Find out how to choose the right diet from hundreds of diets without spending a lot of time and without using the services of an expensive nutritionist! Today there are a huge number of different nutrition programs and people are often lost in the abundance of information. The creators of each diet claim that scientifically proven principles are at the heart of their nutrition program, but often they not only do not give the desired effect, but can also cause harm to the body. Today we bring to your attention an overview of modern sports diets.
More precisely, we will discuss not only the diets themselves, but also the basic principles of nutrition for athletes, since any diet should be based on the individual characteristics of a person. If you understand these principles, then it will be much easier to create an optimal nutrition program for yourself.
Composition of the nutritional program for athletes
It should be said right away that there is no consensus among sports nutrition specialists regarding the composition. However, most nutritionists recommend not eating more than 20 percent of fat and focusing on carbohydrates, consuming about 70 percent of this nutrient. At the same time, numerous scientific studies suggest that excessive amounts of carbohydrates can reduce performance.
To reduce the amount of fat consumed, very often athletes use a diet whose calorie content is below the maintenance limit. This leads to a slowdown in the fat burning process, since a lack of calories for the body is tantamount to hunger. To accelerate lipolysis, athletes begin to use various chemicals that can be dangerous to the body. At the same time, a low-fat diet program can lead to obesity. It sounds very paradoxical, but in practice it happens. This is due to the fact that carbohydrates with a high glycemic index contribute to the transport of glucose and triglycerides into adipose tissue cells. Also, with a high amount of consumed protein compounds, they begin to be used as a source of energy. This is an ineffective process that puts a lot of stress on the kidneys and liver. It is important to remember that the maximum amount of energy can be obtained from fat.
The high calorie content of the nutrition program also negatively affects the body. Some athletes consume about 10 thousand calories during the day. This need is due to poor absorption of nutrients. For this reason, fat should not be avoided and should be included in your nutritional program. Now let's start our review of modern sports diets.
Food program "30-40-30"
This diet was created by nutritionists from the popular Ironman. They consider the most optimal ratio of protein compounds, carbohydrates and fats - 30:40:30, respectively. In this case, unsaturated fats should be consumed, the main source of which is vegetable oils. In their opinion, such a ratio of nutrients contributes to an increase in the rate of fat burning and an increase in the anabolic background.
But this approach may not be equally effective for all athletes. Ectomorphs will receive serious dividends from this nutritional program, but endomorphs will gain extra fat mass. If you use foods high in saturated fatty acids, such as meat or milk, while using this diet, your digestive system will be heavily loaded and your bad cholesterol levels will rise significantly. The best combination is eggs and vegetable oil.
Isocaloric Anabolic Nutrition Program
Dan Dushane created this nutrition program. We know that an excess of carbohydrates can lead to an increase in fat mass, but at the same time, the author of the diet does not take into account one fact - dietary fats cannot be good for everyone.
The ratio of nutrients according to Dushein's version is similar to the previous nutrition program, but in the choice of food the restrictions are significantly lower. If you decide to use it, then be careful when choosing food.
Searle's Zone Nutrition Program
And again, the author of the diet recommends using the already known ratio of nutrients 30-40-30. Searle says limiting high-glycemic carbohydrates will speed up lipolysis. In comparison with the nutrition programs already considered, in this diet the choice of foods is as limited as possible. At the same time, reducing the amount of carbohydrates consumed looks quite reasonable.
Anabolic nutrition program
Popular sports nutrition guru Jude Biasolotto offers a very unusual nutrition program. Within five days, it is necessary to consume mainly protein compounds, the percentage of which is about 40 of the total calorie content of the daily diet. Fat accounts for 75 percent during this period, and carbohydrates are consumed in an amount of 50 grams. After that, the phase of loading with carbohydrates begins, the number of which is brought to 60 percent of the total calorie content.
As an example of the effectiveness of his nutritional program, the author recalls the Eskimos, who eat a lot of fatty meat and have high endurance. But he forgets that the Eskimos live in harsh conditions in which a large amount of fat in the diet is a necessary necessity.
It should be remembered that low carbohydrate intake leads to a state of ketosis, which negatively affects the brain and liver. Biasolotto recommends using his nutritional program for a month, maximum two.
Rotary nutrition programs
They are based on the principle of cyclic use of food products with appropriate selection. Cycles can vary in length and are not always optimal. For example, if an athlete takes part in one tournament during the year, then about 8 months he should gain weight, and the remaining 4 months he should lose weight. Without the use of various drugs, the nutrition program will be ineffective.
Find out more information about one of the most effective sports diets in this video:
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