Time to Debunk Bodybuilding Nutrition Myths

[mivi320]

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!

Threads regarding fruit consumption:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...ght=fruit+alan
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...ght=fruit+alan


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.

Threads regarding consumption of carbs at night:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hydrates+night

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.

Threads regarding Food Separartion Techniques:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hydrates+night

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.

Threads regarding Milk Consumption
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...&page=52&pp=30
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...ight=milk+alan

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.

Threads Regarding Whole Egg Consumption:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=486848
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...highlight=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.

Threads regarding the GI:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...light=elements

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..


Mike

[rockstarsar]

Thank God. You ought to add something about how seriously people take the glycemic index. It's ridiculous. Low GI has drawbacks, too, and glycemic scores and actual insulin responses are not always even in the same ballpark.

[KRASH187]

Amen brother. You forgot to mention the plethora of protein powder that is needlessly consumed. Supplement companies have hit the motherload with all of the propaganda for "additional protein". As a former bodybuilder turned long distance triathlete, I cannot begin to tell you that I perform so 100% better on 65-70% carbs, the rest in fats and proteins, than when I was 190 lbs.@very low bodyfat, from the "High protein" diet. Shoot, it wasn't the diet, it was that I was starving myself by cutting out carbs. One of the dumbest things I've ever done.

Great post!!!!!

[artman934]

if youre a long distance runner, youd be ridiculous to not eat a high CHO diet.

[mivi320]

Originally Posted by rockstarsar

Thank God. You ought to add something about how seriously people take the glycemic index. It's ridiculous. Low GI has drawbacks, too, and glycemic scores and actual insulin responses are not always even in the same ballpark.

Added.

Originally Posted by KRASH187

Amen brother. You forgot to mention the plethora of protein powder that is needlessly consumed. Supplement companies have hit the motherload with all of the propaganda for "additional protein". As a former bodybuilder turned long distance triathlete, I cannot begin to tell you that I perform so 100% better on 65-70% carbs, the rest in fats and proteins, than when I was 190 lbs.@very low bodyfat, from the "High protein" diet. Shoot, it wasn't the diet, it was that I was starving myself by cutting out carbs. One of the dumbest things I've ever done.

Great post!!!!!

Will get to it soon! Thanks!

[hokiehokieVT]

Great post.

[psinide]

great post. i should have an egg yolk everyday now i reckon i was never scared of them when bulking, but for cutting i was.

[Macros]

very nice info

[Morachy]

Here are my comments on the matter:

People that say "Will eating carbs at night make me fat?", like you said, people answer with a "Carbs turn to fat if not used". Then the same people say, add some fat to your pre-sleep shake to slow down the digestive process, kind of controdictive ey?

Your Whole Egg Avoidance argument isn't accurate. What I mean by that is, a lot of people avoid the yolk because of the fat content. As we all know 1 large egg = 2 grams of sat fat. Which means, if you are one of these many 14 year olds that eat 10 eggs every morning, eating that many whole eggs will add that sat fat up very quickly. That is why most avoid the yolk.

"The GI of that white potato can be drastically altered by combining it with the addition of protein, lipds." True, but if you originally start with a lower GI food, then you final "GI LEVEL" (or what ever you want to call it) will be lower. So it's not a bad thing to get into eating low GI foods.

As for the Nutrition Ratios, "Ratios are nothing more than an unintentional characteristic of any individual's diet". I would say that Nutrition Ratios are nothing more then a guide line for one to follow after he gets his daily calorie intake in order. Just something to make sure you didn't consume too many fats or too little in one day. They should be pre-set and not unintentional.

Just my 2 cents, I'm no expert.
Anyone else?

[guy_attitude]

Nice very nice

[Cynical_Simian]

Very solid post. You just might get that sticky you're gunning for.

[sickwitit]

Long over due. If more people would read this they would stop all the crap they ask every single day on here. Everyone wants this and that about nutrition, but not a lot think about calorie intake. You want to gain weight eat more, how m,uch i dont know i dont know you, you want to lose fat eat less, how much less again i dont know you. Having some macro nutrients at ridiculous levels ( low fat low carb) is just dumb as is having a sickly high protien intake, Realize the body can't handle this much you piss it out, so your wasting money plain and simple. Calories in calories out think about it, and eat whole healthy food and stop whining.

[Sixpack]

This should be a damn sticky on here very good post, by the way I had an apple and oats before bed last night i may get fat now because fruit makes you fat

[saw14]

opening this thread first thing in the morning has made my day. sticky worthy in every way. well done.

[paingame]

Originally Posted by Sixpack

This should be a damn sticky on here very good post, by the way I had an apple and oats before bed last night i may get fat now because fruit makes you fat

i had oats before bed yeaturday as well .

[Stagger]

Finally someone here agrees with me that eating whole eggs is the way to go.

Now once they start agreeing on whole milk and fatty meat....

Also, I'd like to see some debunking of the "Fat makes you fat" myth.

[Stagger]

Originally Posted by Morachy

Here are my comments on the matter:

Your Whole Egg Avoidance argument isn't accurate. What I mean by that is, a lot of people avoid the yolk because of the fat content. As we all know 1 large egg = 2 grams of sat fat. Which means, if you are one of these many 14 year olds that eat 10 eggs every morning, eating that many whole eggs will add that sat fat up very quickly. That is why most avoid the yolk.

"The GI of that white potato can be drastically altered by combining it with the addition of protein, lipds." True, but if you originally start with a lower GI food, then you final "GI LEVEL" (or what ever you want to call it) will be lower. So it's not a bad thing to get into eating low GI foods.


Just my 2 cents, I'm no expert.
Anyone else?

You should be trying to keep saturated fat equal with the other two types of fat. Most people here probably don't get enough because they avoid it instead of just keeping it equal with mono and poly. Also, people eating whole eggs would be wise to buy Omega-3 eggs (from chickens fed good diets), which have much better fat profiles and are definitely healthy.

As far as the GI thing, it's true that you'd have a lower GI for the meal if you ate a food with a GI lower than potato, but the question is: Does that really matter? If you eat plenty of protein, fat, or fiber with the potato, it'll be slowed down enough that the difference won't even be significant, so you're just avoiding a good food (potato) for no reason.

[Sixpack]

Yes the Omega 3 eggs have 4 grams of fat and only 1 gram of Sat fat very good

Originally Posted by Stagger

You should be trying to keep saturated fat equal with the other two types of fat. Most people here probably don't get enough because they avoid it instead of just keeping it equal with mono and poly. Also, people eating whole eggs would be wise to buy Omega-3 eggs (from chickens fed good diets), which have much better fat profiles and are definitely healthy.

As far as the GI thing, it's true that you'd have a lower GI for the meal if you ate a food with a GI lower than potato, but the question is: Does that really matter? If you eat plenty of protein, fat, or fiber with the potato, it'll be slowed down enough that the difference won't even be significant, so you're just avoiding a good food (potato) for no reason.

[Beklet]

Originally Posted by Stagger

Finally someone here agrees with me that eating whole eggs is the way to go.

Now once they start agreeing on whole milk and fatty meat....

Also, I'd like to see some debunking of the "Fat makes you fat" myth.

Throwing away the yolk is such a waste....... I love eggs.

Whole milk is also better, for me, particularly if it's non-homogenised. Homogenised milk is nasty - I'm sure it's bad for you.

The Food Doctor has a great saying - 'Eat Fat to Lose Fat' Wonderful.

[kliplemet]

If nutrient ratios are irrelevant, then why is it that diabetics need to follow them strictly?

So actually the whole nutrition thing regarding bodybuilding is a big farce?! My world is falling apart!(not kidding)

[monkeydan]

Originally Posted by kliplemet

If nutrient ratios are irrelevant, then why is it that diabetics need to follow them strictly?

So actually the whole nutrition thing regarding bodybuilding is a big farce?! My world is falling apart!(not kidding)

It's more about the actual amounts of macronutrients than the ratio it makes up of your diet. If you give someone a 40/40/20 split at 4,000 calories, then they'd be eating 400 grams of protein a day. It just isn't necessary for natural lifters to be eating that much.

And, yeah, a lot of the bodybuilding nutrition stuff is farce. At the end of the day, as mivi320 posted initially, it really all comes down to calories in vs calories out (given sufficient protein and EFAs). People go overboard with this whole 'clean foods' obsession when it's not really necessary (in my opinion).

So many people concentrate on the minutae and all the latest supplements without actually eating and training properly.

Keep it simple, stupid!

[skelooth]

STICKIFY

[piolata]

great post, however as i write this people are still asking about fruit. *sighs*

[uhockey]

Good post, but as always, things like this are gross oversimplifications.....just like the questions it purports to answer. There are reasons to taper carbs into the evening, there are reasons to not eat more than 1-2 egg yolks per day, and for many people (as you mentioned) there are reasons to avoid milk. The point is, different strokes for different folks. If people would just use the search button and be willing to be dedicated/experiment with their food choices instead of looking for a quick fix, these redundant posts wouldn't keep occuring. To the person who suggested balancing your sat fats with your other fats..........wow...........good luck with that.

[Sixpack]

LOL did i mention I had oats and an apple and almonds before bed last night I am going to get fat cause I had fruit before bed is this bad

[NicktheRoofer]

"Here's something I'll bet you never thought about. A good portion of this fat that you burn all day comes from stored body fat, and human body fat is highly saturated. The body constantly turns over its fat reserves. This leads to a large release of saturated animal fat, all day, into your bloodstream. Your fat 'is' animal fat.

If you diet, you lose alot of your body fat. Why don't cholesterol and triglycerides go up in response to your body's cannibalizing its own fat? The fat pours out of your fat cells when you're losing weight. That's what you're losing -- fat; highly saturated animal fat from Red Meat fat. And, it's your own Red Meat fat! Oh, I know, you're not eating Red Meat anymore (for everyone who shuns red meat). You are, however, piling Red Meat into your blood. Guess what? Cholesterol and triglycerides drop when you lose weight on a lower-carb diet.

You actually become healthier with all this fat pouring into your blood. Why, then, do you shun fat at the dinner table? The American Heart Association (AHA) has the burden of explaining why dietary fat is a risk factor for heart disease, but your own fat isn't.

And the carbohydrates you eat, those wonderful, healthful carbohydrates, when converted to fat, as I've explained, appear in the blood as, you guessed it, SATURATED FAT. So, carbohydrates are the source of saturated animal fat."

This information comes from

Dr. Gregory Ellis PHD, CNS

Mary G. Enig, PH.D., a nutritionist widely known for her research on the nutritional aspects and leading expert on fats and oils, is a consultant, clinician, and the Director of the Nutritional Sciences Division of Enig Associates, Inc., Silver Spring, Maryland.

[xxghostxx]

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to mivi320 again."

You're too good a forum member; it won't let me contribute to your e-wang again just yet. Nevertheless, great thread, I've been thinking about doing something very similar lately. Good work Mivi.

[kliplemet]

lol, isn't it all extremely funny?
Another thing that I find very funny is that there is NO accurate method to determine nutritional values of foods.

[uhockey]

Originally Posted by NicktheRoofer

"Here's something I'll bet you never thought about. A good portion of this fat that you burn all day comes from stored body fat, and human body fat is highly saturated. The body constantly turns over its fat reserves. This leads to a large release of saturated animal fat, all day, into your bloodstream. Your fat 'is' animal fat.

If you diet, you lose alot of your body fat. Why don't cholesterol and triglycerides go up in response to your body's cannibalizing its own fat? The fat pours out of your fat cells when you're losing weight. That's what you're losing -- fat; highly saturated animal fat from Red Meat fat. And, it's your own Red Meat fat! Oh, I know, you're not eating Red Meat anymore (for everyone who shuns red meat). You are, however, piling Red Meat into your blood. Guess what? Cholesterol and triglycerides drop when you lose weight on a lower-carb diet.

You actually become healthier with all this fat pouring into your blood. Why, then, do you shun fat at the dinner table? The American Heart Association (AHA) has the burden of explaining why dietary fat is a risk factor for heart disease, but your own fat isn't.

And the carbohydrates you eat, those wonderful, healthful carbohydrates, when converted to fat, as I've explained, appear in the blood as, you guessed it, SATURATED FAT. So, carbohydrates are the source of saturated animal fat."

This information comes from

Dr. Gregory Ellis PHD, CNS

Mary G. Enig, PH.D., a nutritionist widely known for her research on the nutritional aspects and leading expert on fats and oils, is a consultant, clinician, and the Director of the Nutritional Sciences Division of Enig Associates, Inc., Silver Spring, Maryland.

Does that have a point? Dietary saturated fats have a DIRECT and causal effect on downregulating hepatic LDL receptors which increases circulating LDL cholesterol which is implicated in almost all cases of atherosclerosis. The fat being "poured" out of your cells in weight loss isn't being "poured" as saturated fats, it is being transported to the mitochondria for beta-oxidation. That statement is so useless it almost hurts to read. While a small percentage of your daily fat should be saturated, there is no arguing that it should be a SMALL percentage.

[sickwitit]

Originally Posted by Beklet

Throwing away the yolk is such a waste....... I love eggs.

Whole milk is also better, for me, particularly if it's non-homogenised. Homogenised milk is nasty - I'm sure it's bad for you.

The Food Doctor has a great saying - 'Eat Fat to Lose Fat' Wonderful.

I like this egs are the best soruce of protien and good calories you can get. Eat the whole thign save some money. ANd like ti says eat fat to lose fat, give the body what you want to lose and you will lose it quicker. Just an opinion not anything scientific.