|
Subject:
timing
of
carb-load/powerlifting
Submitted By:
Todd
Kartchner,
Tucson,
AZ
|
QUESTION:
I
am
a
competitive
powerlifter
and
a
second
year
law
student
at
University
of
Arizona.
I
have
a
question
about
timing
of
carb-load
meals.
When
is
the
optimal
time
for
carb-load
to
occur
in
relation
to
a
meet?
I
want
optimal
energy
levels
at
competition,
so
I
am
curious
how
to
arrange
my
schedule
to
promote
this.
|
ROB'S
REPLY:
Two
questions
from
author
to
reader:
1)
Are
you
trying
to
make
a
certain
weight
class?
2)
What
time
of
day
is
the
competition?
Two
pieces
of
advice
from
former
law
student
to
current
one:
1)
Don't
carb-load
the
day
of
an
exam.
2)
Don't
alcohol-load
the
night
before.
READER'S
REPLY:
1)
I
am
trying
to
make
weight
(I'm
currently
260,
and
would
like
to
make
242)
for
the
competition.
The
competition
is
May
26th.
2)
The
competition
starts
at
noon
and
will
probably
last
3-4
hours.
Also,
thanks
for
the
advice
about
exam-taking.
I
won't
carb-load
the
day
of
an
exam
(just
out
of
curiosity,
why?),
and
since
I
don't
drink
alcohol,
that's
not
a
problem.
ROB'S ANSWER:
You
should
carb-load
extensively
(i.e.,
the
bodybuilders
carb-load
not
the
general
carb-load)
the
evening
before
your
competition.
However,
with
respect
to
your
weight
limit,
allow
for
a
five-pound
weight
gain
consisting
of
water
and
glycogen
induced
by
the
carb-load.
(If
you
were
180
lbs,
then
the
projected
increment
would
be
three
pounds.)
To
illustrate,
if
you're
struggling
to
get
down
to
242
as
the
competition
draws
near
and
if
the
weigh-in
is
on
the
same
day
as
the
competition,
you
may
not
be
able
to
carb-load.
I
strongly
advise
against
allowing
yourself
to
be
forced
to
drop
weight
days
before
competition.
Crash
dieting
depletes
ATP,
creatine
phosphate,
and
glycogen
(which
fuel
performance
of
brief,
explosive
movements)
and
can
disturb
electrolyte
balance
(crucial
for
efficient
conductance
of
mind-muscle
neural
impulses).
I
recommend
that
you
read,
"For
Athletes
and
Bodybuilders:
Avoiding
the
Pitfalls
of
Cutting
Weight,
and
Making
Steady
Progress
Competition
to
Competition,
Year
to
Year,"
beginning
on
p.
93
of
NHE.
On
an
unrelated
note,
you
expressed
"curiosity"
about
the
basis
for
my
recommendation
that
you
refrain
from
carb-loading
on
the
same
day
you
take
an
exam.
Satisfy
your
curiosity
by
reading
Chapters
10
and
11
of
NHE.
 Return
to
Index
Subject:
hormone
testing
Submitted By:
Tina
Del
Castillo,
Pennington,
NJ
|
QUESTION: My
husband
and
I
have
been
following
NHE
since
January
1,
2001.
We
have
seen
gradual
fat
loss
and
increased
energy
levels.
What
we
are
looking
for
is
an
accurate
way
to
assess
the
results
of
this
lifestyle.
Do
you
have
any
recommendations
for
testing
hormone
levels?
I
have
found
a
saliva
test
through
the
Internet.
Could
this
be
reliable
or
should
the
tests
be
from
blood
samples.
|
ROB'S
ANSWER:
Hormone
testing
for
the
purpose
of
detecting
subtle
changes
is
very
difficult.
For
one,
unless
you
have
baseline
measurements
from
before
you
began
NHE,
with
what
will
you
compare
current
measurements?
Moreover,
hormone
levels
are
highly
variable.
As
explained
in
NHE,
there
are
circadian
and
seasonal
fluctuations
(and
in
women,
monthly,
as
well)
superimposed
upon
sharp
differences
from
the
post-workout
period
to
the
recovery
period.
A
one-time
measurement
is
a
snapshot
of
a
moving
picture,
and
regular
frequent
testing
is
a
costly
inconvenience.
Body
composition,
energy
levels,
blood
lipids,
and
sex
drive
are
more
significant
indicators
of
both
hormonal
status
and
health/well-being.
If
these
parameters
have
improved
since
you
began
NHE,
you
can
be
sure
that
your
hormonal
status
has
improved.
Return
to
Index
|
Clarification
regarding
the
NHE
Eating
Plan's
50
gram
per-meal
protein
limit
|
ROB
SAYS:
On
the
GENERAL
Eating
Plan:
The
50
gram
per-meal
protein
limit
is
mandatory.
On
the
BODYBUILDERS'
Eating
Plan:
The
50
gram
per-meal
protein
limit
is
recommended.
Basis
for
the
distinction:
The
likely
consequence
of
eating
too
much
protein
at
a
meal
-
fat
storage
-
is
more
repugnant
to
someone
whose
primary
objective
is
bodyfat
reduction
as
opposed
to
building
muscle.
Why
is
the
50
gram
per-meal
limit
recommended
for
bodybuilders?
The
weight
of
the
evidence
indicates
that
the
upper
limit
for
benefiting
from
protein
consumption
is
1
gram
per
pound
of
bodyweight.
Beyond
this
level,
the
net
result
is
negative
with
fat
storage
and
kidney
difficulties
outweighing
a
marginal
(or
non-existent)
muscle-building
effect.
Considering
the
great
importance
of
meal
frequency
for
building
muscle,
exceeding
50
grams
per
meal
will
inevitably
place
bodybuilders
weighing
less
than
300
pounds
in
the
following
predicament:
eat
too
few
meals
or
consume
too
much
protein.
To
illustrate:
if
a
200-pound
bodybuilder
consumes
60
grams
of
protein
per
meal,
he/she
will
have
consumed
240
grams
of
protein
after
his/her
4th
meal.
(A
150-pound
bodybuilder
will
go
"over
the
top"
after
only
3
meals.)
Conversely,
if
a
200-pound
bodybuilder
adheres
to
the
recommended
50-gram
limit,
then
(assuming
40
grams
of
protein
per
meal)
he/she
will
hit
200
grams
at
5
meals.
Even
better
would
be
for
the
200-pound
bodybuilder
to
consume
an
average
of
33
grams
of
protein
per
meal
spread-out
over
6
meals.
In
addition
to
stabilizing
insulin
levels
and
promoting
higher
energy
levels
and
greater
mental
productivity,
a
pattern
of
smaller
more
frequent
feedings
is
associated
with
superior
absorption
and
more
efficient
utilization
of
all
nutrients
including
protein.
See
NHE,
Chapter
17,
Protein
Optimization
and
Meal
Frequency.
Return
to
Index
Subject: hormonal
involvement
in
strength
Submitted By:
Bob
Necker,
Chicago,
IL
|
QUESTION: I
really
enjoyed
your
discussion
with
Power
to
the
People
author
Pavel
Tsatsouline
on
Ask
Rob.
Do
you
think
hormones,
not
just
neurological
factors,
might
also
be
involved
in
the
strength
training
he
advocates
even
without
lactic
acid
production?
|
ROB'S
ANSWER:
|
You
asked,
"
Do
you
think
hormones,
not
just
neurological
factors,
might
also
be
involved
in
the
'pure
strength'
training
he
advocates,
even
without
lactic
acid
production?"
This
question
can
be
answered
by
referring
to
Ask
Rob.
Like
anyone
trying
to
be
a
good
writer,
I
choose
my
words
with
great
care.
In
my
letter
to
John
Du
Cane
(Pavel
Tsatsouline's
publisher)
I
state,
".
.
.
hormones
are
only
modestly
involved
in
producing
strength
gains.
The
brain
and
nervous
system,
not
the
endocrine
system,
are
the
primary
agents
in
the
strength-building
process."
Hence,
the
answer
to
your
question
is
yes
hormones
are
involved
-
"modestly."
(I
think
you
may
be
assigning
too
much
importance
to
lactic
acid;
it's
not
the
only
factor
bearing
upon
GH
release,
as
a
careful
reading
of
NHE
discloses.)
Only
when
meticulous
writing
converges
with
meticulous
reading
can
a
complete
and
efficient
"downloading"
of
knowledge
from
an
author's
brain
to
a
reader's
brain
occur.
|
|
Only
when
meticulous
writing
converges
with
meticulous
reading
can
a
complete
and
efficient
downloading
of
knowledge
from
an
author's
brain
to
a
reader's
brain
occur.
|
|
|
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