Why you should avoid fruit

[Got2Bhuge]

I have always heard that fruit is not recommended when bodybuilding - or on any fitness program - and I finally learned why. The sugar in fruit, know as fructose, cannot be converted into muscle glycogen. The liver is the only organ that contains the enzyme capable of converting fructose to glycogen. Since the muscles hold approximately two thirds of the body's glycogen and the liver holds only one third, this creates a big problem. If your liver is already at maximum glycogen capacity, all fructose consumed will be stored as fat since the muscles are not able to convert it to glycogen and use it as quick energy.

I realize a lot of people here in the nutrition section might already know this, but I thought I would share this information to help anyone that uses fruit in their diet. It sounds like the only times fruit should be consumed are during your first meal of the day (only 1 serving) and with your post-workout meal (only 1 serving). But if you can live without fruit, then keep it out of your diet.

[purefitness]

Are you serious? So does that mean that incorporating fruit juice into a post workout shake is utterly useless?! I know it isnt better than malto/dex, but i thought it was still a good fast absorbing carb to spike insulin and replenish glyco stores

[efini84]

fruit = nature's candy

people look at me like i have a third eye when i tell them not to eat fruit when cutting...

[BeastlyBill]

i think fruit is fine in a bodybuilding diet. lots of good vitamins and antioxidants and many other goodies. i eat fruit and i know many others here do and it aint doing me no harm in my bodybuilding goals.

[Struct09]

Where did you read that fructose can't be converted into glucose?

Every link I find says the liver converts fructose into glucose/glycogen, here's a couple examples:

http://home.howstuffworks.com/food2.htm
http://waltonfeed.com/fructose.html
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/art...?artid=1264649

Also, seeing as how fructose has a GI rating, would that not imply that it is being converted into glucose? I'd definitely like to know more about this if anyone can shine more light.

Fruit is one of the healthiest things you can eat, I won't be cutting it from my diet any time soon.

[ballinfrogs]

Where did you read that fructose can't be converted into glucose?

Every link I find says the liver converts fructose into glucose/glycogen, here's a couple examples:

http://home.howstuffworks.com/food2.htm
http://waltonfeed.com/fructose.html
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/art...?artid=1264649

Also, seeing as how fructose has a GI rating, would that not imply that it is being converted into glucose? I'd definitely like to know more about this if anyone can shine more light.

Fruit is one of the healthiest things you can eat, I won't be cutting it from my diet any time soon.

repped!

[Cheetah]

I have always heard that fruit is not recommended when bodybuilding - or on any fitness program - and I finally learned why. The sugar in fruit, know as fructose, cannot be converted into muscle glycogen. The liver is the only organ that contains the enzyme capable of converting fructose to glycogen. Since the muscles hold approximately two thirds of the body's glycogen and the liver holds only one third, this creates a big problem. If your liver is already at maximum glycogen capacity, all fructose consumed will be stored as fat since the muscles are not able to convert it to glycogen and use it as quick energy.

I realize a lot of people here in the nutrition section might already know this, but I thought I would share this information to help anyone that uses fruit in their diet. It sounds like the only times fruit should be consumed are during your first meal of the day (only 1 serving) and with your post-workout meal (only 1 serving). But if you can live without fruit, then keep it out of your diet.

How much fat could you really get from a fruit though?

[Got2Bhuge]

Where did you read that fructose can't be converted into glucose?

Every link I find says the liver converts fructose into glucose/glycogen, here's a couple examples:

http://home.howstuffworks.com/food2.htm
http://waltonfeed.com/fructose.html
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/art...?artid=1264649

Also, seeing as how fructose has a GI rating, would that not imply that it is being converted into glucose? I'd definitely like to know more about this if anyone can shine more light.

Fruit is one of the healthiest things you can eat, I won't be cutting it from my diet any time soon.

Dude, you obviously didn't read my post. I cleary said the liver is ABLE to convert fructose to glycogen. It's the MUSCLES that lack the enzyme to complete the conversion. Your muscles cannot convert fructose to glycogen - the liver is the only organ that can.

The liver can hold about 100 grams of glycogen, while the muscles will may store between 200-400 grams, depending on how muscular you are. Since the liver is the only organ that can convert fructose to glycogen, the fructose bypasses the muscles since the muscles cannot make use of the fructose. If the fructose reaches your liver and the liver is already at full glycogen capacity (which is very possible), the body releases an enzyme that signals that the body's glycogen stores are full (even if your muscles still have room for glycogen). Therefore, fructose can turn into body fat even if your muscle glycogen stores are EMPTY. Fruit can be helpful after a workout in the right amounts, this is true, but other than that I would limit it in your diet or you will be adding body fat when you could be restoring muscle glycogen.

[grapemaster]

its good that fruit is like that, fiber and how its converted keeps it from spiking insulin...which is the real key player making an environment for storing fat. the only time you want an insulin spike is pwo to shuttle the protein into muscles. most other carbs cause this all day long in varying amounts. if anything should be noted by this it would be to stop cramming all the bread bagels chips and other starchy carbs down your throat all day, and time them when u need them, if you are getting majority of your carbs from fruit and vegetables throughout the day you are way ahead of the game... its EXPENSIVE as hell and a lot of eating though thats why most don't do it.

[SinewySam]

I have always heard that fruit is not recommended when bodybuilding - or on any fitness program - and I finally learned why. The sugar in fruit, know as fructose, cannot be converted into muscle glycogen. The liver is the only organ that contains the enzyme capable of converting fructose to glycogen. Since the muscles hold approximately two thirds of the body's glycogen and the liver holds only one third, this creates a big problem. If your liver is already at maximum glycogen capacity, all fructose consumed will be stored as fat since the muscles are not able to convert it to glycogen and use it as quick energy.

I realize a lot of people here in the nutrition section might already know this, but I thought I would share this information to help anyone that uses fruit in their diet. It sounds like the only times fruit should be consumed are during your first meal of the day (only 1 serving) and with your post-workout meal (only 1 serving). But if you can live without fruit, then keep it out of your diet.

fructose is unable to be used as muscle glycogen, and is automatically stored as fat if you liver is full? those are some pretty lofty claims. Sources for these assertions please?

[Got2Bhuge]

How much fat could you really get from a fruit though?

It depends on how much fruit you consume. Let's say your liver glycogen is full and you consume 20 grams of fructose. Those 20 grams of fructose will not be able to convert into glycogen (since the muscles lack the enzyme for the conversion and the liver is at max capacity) so the liver will signal to the body that glycogen stores are full and just like that... FAT STORAGE.

[efini84]

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/issa14.htm

[dbx]

Stop this nonsense. I swear to God, this is the most anal of all the forums.

Fruit is PERFECTLY FINE to eat. And you guys got about half the info twisted. Fruit/fructose is ESPECIALLY good for you after intensive cardio, as it replaces glycogen in the liver.

You have to be moderate with ANY food, but to create a thread with a title like this, is bull****, misleading, and overall, not helping anyone.

I make damn sure I eat at least two pieces of fruit EVERY day.

Enough said.

[matthor]

you know how much fruit u need to eat to get 100g of fructose? GOOD LUCK!

the real problem is High Fructose Corn Syrup - unless u eat fruit at like 20pieces a serving, fruit is fine.

once again dbx speaks the truth

[green10]

It's important to note that fruits are not little bombs of 100% fructose. Here is a breakdown of the amount of fructose, by percent of total sugars, in common fruits:

APRICOT - 10%
NECTARINE - 18%
PEACH - 18%
CANTALOUPE - 24%
ORANGE - 24%
GRAPEFRUIT - 26%
PLUM - 32%
HONEYDEW MELON - 36%
BANANA - 39%
CHERRIES - 45%
BLUEBERRIES - 50%
KIWI - 50%
GRAPES - 52%
STRAWBERRIES - 53%
WATERMELON - 55%
APPLE - 57%
PEAR - 64%

source: nutritiondata

So, let take a banana as an example. An average, medium banana has about 14g of sugars. (http://nutrition.about.com/od/fruits.../p/banans.htm). Of these, 39% are fructose = 5.46 grams of fructose. 5.46 grams x 4cal/gram = 21.84 calories /9 = 2.43 grams of fat (.0053 lbs) IF 100% were converted to fat (which isn't the case).

In other words, there are significant benefits to eating fruits that really outweigh the potential costs. Cutting fruits out completely would be unwise, as many above posters have said.

Bottom line: enjoy your fruit as part of a reasonable, healthy diet.

[eatingisfun]

If blood glucose is low, the liver releases glucose into the blood. You can't tell me that they muscle cells won't absorb the available blood glucose.

"The conversion of glucose-6-phosphate to glucose, which occurs in the liver, kidney and intestine, by the action of glucose-6-phosphatase does not occur in skeletal muscle as these cells lack this enzyme. Therefore, any glucose released from glycogen stores of muscle will be oxidized in the glycolytic pathway. In the liver the action of glucose-6-phosphatase allows glycogenolysis to generate free glucose for maintaining blood glucose levels."
http://web.indstate.edu/thcme/mwking/glycogen.html

True you can have your liver topped up with glycogen with any type of carb but it doesn't mean that fruit will just go to fat providing the amount is sensible.

[Struct09]

Dude, you obviously didn't read my post. I cleary said the liver is ABLE to convert fructose to glycogen. It's the MUSCLES that lack the enzyme to complete the conversion. Your muscles cannot convert fructose to glycogen - the liver is the only organ that can.

The liver can hold about 100 grams of glycogen, while the muscles will may store between 200-400 grams, depending on how muscular you are. Since the liver is the only organ that can convert fructose to glycogen, the fructose bypasses the muscles since the muscles cannot make use of the fructose. If the fructose reaches your liver and the liver is already at full glycogen capacity (which is very possible), the body releases an enzyme that signals that the body's glycogen stores are full (even if your muscles still have room for glycogen). Therefore, fructose can turn into body fat even if your muscle glycogen stores are EMPTY. Fruit can be helpful after a workout in the right amounts, this is true, but other than that I would limit it in your diet or you will be adding body fat when you could be restoring muscle glycogen.

I did read your post, did you read mine? I said the liver converts it to glucose. This glucose enters the blood stream, no? Wouldn't it have to since fructose has a GI rating, which is a measurement of blood glucose levels? The muscles then can use this as energy/storage since it's in the blood stream, correct?

I'm not saying I'm right, I'm trying to piece this together. It doesn't make sense that the body instantly stores leftover fructose into adipose tissue.

[cyclic]

I think it is also worth noting that the sugar in fruit
isn't necessarily comprised of fructose only.
Usually it is a combination of glucose and fructose.

[aqua-beowulf]

Stop this nonsense. I swear to God, this is the most anal of all the forums.

Fruit is PERFECTLY FINE to eat. And you guys got about half the info twisted. Fruit/fructose is ESPECIALLY good for you after intensive cardio, as it replaces glycogen in the liver.

You have to be moderate with ANY food, but to create a thread with a title like this, is bull****, misleading, and overall, not helping anyone.

I make damn sure I eat at least two pieces of fruit EVERY day.

Enough said.

Thank God... some common sense in the Nutrition forums, I was getting pissed while reading this thread.

Repped on recharge.

[grapemaster]

I'm not saying I'm right, I'm trying to piece this together. It doesn't make sense that the body instantly stores leftover fructose into adipose tissue.

it doesn't, the info in this thread (as has been pointed out) is misleading.

[Tucdaddy]

I have always heard that fruit is not recommended when bodybuilding - or on any fitness program - and I finally learned why. The sugar in fruit, know as fructose, cannot be converted into muscle glycogen. The liver is the only organ that contains the enzyme capable of converting fructose to glycogen. Since the muscles hold approximately two thirds of the body's glycogen and the liver holds only one third, this creates a big problem. If your liver is already at maximum glycogen capacity, all fructose consumed will be stored as fat since the muscles are not able to convert it to glycogen and use it as quick energy.

I realize a lot of people here in the nutrition section might already know this, but I thought I would share this information to help anyone that uses fruit in their diet. It sounds like the only times fruit should be consumed are during your first meal of the day (only 1 serving) and with your post-workout meal (only 1 serving). But if you can live without fruit, then keep it out of your diet.

I agree that the liver is the only organ that contains fructokinase, the enzyme responsible for metabolizing fructose, but I don't agree with the rest of what you said. Your argument makes since if your talking about huge fructose loads, like that found in food products containing high fructose corn syrup. In the liver, fructose is metabolized into glyceraldehyde and didytroxyacetone phosphate, which can enter readily enter into the glycolysis pathway and proceed uninhibited because, unlike glucose, it is not inhibited by phosphofructokinase. Follow glycolysis to the end of the pathway, and you end up in the mitochondria and the production of free fatty acids, which is stored as fat. This is why high fructose corn syrup is so bad for you. Fruits, however, actually only contain a very small percentage of fructose, which the body is able to handle. Fructose in small quantities can, and will, be metabolized to glucose, which then can be converted to glycogen in the muscle. Remember, muscle cells use glucose for energy, not glycogen. Glycogen is merely the storage molecule the body uses to store glucose in muscle cells. Information I used in this response can be found at:

http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.co...2/1/5#IDACMVZE

[OzStriker]

OMGWTF I just ate a small peach, 8g of sugar and 1.44g of fructose OMG I am going to get fat, thats it I am off to do four hours of HIIT......Straight after I have repped the GOOD advice in this thread!

[Hunterchilla]

I have always heard that fruit is not recommended when bodybuilding - or on any fitness program - and I finally learned why. The sugar in fruit, know as fructose, cannot be converted into muscle glycogen. The liver is the only organ that contains the enzyme capable of converting fructose to glycogen. Since the muscles hold approximately two thirds of the body's glycogen and the liver holds only one third, this creates a big problem. If your liver is already at maximum glycogen capacity, all fructose consumed will be stored as fat since the muscles are not able to convert it to glycogen and use it as quick energy.

I realize a lot of people here in the nutrition section might already know this, but I thought I would share this information to help anyone that uses fruit in their diet. It sounds like the only times fruit should be consumed are during your first meal of the day (only 1 serving) and with your post-workout meal (only 1 serving). But if you can live without fruit, then keep it out of your diet.

lol what are you smoking ALL carbohydrates except fiber get converted into GLUCOSE. Fruit is perfect PWO

[Macrobolic]

I have always heard that fruit is not recommended when bodybuilding - or on any fitness program - and I finally learned why. The sugar in fruit, know as fructose, cannot be converted into muscle glycogen. The liver is the only organ that contains the enzyme capable of converting fructose to glycogen. Since the muscles hold approximately two thirds of the body's glycogen and the liver holds only one third, this creates a big problem. If your liver is already at maximum glycogen capacity, all fructose consumed will be stored as fat since the muscles are not able to convert it to glycogen and use it as quick energy.

I realize a lot of people here in the nutrition section might already know this, but I thought I would share this information to help anyone that uses fruit in their diet. It sounds like the only times fruit should be consumed are during your first meal of the day (only 1 serving) and with your post-workout meal (only 1 serving). But if you can live without fruit, then keep it out of your diet.

[sarcasm]Guess that's why Jack La Lanne is so fat right?[/sarcasm]
http://www.jacklalanne.com/fitpix.html

[TankNoob]

this is bs, fruits and vegetables help u lose weight
got this from another forum


Watermelon is 2 things, water and SUGAR. If you are cutting, Granny Smith Apples are the best IMO. They are about 60 calories, and require 80 calories to digest.
-20 calories and good nutrient value....win, win I say.

What are some of the foods that contain the "negative calorie effect"?

In 1929, Dr. Lindlahr created a list of foods that he claimed burned fat at an incredible rate and which helped to detoxify the body and increase metabolism (great for those with low thyroid. Thousands lost weight when he offered the program for free on a radio program.

These are some of the foods on his list:

Vegetables

asparagus
beets
broccoli
cabbage (green)
carrots
cauliflower
celery
chicory
chili peppers
cucumbers
endive
garlic
lettuce
onions
papayas
spinach
turnip
zucchini


Fruits

apples
cranberries
grapefruit
lemons
mangos
oranges
pineapple
raspberries
strawberries
tangerines

What is the secret to losing weight by eating negative calorie foods?

The secret, in our opinion, is to fill up on negative calorie foods during the day and eat a healthy well-balanced regular meal at supper time. It's not complicated! Get Creative!
There are different ways to incorporate negative calorie foods into the early part of your daily diet. You can make a variety of fruit smoothies or fruit salads for breakfast. For lunch, enjoy a large crispy vegetable salad and include a 4-oz portion of lean meat from the list.


whats next, drinking too much water makes you fat..

[matthor]

i'd like to see the science behind these 'negative calorie' foods, cos im not sure i buy it - i know the ones listed are great healthy foods, and low in calories, and i definately eat my share of them, but as for being negative calorie? well i am going to take some convincing

[OneBetter]

a lot of things require high amount of calories to be digested, protein being a good example.

[matthor]

those foods are all pretty high fiber - how much energy does the body trying to digest fiber actually use tho? i doubt more than the energy gained from the other things that make up fruit/veg

[empresscat]

There have been several studies that show that people who eat lots of fruit are more likely to be thin.

Is it the ideal carb for muscle building? No - execpt grapes, which have dextrose. But it's no less ideal than any other carb and more ideal than others. Lots of good stuff in fruit. Much better than getting nutrients through supps.

[Mtguy8787]

Just as all carbs are not equal, all fruit is not equal when it comes to bodybuilding.