Re: Shaun Perry, diets and snake oil.


"didgerman" <didgerman@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:Yyfui.2183$1G1.363@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
BrritSki wrote:
didgerman wrote:
Quick question here for the fitness gurus......
Shaun Perry seems to have lost a fair amount of blubber to keep his
place as England's 9. Reading in the press that he was prescribed a diet
by one of England's fitness staff Matt Lovell. Perry was put on a diet
of no carbs and supplements.
Now, I'm no expert although my own training/diet regime saw me complete
an Olympic distance Triathlon in 2.20 {stay out of this mg, you're not
equipped}, but the up to date word on the street, backed up by many huge
studies is that the Atkins diet is a complete load of ***. Weight loss
is a simple equation of calories in, V calories out, that is scientific
fact, if big companies could make money out of it we'd hear nothing but
this. However, the 'mad' idea of eating less and using more calories
just doesn't have that commercial attractiveness that a paperback
telling you how to cut out the chips did.....

Yebbut a) the Atkins Diet DOES work for some people for varying periods
of time

No it doesn't. What works is cutting calories from your diet and not
replacing them, hey presto, weight loss. If you want to cut out carbs
alone and thus half your usual calories and call it Atkins or anything
else that's your business, but as a theory Atkins is proved beyond any
doubt to be a crock of ***.

and b) "no carbs and supplements" is NOT necessarily Atkins.

Atkins is cutting out carbs though isn't it? Lovell has obviously decided
this is a good idea for weight loss, whereas if you're entering a period
of high exertion it emphatically is not.



Didge,

There is something in the low carb thing for weight loss. You're right that
calorie control does work but it's very hard for some people and not the
only solution. There are serious disadvantages to using exercise to balance
the calorie equation. The metabolic process varies from person to person.

The main advantage of low carbing is ease of weight loss but mostly it's
about blood sugar control (the main precursor to weight loss) which
regulates hunger, insulin production and body fat storage. Low carbing is
used by type 2 diabetics successfully although rarely prescribed as a
treatment in the UK.

You have it in a nutshell when you say that calories in - calories out =
storage. The thing is that squirrel *** has a lot of calories in it.
Calories can pass through as well as be used up.

Also, bodies in mild ketosis lose calories through ketones in breath and
urine as well as the squirrel mode.

I guess you know about the metabolic processes, glycogen production and
control, ketones and insulin sensitivity or you wouldn't be spouting off ;-)

As far as impact on athleticism is concerned I don't know. What I can tell
you is that on a low GI diet I can exercise for 40 minutes at a constant
90-95% max heart rate (very anaerobic) or about 90 mins constant at 85% max
(just aerobic). That didn't change at all when I switched to a low GI diet
as opposed to consuming masses of pasta or other high carb low-fat foods for
fuel. The main issues at this level of exercise intensity are fluid and salt
levels and then blood sugar. I cramp up well before I run out of steam. I
use rehydration fluids loaded with glucose when exercising at high intensity
to keep blood sugar high and it doesn't break the ketosis (for those who
might be interested!). If I don't take on glucose, I struggle to do more
than 25 mins anaerobically.

Cheers,
TJ


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