Dietary fat and endurance

For the longest time, “healthy eating” and “low fat diet” have been virtually synonymous. Low-fat diets are still popular among people trying to lose weight, as well as people trying to prevent or help treat heart disease.

Even many athletes will consume low fat diets. Unfortunately, this may compromise their endurance. According to the Department of Physical Therapy, University at Buffalo, New York, in “The effects of varying dietary fat on performance and metabolism in trained male and female runners“:

RESULTS:

Runners on the low fat diet ate 19% fewer calories than on the medium or high fat diets. Body weight, percent body fat (males=71 kg and 16%; females=57 kg and 19%), VO2max and anaerobic power were not affected by the level of dietary fat. Endurance time increased from the low fat to medium fat diet by 14%. No differences were seen in plasma lactate, glucose, glycerol, triglycerides and fatty acids when comparing the low versus the medium fat diet. Subjects who increased dietary fat to 44% had higher plasma pyruvate (46%) and lower lactate levels (39%) after the endurance run.

CONCLUSION:

These results suggest that runners on a low fat diet consume fewer calories and have reduced endurance performance than on a medium or high fat diet. A high fat diet, providing sufficient total calories, does not compromise anaerobic power.

So if you’re an endurance athlete, a low fat diet may hurt your performance. Just a little more can lead to significant improvements.

Fat of course is a vital macro-nutrient, but the idea that fat is bad for you and will quickly lead to weight gain is still very pervasive. The truth is actually a lot more complicated than this.

Generally speaking, plant fat is healthier than animal fat. In particular, mono-unsaturated fats like olive oil, and almond oil are heart healthy, unlike animal fat which is saturated and more likely to clog arteries. Mono-unsaturated fats tend to be liquid, while saturated fats are thicker, chunkier, and semi-solid. Fat is also better raw, since cooking it can make it unstable and more likely to promote inflammation.

Trans-fats are the absolute worst and should be avoided at all costs. It’s like they were invented by evil scientists for the purpose of causing heart attacks. Omega 3 fats, which are abundant in flaxseed, walnuts, oily fish and certain species of algae are also good for you. The jury is still out on the long-term health effects of coconut oil, which is one of the very few plant sources of saturated fat.

As for me, I tend to eat a moderate to high fat vegan diet. I eat a lot of nuts and often consume a lot of olive oil. In my case it is justified since I usually run over 40 miles per week. I usually prefer fat raw, but I am okay with lightly cooking it sometimes.

Besides avoiding trans-fats, I also avoid palm oil. This is because palm oil production is largely responsible for the massive deforestation in South-East Asia, threatening to drive the Orangutan and countless other species extinct.

Can water assist in weight loss?

Our bodies are about 60% water. We could not live without water. Our most ancient ancestors evolved in water, which may be why almost all life is dependent on it. A few species, like the land-dwelling ancestors of whales, were even pulled back into the water by evolutionary forces to become aquatic mammals.

But could this most ubiquitous, and essential of substances help with weight loss? It sounds crazy to ask, since, if the solution to being overweight were that simple, then why are so many of us fat?

A quick look at the scientific literature lead to an interesting study on children in: Int J Obes (Lond). 2011 Oct;35, by Dubnov-Raz G, Constantini NW, Yariv H, Nice S, Shapira N. – Influence of water drinking on resting energy expenditure in overweight children:

CONCLUSIONS:

This study demonstrated an increase of up to 25% in REE following the drinking of 10 ml kg(-1) of cold water in overweight children, lasting for over 40 min. Consuming the recommended daily amount of water for children could result in an energy expenditure equivalent to an additional weight loss of about 1.2 kg per year. These findings reinforce the concept of water-induced REE elevation shown in adults, suggesting that water drinking could assist overweight children in weight loss or maintenance, and may warrant emphasis in dietary guidelines against the obesity epidemic.

This is remarkable. While the amount of weight loss would be modest, it was still statistically significant.

It looks like the potential weight loss was due to water raising their REE(Resting energy expenditure). What this also suggests is that one of the keys to losing weight or keeping it off is to maximize our REE. Obviously, this can be achieved through exercise, but it may be more important to not be inactive(sitting down for several hours) for extended periods of time, since this can negate the effects of regular exercise.

It must be noted that this was just one study; follow up studies on water could fail to replicate the findings of the first one, especially when you consider how the potential for weight loss was almost statistically insignificant. Also, this study was done on children, so the findings may not apply to adults, and the study concerned the potential for weight loss, not actual weight loss.

Still, it is a sound idea for the weight conscious to drink water instead of calorie containing drinks. So if you’re struggling to lose weight, among all the other things you are doing, fill yourself up with water before meals or if you are experiencing cravings.

Can you be fat and fit?

Many people might think it is ridiculous to ask such a question since, to them, the answer is obvious. “Fat and fit? Give me a break!”, they might say. Science on the other hand says something very different.

Source: Wikipedia

Luckily, Steven Blair at the Cooper Institute, in Dallas, Texas decided to put this question to the test. Needless to say, the results of his research sent shock-waves across the world, due to their counterintuitive conclusions. Among their findings: ” 1) regular physical activity clearly attenuates many of the health risks associated with overweight or obesity; 2) physical activity appears to not only attenuate the health risks of overweight and obesity, but active obese individuals actually have lower morbidity and mortality than normal weight individuals who are sedentary“ (emphasis mine)

This is remarkable. It seems to suggest that regular exercise is more important than weight loss. So if you are overweight, and you regularly exercise, don’t get frustrated and give up if you don’t lose weight, there are many other benefits from exercise besides weight loss.

The findings from this study and similar ones also relate to the TOFI(thin outside, fat inside) phenomenon I did an earlier post on – Are you a Tofi?

This doesn’t mean if you are significantly overweight but are still healthy, you shouldn’t try to lose weight.

The lessons to be learned here are: No matter what your weight is, exercise is beneficial. If you are overweight but not losing weight, keep exercising. Also, being slim doesn’t mean you are metabolically fit, so slim people still need to exercise to be healthy.

You get most of your protein from nuts?!

Rumors have been swirling around about this for quite some time. I thought it was time to tell the truth. I do, in fact, on many days get most of my protein from nuts. Or a delicious combination of nuts and legumes. The Wild Juggler is in fact a vegetarian.

So how is this possible? Is he, yet again, violating the laws of physics? Truth be told, nuts are a great source of protein.
1/4 cup of almonds contains about 6 grams of protein.

While it also has a lot of fat, it is mostly the healthy, unsaturated kind of fat. Almonds and many other nuts are also good sources of fiber, minerals, and protective phyto-chemicals, similar to the ones in tea and some vegetables. I love my nuts raw and unprocessed. I don’t eat nuts that have added oils, salt, sugar or anything. Read labels. I often snack on nuts after a long joggle.

If you’re afraid that eating nuts will cause weight gain, do not worry. I eat tons of nuts almost every day; if you’ve been pecan at my photos, you know I’m not exactly obese. Still not convinced?

According to Fitwatch.com, eating nuts regularly can help you lose weight by speeding up your metabolism – Why Eating Nuts Can Help You Lose Weight

Fiber, always your friend, helps prevent the fat from getting absorbed. I think nuts are a great way to replace meat and dairy in your diet. People who eat a lot of nuts are generally slimmer, on average than those who eat the least. Nut butters make a great snack and are good for making sandwiches. Peanut butter is one of my favorites, though technically, peanuts are a legume.

I totally love nuts. When people call me a “nut”, I take it as a compliment. So go nuts with nuts, and try to violate the laws of physics with your fitness routine!

Fidget off the fat, research says

This sounds almost too good to be true, but research suggests that people who fidget a lot tend to be slimmer than those who do not fidget. 

What this means is that every little bit of exercise helps. Even if you are sitting, tapping your feet or moving around a lot can help burn calories. If possible, stand rather than sit. Losing weight is easier if you approach fitness as a lifestyle, not as an activity. 

Other ways to make fitness a lifestyle and not just an activity:

Take the stairs instead of the elevator

Walk instead of taking the car

Can’t or don’t want to go to a gym? Use resistance bands. You can even bring them with you to work(along with your juggling balls), where you can do a quick resistance workout that is practically the same as if you are lifting weights.

I also think it is important to avoid negative people who may try to sabotage your weight-loss efforts.

Of course twiddling your thumbs or taking the stairs can’t replace the recommended 30 minutes of daily aerobic exercise we need to be fit and prevent disease. And you don’t even have to do the 30 minutes all at once either. You can divide it up – 10 minutes in the morning, 20 later in the day. 10 minutes seems to be the magic number for a bout of cardio to really count as exercise, so if you divide your time for exercise, do at least 10 minutes at a time.

Above all, make sure you enjoy your exercise. Do not think of it as punishment. You were born to move!

Sitting may be dangerous for your health

Sitting may be dangerous for your health, according to some studies. I know, I know, you’re probably sick of hearing how certain everyday habits may cause disease, but this is a health and fitness blog so it’s totally on topic.

Anyway, sitting is associated with an increased risk for many different diseases, even in people who exercise every day yet sit a lot during work or leisure. Excessive sitting may play an important role in the obesity epidemic and may also partially explain the Tofi phenomenon, people who are Thin on the Outside but Fat on the Inside.

The simple solution is to simply move around more, and if you must sit, to get up every now and then to stretch or do some quick exercises. I often stand at my desk when blogging or browsing, but not always. Sitting on an exercise ball may be a little better; stand up desks or treadmills seem like a great solution. It’s disturbing how sitting seems to be as bad as smoking when it comes to health, at least according to some research.

Whatever you do, keep moving!

Is Sitting a Lethal Activity?

Are you a Tofi?

Many people who look fit may be anything but. There is a growing phenomenon of “Tofis”, people who are “Thin on the Outside, Fat on the Inside”. It’s like a more insidious form of obesity, since even the sufferer may be under the illusion that they are healthy when they are actually very fat on the inside. This outwardly hidden excess fat is stored in and around many vital organs which can clog the arteries and lead to heart disease, besides causing many other serious health problems associated with obesity.

This underscores the reason everyone needs to exercise, which is by far the best way to ensure our metabolism doesn’t go awry(besides eating healthy). It still amazes me how often I encounter people who believe “skinny people shouldn’t exercise”, which is usually aimed at me due to how slim I am. 

Above all, and it deserves repetition, fitness should be a lifestyle, not an activity.