Nutrition: The Missing Link

If you were to speak with most of the people at your local health club, you would find that most of them have similar fitness goals; reducing body fat, increasing strength, and just trying to "tone up." In order to accomplish these goals most of them would be proud to tell you that they are involved in some sort of resistance training program and they participate in some form of cardiovascular exercise for 20-40 minutes several times a week. What most of them neglect to mention are their nutritional habits. In many cases, nutrition is the "missing link." It's the one thing that prevents many people from achieving their health, fitness, strength, and conditioning goals. Many people spend plenty of time and effort muscling out that last rep, sweating through that last mile on the treadmill to try and burn off a few more calories - and then hop in their car drive off to a fast food drive through! What they don't understand is that their bodies are very much like the vehicle they are driving. Without the proper fuel, your body can't perform at its maximal level.

While certainly a very integral part, resistance training and cardiovascular training are only a part of the overall plan. When one is conscious of their nutrition, all the pieces start to come together. Unfortunately, most people don't even know what "proper" nutrition is. It is a common misconception that in order to eat "healthy" one must completely cut out all of the foods they like (pizza, chips, soda, etc.). This isn't entirely true. Moderation is the key! There are no "bad" foods - everything in moderation. Proper nutrition isn't just about restricting foods; it's about the timing of meals and the size of the portion. It is very important to still eat the foods that one enjoys. The only change that should come about is how often and how much of these not-so-healthy foods are consumed. One should try to eat healthy about 85-90% of the time. The goal of proper nutrition is to is to deliver adequate nutrients to the body at the appropriate times in order increase the metabolism, and provide nutrients to be used for activity, and to aid in the recovery from those activities.

There are three "building blocks" that compose the foods we eat. They are carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. The first two are used primarily for energy. The last, protein, is used primarily for muscular growth and repair. For most people, a proper meal should consist of approximately 65% carbohydrates, 20% fats, and 15% protein. Meals should be spaced between 2-3 hours apart, and the portions should be kept small to moderate in size. The era of "3 squares a day" is over. A better recommendation for revving up the body's metabolism is to eat 5-6 smaller, but more frequent meals/snacks a day. When one consumes 3 meals a day, these meals are usually large and spaced out over a span of approximately 5 hours. After consuming large amounts of food in one sitting the body is unable to use this abundance of calories. The excess calories are therefore stored. Sometimes meals are even skipped, and therefore the time between meals is even longer. Taking nourishment in this manner causes the metabolism to slow down. This is a survival mechanism; the body actually goes into "starvation mode." Since the body needs to have enough energy to last until the next meal, it slows down digestion and sends a signal to store more calories. These calories are stored as glycogen (carbs) and adipose tissue (fat!). This is not desirable if one of your fitness goals is to decrease body fat. This is not the case when consuming 5-6 meals/snacks a day, eaten every 2-3 hours. By nourishing oneself in this manner, the body is supplied with only enough nutrients to fuel itself for a short duration. By the time this 2-3 hour period is almost over, another small meal is consumed and enough nutrients are provided to fuel another 2-3 hours. By continuing this process one's metabolism speeds up, and the message to store excess calories as fat is not sent and the body never goes into "starvation mode." As a result the body uses calories more efficiently! Now as most of you will agree, because of jobs, family, etc. - eating a meal/snack every 2-3 hours is not always feasible or realistic. It is something to aim for and it can be accomplished most of the time with proper planning. Pack a handful of small meals/snacks before you head out the door in the morning!

Another factor to consider in proper nutrition is portion size. The size of the portion differs for everyone. Before one can determine portion size, one's daily caloric needs must be computed. The factors that go into determining these needs are age, weight, % body fat and amount of activity. There are multiple formulas used to determine one's daily caloric needs. It's a good idea to seek the guidance of a knowledgeable nutritionist or registered dietitian (RD) when computing ones caloric needs. The road to a leaner, healthier, athletic body is a long, challenging one that requires dedication, determination and a little sweat. Fortunately, an understanding of proper nutrition - the "missing link" - and participating in a sound exercise program can make that road a little less bumpy!

Colin Quay , CCS