The crux of this matter lies in the fundamental
differences of these two very different diet fitness approaches
- as the names suggest, high carb diets consist mainly of carbohydrates,
and high fat diets consist of mainly 'fat'. High-carbohydrate
diets are used to maximize muscle and liver glycogen stores. Glycogen
is a complex glucose that supplies large amounts of energy to
anaerobic exercises.
It is common knowledge that fat is the most
fattening source of calories. Gram for gram, it contains 2.5 times
as many calories as carbs and proteins. Studies show that a gram
of carbohydrate requires the body to spend 24 calories to metabolize,
whereas fat requires only 3 calories.
So which type of diet fitness should you follow?
You can either follow a high carb, low fat fitness
diet, or a high fat, low carb diet. Obviously you can't follow
both types of fitness diets, or you'd end up with, well, alot
of bodyfat. A key point to note between these two types of fitness
diets is the energy dominance effect of food intake. This means
that regardless which type of nutrition program you follow, your
body may adapt to using whatever source of energy you provide
it. This takes some time of course. Our bodies burn sugar more
efficiently with high carb diets, and the body may become a major
fat burner on a high fat, low carb diet program. When switching
from one nutrition program to another, studies show an initial
energy lag while the animal's metabolism shifts from a carbohydrate
energy source to a fat energy source.
When switching from a high carb, low fat fitness
diet, enzymatic changes occur. Enzymes which burn fat become increasingly
active with decrease in carbohydrates, and the body increases
the storage of fat for added energy source. This explains why
animals deprived of carbs show no decreased endurance performing
high intensity exercises. Studies show that since high-fat rats
have fat as an additional sources of energy, while high carb rats
are limited to their carbohydrate stores, rats on a fat diet showed
greater endurance than rats on a carbohydrate diet.
So whether you decide to follow the high carb,
low fat fitness diet, or the high fat, low carb diet program,
your body may adapt to perform optimally with either type of bodybuilding
nutrition program.
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Reference: Zaloga, G. Nutrition in
Critical Care, Mosby pbl. 1994
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