besides fructose, is there any reason to consume sugar?

[spesmilitis]

besides fructose, is there any reason why sugar should be in our diet?

 

[stronglifts]

besides fructose, is there any reason why sugar should be in our diet?

Glycogen. Any high intensity activity needs glycogen. No glycogen == no energy when doing high intensity activity (strength training, sprints,...)

The more volume you're doing, the higher the need for glycogen & thus sugar.

Even no carbs diets (like the Anabolic Diet) use carbs loading for this reason.

 

[mrRuckus]

Even no carbs diets (like the Anabolic Diet) use carbs loading for this reason.

Have you been on this diet? I found the .pdf for it and read it the other day.

Does missing out on the whole post-workout insulin rush hurt anything? By a friday workout do you still have the same capability for intensity as you do monday? Or do most people have to do the short wednesday carb up?

It just goes against all conventional wisdom when you take out the post-workout carbs. Maybe you make up for missing them in other areas, though. I don't know.

I'm considering trying this diet because i don't really care for eating carbs too much but i know on the weekend it's a pain in the ass trying to avoid them everywhere I go. And being able to junk out a little bit would be awesome.

 

[spesmilitis]

whoops, i meant sugars as in sweets, candy. No as in complex carbs.

 

[stronglifts]

Have you been on this diet? I found the .pdf for it and read it the other day.

Does missing out on the whole post-workout insulin rush hurt anything? By a friday workout do you still have the same capability for intensity as you do monday? Or do most people have to do the short wednesday carb up?

It just goes against all conventional wisdom when you take out the post-workout carbs. Maybe you make up for missing them in other areas, though. I don't know.

I'm considering trying this diet because i don't really care for eating carbs too much but i know on the weekend it's a pain in the ass trying to avoid them everywhere I go. And being able to junk out a little bit would be awesome.

I'm on the diet yes. I've been on it for more than a year now. I was already eating relatively low carb before this, with heavy carb ups in the weekend (as you say, a pain to avoid them everywhere you go). Then I cam accross the Anabolic Diet, gave it a try, it rocks imo.


1) Insuline. You don't have the insuline post workout no. What you have heavy insuline spikes in the weekend, during the carb up. It acts as supercompensation. Forcing your muscles to load themselves up with all the carbs you're giving them.
2) Workouts. After the carb up, your muscles contain carbs. As the workouts go by, carb stores gets depleted. Depending on the amount of volume at high intensity you're doing, this will vary from person to person.
What you can do:
-Do like me, high volume at the start of the week (several sets/reps at 70-80% intensity), low volume at the end of the week (several singles at +90% intensity)
-Work with a mid week carbup on wednesday to get you through the rest of the week

I only do a mid week carb up when I know there's some heavy work planned at the end of the week. Example, I'll be training with bigger guys next Friday, I know it will turn out in a meet lol, doing lots of volume, high intensity. So I'll prepare myself with a mid week carbup to avoid any problems.

3) Weekends are simple. You eat as much carbs as you want. Much easier socially.


You should give it a try, at least 4 weeks. Check StrongLifts.com. There are several articles on the Anabolic Diet, just do a search.


If you need more info, feel free to pm me.

 

[Warboss Alex]

There is actually no reason to consume carbs at all except fruit and vegetables. Complex carbs are just better for gaining weight for most people (e.g. if you're 140lbs I wouldn't suggest a low carb approach to get bigger).

Plus, there's a certain percentage of the population that has adapted to carbs properly and can consume them freely with no negative effects (conversely these people don't react well to fats - but the MAJORITY of people do well on low carb diets unless they're extreme carb-burngers).

Glycogen can and will be restored without carbs at a reasonably efficient rate. BCAAs and glutamine (at a very high dose however) will do the job fine. Combining say 40-50g of BCAAs and some whey post-workout will spike insulin fairly well. Glutamine (and glycine) will increase the rate of glycogen restoration - even in the absence of carbs.

Of course, carbs are more efficient at this, but are not essential. For low-carbers a small amount of carbs (say fruit) with the supplements above is a great post-workout option. Probably won't work as well as boatloading dextrose, oats, malto etc but if you're carb-sensitive or following a no postworkout carb diet (e.g. anabolic diet) it's a viable option.

 

[A-Unit]

Re:

I'm actually giving the anabolic diet a whirl.
I bought the book about 2 weeks, grabbed all the sups reco'd from bb.com, and the foods necessary. Some of what I'm eating...

Lots of egg omlettes w/bacon
Muscle milk with Extra Virgin Olive oil
Natural PB w/ Cucumbers
Leaf Spinach Salad, Cheese, Olives, and Olive Oil
Sausages and pork
Chicken
Steaks
Veggies
Poland Spring water
Diet Soda (occaisonally)
Turkey burgers

Last night was my 1st night eating somewhere other than MY comfort zone; I ate my gfs. I had steak, onions, mushrooms, salad w/olive oil, broccoli with butter. There's a definate...weird feeling to NOT carbing, but everything I'm eating IS good. The only time I felt guilty was the pork on the foreman w/a sausage, but alot of guys at Tnation said they ate it, so I'm going with it. I believe some of it is mental, in that, I've never gone low carb in my life. I've always eaten for performance in the gym and afterwards, so there's still holes in my program. I've taken the week off from lifting to adapt to the eating style, and may carb up on friday evening, and resume the diet sunday evening (5 on, 2 off), and begin lifting again monday. The next fews are hard for me due to alot of birthdays, 4th of july, and my own bday, so I'm getting started on it to see what the benies are.

As I see it, the American diet has AS much or more carbs than the rest of the world. Shopping yesterday, I realized ALL of the food you should eat are on the out perimeter of grocery stores, and the inner perimeter is crap. All carbs. All varieties of some frankenfood made by big business. So if MOST people buy the same thing...is it possible they are wrong and we are right? I Shouldn't crave carbs, really, it's only b/c I've had them for so long that I want them. What I've eaten is MORE than satisfying, but according to the good DR, a long enough time period on a diet high in carbs switching the body over to burning carbs/sugar, not fat.

Tnation suggests most people will "crash" by day 8, but recover by day 12, or once they carb load. I haven't yet. And some of my sleepiness may just be lack of sleep, which Ill get this weekend.

I can see why it COULD be very good for men, but b/c of the negative press around fat, they may be scared to hit it up. My food bill wasn't too high, and alot of it was just getting stuff I needed, that's a 1 time charge...Britta Water Filter, Razorblades, etc...Women...they may not enjoy it, unless its with alot of chicken, fish, and oils.

What measurable results can you attribute to the diet SL?

The DR is very passionate about it. He says that with average workouts and eating this way, ALL men can hit 10-12% bf. They could go lower with discipline. However, at that range, being muscular will EASILY show through. The biggest negatives I receive from people are inducing a heart attack (although the DR says this COMBATS that), and calling it a DIET to begin with. Actually, it allows for alot of course correction, and in the book he suggest that if you're on it long enough and fall off, say during the holidays, you can be so adpated to it that a week long carb binge would FEEL bad, but it wouldn't switch your system BACK to carb sources for energy.

I've read other books, such as by Dr Gregory Ellis, which suggest high fat, high protein is the way to go. In his book, he says its imperative to get below 25% carbs, and preferably around only 10%. The AD is for 30grams per day, for 5 days roughly, and then whateer on the weekends. The point is to find YOUR carb set point.


A-Unit

 

[mrRuckus]

How does it affect people who are already low carb?

I think if i were to go on this diet i'd in effect just be moving my post workout carbs to the weekends. The only time i eat carbs now are green vegetables (and cauliflower) and my postworkout shake and some oatmeal in the meal after that. And that's only 100g of carbs on those days (i'm on a recomp).

From what i've read it always assumes that you're coming from a high carb diet. The initial two weeks of no carbs... would that pretty much put me on the floor since i'm already fairly lacking in carbs instead of coming from a glucose rich world? Would you say at this carb level (for months now) i've already gone through a metabolic shift?

 

[stronglifts]

Last night was my 1st night eating somewhere other than MY comfort zone; I ate my gfs. I had steak, onions, mushrooms, salad w/olive oil, broccoli with butter. There's a definate...weird feeling to NOT carbing, but everything I'm eating IS good. The only time I felt guilty was the pork on the foreman w/a sausage, but alot of guys at Tnation said they ate it, so I'm going with it. I believe some of it is mental, in that, I've never gone low carb in my life. I've always eaten for performance in the gym and afterwards, so there's still holes in my program. I've taken the week off from lifting to adapt to the eating style, and may carb up on friday evening, and resume the diet sunday evening (5 on, 2 off), and begin lifting again monday. The next fews are hard for me due to alot of birthdays, 4th of july, and my own bday, so I'm getting started on it to see what the benies are.

As I see it, the American diet has AS much or more carbs than the rest of the world. Shopping yesterday, I realized ALL of the food you should eat are on the out perimeter of grocery stores, and the inner perimeter is crap. All carbs. All varieties of some frankenfood made by big business. So if MOST people buy the same thing...is it possible they are wrong and we are right? I Shouldn't crave carbs, really, it's only b/c I've had them for so long that I want them. What I've eaten is MORE than satisfying, but according to the good DR, a long enough time period on a diet high in carbs switching the body over to burning carbs/sugar, not fat.

Tnation suggests most people will "crash" by day 8, but recover by day 12, or once they carb load. I haven't yet. And some of my sleepiness may just be lack of sleep, which Ill get this weekend.

I can see why it COULD be very good for men, but b/c of the negative press around fat, they may be scared to hit it up. My food bill wasn't too high, and alot of it was just getting stuff I needed, that's a 1 time charge...Britta Water Filter, Razorblades, etc...Women...they may not enjoy it, unless its with alot of chicken, fish, and oils.

What measurable results can you attribute to the diet SL?

The DR is very passionate about it. He says that with average workouts and eating this way, ALL men can hit 10-12% bf. They could go lower with discipline. However, at that range, being muscular will EASILY show through. The biggest negatives I receive from people are inducing a heart attack (although the DR says this COMBATS that), and calling it a DIET to begin with. Actually, it allows for alot of course correction, and in the book he suggest that if you're on it long enough and fall off, say during the holidays, you can be so adpated to it that a week long carb binge would FEEL bad, but it wouldn't switch your system BACK to carb sources for energy.

I've read other books, such as by Dr Gregory Ellis, which suggest high fat, high protein is the way to go. In his book, he says its imperative to get below 25% carbs, and preferably around only 10%. The AD is for 30grams per day, for 5 days roughly, and then whateer on the weekends. The point is to find YOUR carb set point.


A-Unit

Good post as always A-Unit.

1) There's definitely a psychological adaptation needed. We all have a fear of fat. Thank the matrix for that.

2) Carbs craving. Why isn't there something like "fat craving"? Or "Protein craving"?
It's when you get low carb that you start to know yourself. Once you stop something & you get severe side effects, you know there is something not normal about the product. Carbs, sigarettes, drugs, alcohol, what's the difference when you think about it?

3) It should be called the Anabolic Lifestyle rather than the Anabolic Diet. Once you convert, you start wondering why everything must have sugar in it. Why do they put it in everything?

4) The crash depends on how fat you are & how much carbs you're consuming right now. If you have 20% fat & getting 60% calories out of carbs, you're more likely to crash than someone at 10% fat getting 30% calories out of carbs.

5) Sleepiness. Common on the diet. You'll need less sleep on the AD. Carbs & serotine.

6) Results. More energy, less sleep, no hunger, lower bodyfat, no more fullness after eating,... This is more than a diet for someone who workouts. This is a diet for someone who wants more of his life, who wants to control what he eats, when eats, how he eats. That's what you get when insuline is controlled.

I'm always happy when it's monday morning back to no carbs. Carbing up is fun, up to a point. When the fullness/sleepiness/low energy sets in again, you know why you switched to the Anabolic Diet.

 

[stronglifts]

How does it affect people who are already low carb?

I think if i were to go on this diet i'd in effect just be moving my post workout carbs to the weekends. The only time i eat carbs now are green vegetables (and cauliflower) and my postworkout shake and some oatmeal in the meal after that. And that's only 100g of carbs on those days (i'm on a recomp).

From what i've read it always assumes that you're coming from a high carb diet. The initial two weeks of no carbs... would that pretty much put me on the floor since i'm already fairly lacking in carbs instead of coming from a glucose rich world? Would you say at this carb level (for months now) i've already gone through a metabolic shift?

mrRuckus,

I was doing a similar thing to you before switching to the Anabolic Diet. Only carbs post/post post workout, about 100g a day.

I haven't been through a metabolic shift, however you're certainly less carb dependent that someone who gets 500g carbs a day. Shifting to the AD will be easy.

 

[Kev07]

you want to eat some sugar before competing in sports, and during sports for the energy

 

[Throttle]

you can eat an immense amount of trashy carbs so long as your body will be putting them to use immediately. a month ago I was low-carbing, but i've lost more bodyfat in the last 4 weeks eating absolute trash 5 times a day, since my activity level is through the roof (trying to keep up with 6-10 year olds for 8 hours a day).

all that low carbing has paid huge dividends, though: i now crave exactly what i need for all that extra energy, and no more.