Friday, November 1, 2013

Nutrition Series II: The Atkins Diet

The science behind the Atkins Diet is to make the body use the fat storage for energy instead of glucose. If an athlete were to use this diet method, they need to understand that glucose is a direct fuel, needed for fat oxidation to produce energy to fuel protein's functions of repair, maintenance, and growth and convert protein to glucose, when energy is needed" (Gale Welter, 2005).

The Atkins Diet states that it can help a client lose up to 15 pounds in 2 weeks. This type of weight loss is extremely unhealthy; when dieting in a healthy manner you should not lose more than 1-2 pounds.

The Atkins Diet is broken up into four different phases. The first phase allows the client to eat a net worth of 20g of carbohydrates a day from proteins, healthy fats and vegetables. Net carbohydrate is calculated by grams of total carbohydrates minus grams of fiber. This phase will last until the body is burning primarily fat for energy, it can last for several months. Being in this phase for several months can have detrimental effects. The athlete is not getting the appropriate amount of carbohydrates-to-protein-to-fat ratio needed for recovery after a hard workout. Athletes will exhibit low energy levels until the body adjusts to the changes.

The second phase allows the dieter to add higher carbohydrate foods back into the diet like nuts, berries, and yogurt. The daily net carbohydrate has now increased to 25-45g.  The third phase or the pre-maintenance phase allows for all forms of carbohydrates. The daily net carbohydrate level is now at 50-70g.  The dieter can move onto phase three when they are within ten pounds of their weight goal.  The last phase of the Atkins Diet is known as lifetime maintenance. The client is only allowed 75g of carbohydrates in their diet.

If an athlete were contemplating between diet plans, they need to be aware that, the Atkins diet is based on a 2000 calorie scale.  An active athlete needs to consume more than 2000 calories a day due to the high amount of calories that they burn during practice and competition.  When looking further into the suggested foods of the Atkins Diet they cut out major carbohydrate containing foods, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and whole grains during the first two phased. A balanced diet is important for athletes, in order to perform at their peak level.






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