollar for everytime a member of the message boards asks "Will eating
carbs at night make me fat?", I'd be a rich man. The truth is, eating
carbohydrates at night is perfectly fine, but you must analyze a few factors
first. Calories are what determines whether one gains or loses weight. If one
exceeds their caloric matience level, more than likely, the individual will gain
weight. If one creates an energy deficit, preferably through cardiovascular
activity/restriction of calories/weight training sessions, the individual will
more than likely lose weight. Simple as that! It all depends on one's overall
calorie total that determines body composition, not the time carbohydrates were
eaten. Carbohydrates have many anti-catabolic properties and should not be
eliminated at any time of day. They can be very beneficial at night, bulking or
cutting, by pulling out all the theoretical stops related to anticatabolism. In
conclusion, carbohydrates should not be restricted at night in attempt of
preventing one's body of storing them as adipose tissue because the true factor
that determines weight gain is a calorie surplus.
Food Separation Techniques
Ah, the infamous food separation techniques of sticking solely to protein+fat
and protein+carbohydrate meals. How foolish is that? Separating out carbs from
fat fails to to prevent unwanted fat gain, although it would be pretty swell if
it did. If this was true, one could ingest as much fat as one wanted on a
ketogenic diet and not add an ounce of adipose tissue. And guess what? That
doesn't work either. Conclusively, the potent combo of protein+carbs is much
more anabolic than protein+fat alone. Again, it all comes down to calories in
vs. calories out that determines whether one gains or loses weight. The optimal
choice is to eat balanced meals consisting of protein, carbohydrate, and fat, as
food separation methods truly fail in offering prevention of fat storage and are
virtually silly to abide by.
Milk Avoidance
Milk and bodybuilding go hand and hand, right? Well there's a ton of myths out
there that claim milk makes individuals add and store fat. Before I go into
detail, I just want to say that whether or not you consume milk is your own
personal preference and you should continue avoiding milk if you're lactose
intolerant, bloat due to milk consumption, or have some other milk allergy. But
if you're a bodybuilder that has none of these characteristics and you avoid
milk due to the myths and speculation, listen up! The truth is, milk is great
for bodybuilding purposes. Milk contains cogent anti-catabolic properties,
insulinogenic properties that are ideal for the post workout period, a quality
amino acid profile, and a wide array of vitamins and minerals. It's also a cheap
protein source, and even makes your protein shakes taste 10 times better. Milk
is so anti-catabolic/anabolic that it has outperformed whey protein in human
research thus far! In conclusion, it all comes down to your personal
preferences. If you bloat when drinking milk or have a milk allergy, then by all
means, avoid it. But if you're simply avoiding this anti-catabolic substance
because of the misinformed media and foolish speculation, then you make want to
think twice about milk.
Whole Egg Avoidance
Another myth: refraining from ingesting the yolk portion of the egg. Many
bodybuilders opt for the egg white and ditch the egg yolk for whatever reason.
The truth is the egg yolks are the most nutrient-dense portion
of the egg. All of the egg's Vitamins A, D and E are in the yolk. Egg yolks
happen to be just one of the few foods that naturally contains Vitamin D. The
yolk portion also has more manganese, phosphorus, iodine, copper, calcium, zinc,
and iron than the egg white itself. Egg yolks should not be avoided because of
the high amounts of cholesterol either as high cholesterol levels are correlated
with diets high in Trans Fat and Saturated Fat, and genetics play a big role in
cholesterol levels. Egg yolks are also anti-catabolic because of the Arachidonic
Acid found in them. Overall, there really isn't a reason to avoid whole eggs.
The Glycemic Index
Many bodybuilders follow the gylcemic index (GI) religously, and they shouldn't!
Why so? Well, the GI is based on eating carbohydrates on an empty stomach
without the addition of protein, lipids, fiber, water, etc. Therefore, it
obviously has it's shortcomings and is not the be all end all choice for chosing
our carbohydrate sources. Truth is, it's quite irrelevant when it comes to
bodybuilding purposes. Let's take white potatoes for example. This food species
is often avoided mainly because of it's high GI rank. Foolish. White potatoes
are a very nutritious food and should be incorporated in a sound nutrition
program. See, we're already spotting shortcomings challenging the elements and
principles of the GI. But wait, there's more. The GI of that white potato can be
drastically altered by combining it with the addition of protein, lipds, fiber,
and other carbohydrates. In conclusion, the GI should not be followed
religiously by bodybuilders and nutrient-density should be the main principle in
one's nutrition plan, not the GI.
Nutrition Ratios
Many bodybuilders and nutritional fanatics stress over ratios of
Protein/carbs/fat. It's not necessary. The fact of the matter is that ratios are
completely irrelevant. Lean mass should influence your overall macronutrient
reuquirements; note calories. 'Tis true. Ratios are nothing more than an
unintentional characteristic of any individual's diet following whatever
modifications have been made depending on a multitude of factors such as
training, goals, activities, etc. Overall, ratios are actually unplanned and
unintentional and should not be practiced.
Conclusion
This thread was made mainly because there are way to many threads circulating on
these bodybuilding voodoo nutrition topics, and hopefully, this thread will
direct members in the right decision. I'll be adding more "myths" to the list as
I find the time, but first, let's see how this thread carries over..