![]() If you’re an active person, this occurs underneath your skin every day. Proteins subsequently repair and rebuild this tissue, which is how your muscles maintain themselves and grow stronger. During exercise, the muscles are stressed-essentially causing dozens of tiny tears in the tissue. Proteins, in fact, are the building blocks for muscle tissue. What would have happened if those men had also stepped up their exercise regimen during that time? They likely would have seen an even greater increase in muscle-to-fat ratio, because exercise builds muscle tissue when there is adequate protein in the diet. At the end of the six weeks, the men who had consumed higher protein and restricted carbs had significantly decreased their body fat by an average of 7.5 pounds and significantly increased lean body mass by an average of 2.4 pounds¹. The men were encouraged to eat plenty of calories in order to maintain their weight. Another eight men stayed on the regular carb loading diet plan for comparison. In one study, 12 normal-weight men switched from their regular diet (about 48 percent carbohydrate) to a higher protein, low-carb diet (eight percent carbohydrate) for six weeks. Consistent energy is the goal, and avoiding sugar spikes and troughs is the answer! ![]() But as you can see, carb loading at the wrong time (right before exercise) produces just the opposite outcome, leaving the body with less, rather than more, energy. The original thinking behind carbohydrate loading was that it effectively restocked blood-sugar stores (glycogen) in the days before a major competitive event to provide long-lasting energy. It signals the body to release a big spurt of insulin, which actually lowers blood sugar and energy levels-a recipe for a mid-workout crash. Carb loading causes a rapid rise in blood sugar that produces a very different outcome than most anticipate. ![]() Have you ever eaten a bagel or muffin for breakfast, and then felt either so ravenously hungry or lethargic by late-morning that you wolfed down a sugar-filled energy bar? Now ask yourself why anyone would want to go to the gym in that condition-you’d probably spend the whole workout feeling like you couldn’t get out of first gear.
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