Truth vs. Porkie Pie #1

This is a porkie pie.

Fat is an essential part of any diet, it is used as fuel by the body and is also crucial for health. For example, it plays an important role in the absorption and transportation of vitamins!

There are three different types of fat, these are: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. A combination of all three fats is ideal in maintaining a balanced diet. Saturated fats aid body function and provide energy, can be found in meat, milk and egg yolks. Monounsaturated fats lower harmful low-density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol and can be found in avocados, olive oil and nuts. Polyunsaturated fats help maintain the correct structure of cell membranes, an example is omega-3 and omega-6. Polyunsaturated fats can be found in sunflower oil, nuts and seeds.

The ‘bad’ fats are called trans fats. The majority of these are formed artificially from a process called hydrogenation (basically hardening oil). Trans fats can be found in pastries and long life processed foods. They increase LDL cholesterol levels and consequently increase your risk of heart disease. It is recommended that you have an intake of less than 2% of your calories from trans fats (roughly 5g) per day

This is a porkie pie.

There is not ‘switch’ where carbohydrates turn bad during the day! When you exercise your primary source of energy is glycogen (what your body converts carbohydrates into). However, your body can only store 100g of glycogen in your liver (~400 calories) and 400g in your muscles (~1600 calories). Therefore, it is important to refill your glycogen stores. Any excess glycogen is converted into fat.

As a result, it is suggested that you do not consume excess carbohydrates 2-3h before you call it a night. This is because your activity levels are reducing and you are less likely to deplete your glycogen stores; therefore, there is a greater chance that any carbohydrates digested will be converted into fat. It is important that you are aware of the time of day that you consume your foods. Plan your meals around your activity, not purely based on time of day to get the most out of your meals!

This is true.

Carbohydrate loading can help improve performance – when done correctly! Put simply, this is a process where you reduce your carbohydrate consumption leading up to an event. Then ingest a great deal of carbohydrates in the days prior to the event, this will lead to your body increasing its glycogen stores in the muscle and liver – leading to more available energy for performance.

However, if incorrectly done, carbohydrate loading can lead to a decrease in performance. The sudden influx of carbohydrates to the body may lead to stomach pain or discomfort during performance. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you practice this process during training! This will allow for you to gain a clear idea of what works best with you and allows your body to get used to the process.

This is a porkie pie.

Water is essential in ensuring that your body functions correctly. Water makes up over 60% of your body weight and is vital to all cells. It is the medium in which all metabolic reactions take place, including energy production. Water also acts as a cushion for your nervous system, lubricant for your joints and eyes. The generic guideline for water intake is 2.5 litres for men and 2.0 litres for women.

However, you can drink too much water and over hydrate. Drinking too much water will cause the sodium in your blood to become diluted (known as hyponatraemia). This will lead to nausea, lethargy, dizziness and disorientation.

A way to minimise the risk of over hydration is to start your training session fully hydrated! You ought to drink 5-7ml/kg of body weight 4h before exercising. Then drink to thirst, using regular small sips over irregular large intakes. If the environment is hot and humid or you are sweating a lot expect to drink more!

This is a porkie pie.

The belief that consuming sugar will lead to the development of diabetes is unfounded. Sugar is a carbohydrate (with a very high glycaemic index). Therefore, as with the consumption of other carbohydrates, sugar will not cause you to develop diabetes in a healthy balanced diet.

Diabetes is caused by an over consumption of calories in a diet. Regardless of the source of the calories.

Sugar has a high calorie content. The only issue with the consumption of sugar in a healthy balanced diet, is the risk of tooth decay. However, it is important to be aware of how much sugar you consume daily. This is because sugar is very palatable and very easy to over consume! Remember to include natural sugar from fruits when investigating your intake.

Sugar can also help aid performance that lasts over two hours (Keep an eye out for an update explaining how soon!).

This is a porkie pie.

A common misconception is that fasted training will speed up fat loss. Fasted Training (FT) involves exercise without a pre-workout meal. For example, going for a run or to the gym once you wake up before you have breakfast. By doing this your body has glycogen available for the working muscles, meaning that your body shall switch to fat for energy sooner; theoretically, this will lead to your body burning more fat and boosting your fat loss in a session.

However, although the premise is correct, FT isn’t all good news! By training without fuelling your body beforehand you shall deplete your muscles glycogen stores quickly. Although this is the aim of fasted training, the effect this has on the body is often overlooked. Depleted glycogen stores will lead to you feeling low on energy, unmotivated, and weaker. Therefore, you will not be able to run as fast or as long or train at the intensity that you are aiming for. The sessions will be shorter and the less work will be completed.

As a result, it is likely that you will burn fewer calories during FT. Which brings into question the use of FT as a training style for weight-loss. Sculpt. does not recommend FT but rather fuel your body right, train at a high intensity and achieve your goals in a way that you can maintain!