How do I build bulk while maintaining high-intensity biking exercise? Can this goal of mine be assisted with better nutrition/eating habits on my part?
– Bowie B.
Building bulk will largely come from resistance training to promote muscle adaptation (growth) to meet a higher workload. Interval sessions are great to boost power and promote weight loss. The two are not mutually exclusive. Speak with a Pro Results® trainer for how to incorporate strength training around your cycling.
Better nutrition can only help! Support your exercise of either type with adequate pre-workout snacks and recovery nutrition. Your goal is to build muscle and preventing any catabolism will contribute to your net positive. Fuel up beforehand with a small snack (e.g. a piece of fruit or handful of crackers) if your meal was recent, and larger snack (e.g. yogurt/granola plus berries, or ½ sandwich) if it’s been a couple of hours since your last meal. Replace depleted energy stores within 30 minutes following an hour-long workout by consuming about 30-50 grams of carbohydrates. Add protein (about 10-20 grams) to prevent breakdown and enhance muscle repair.
Practice good eating habits the rest of your day to keep your metabolism ready for your next cycling or bulk-building workout.
– Debbie J., MS, RD
This article should not replace any exercise program or restrictions, any dietary supplements or restrictions, or any other medical recommendations from your primary care physician. Before starting any exercise program or diet, make sure it is approved by your doctor.
Some questions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Have a nutrition question? Our registered dietitian is ready to help!
Email nutrition@lafitness.com or submit your question below and it may be featured in an upcoming article!
With so many sources offering nutrition advice, it’s hard to know what’s true. Even factual information can become distorted by the time it reaches you. Like a game of telephone, the message often changes as it’s passed along. Here, we debunk 5 common diet myths to...
Eating the right foods before a workout can make a significant difference in your performance and recovery. The goal is to provide your body with the energy it needs to perform at its best while minimizing muscle damage. Here’s a guide on what to eat before a...
If you’re careful with your nutrition, working out weekly, and still experiencing problems with your weight, take a moment to read this QA.
I am a high school track sprinter in the 100 and 400-yard dashes and I am trying to get lean for the season, but no one can give me a good answer on what I should eat, and I really don’t know much about dieting can you help me!?
– Nick R.
Hi Nick! As an athlete you know to focus on fueling performance during your competitive season. To lean out ahead of time I would NOT scrimp on calories, as nutrition goes down with less food. Teenagers are still in a growing/maturation period – even if you think you’re at full height. I would encourage you to continue present energy intake and increase exercise to burn fat.
While you keep calories even, make the most impact on your metabolism by replacing any sugary drinks with milk or pure fruit/vegetable juice. Swap whole-grain breads, buns and crackers for any white flour products you consume. Go lean with protein choices and bulk up sandwiches and burgers with avocado or grilled onions/mushrooms. A little fried food here and there is okay when better options aren’t available (we like tempura green beans). For desserts, stick to a fruit or dairy-based treat versus a baked good to satisfy your sweet tooth.
More specific tips can be found at http://www.sportsrd.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Track-and-Field-Sports-Nutrition.pdf
Good luck on the track!
– Debbie J., MS, RD
This article should not replace any exercise program or restrictions, any dietary supplements or restrictions, or any other medical recommendations from your primary care physician. Before starting any exercise program or diet, make sure it is approved by your doctor.
Some questions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Have a nutrition question? Our registered dietitian is ready to help!
Email nutrition@lafitness.com or submit your question below and it may be featured in an upcoming article!
With so many sources offering nutrition advice, it’s hard to know what’s true. Even factual information can become distorted by the time it reaches you. Like a game of telephone, the message often changes as it’s passed along. Here, we debunk 5 common diet myths to...
Eating the right foods before a workout can make a significant difference in your performance and recovery. The goal is to provide your body with the energy it needs to perform at its best while minimizing muscle damage. Here’s a guide on what to eat before a...
If you’re careful with your nutrition, working out weekly, and still experiencing problems with your weight, take a moment to read this QA.
Is peanut butter a good source of protein (1 tablespoon & 1/2 banana) or just too much fat? What type of cheese has the best protein and least amount of fat? I know I need fat in my diet, but I get that from animal protein and hummus.
– Anne F.
Peanut butter is richer in fat than it is protein by two-fold! It’s comparable to other nut spreads like almond paste, cashew butter and sesame butter. Soynut butter is only slightly higher in protein and lower in fat. A typical 2 tablespoon serving of any is a “good source” of protein, providing at least 10% of a reference daily intake of 60 grams. There are certainly lower-fat proteins (eggs, cottage cheese, extra lean ham, soy sausage) though they don’t spread on a banana.
To answer your second question, cheese is a little better in its protein to fat ratio, with the best regular-fat ones being 2½:1 cottage cheese, 4:3 fresh Parmesan, 1:1 provolone and 1:1 mozzarella. Any cheese made with skim milk will have less fat and reduced and low-fat cheeses are plentiful. I’d recommend avoiding non-fat solid cheeses with their added stabilizers and sodium, not to mention their poor texture.
*nutrient values per USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Legacy Release, April 2018
– Debbie J., MS, RD
This article should not replace any exercise program or restrictions, any dietary supplements or restrictions, or any other medical recommendations from your primary care physician. Before starting any exercise program or diet, make sure it is approved by your doctor.
Some questions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Have a nutrition question? Our registered dietitian is ready to help!
Email nutrition@lafitness.com or submit your question below and it may be featured in an upcoming article!
With so many sources offering nutrition advice, it’s hard to know what’s true. Even factual information can become distorted by the time it reaches you. Like a game of telephone, the message often changes as it’s passed along. Here, we debunk 5 common diet myths to...
Eating the right foods before a workout can make a significant difference in your performance and recovery. The goal is to provide your body with the energy it needs to perform at its best while minimizing muscle damage. Here’s a guide on what to eat before a...
If you’re careful with your nutrition, working out weekly, and still experiencing problems with your weight, take a moment to read this QA.
I am a low-carb vegetarian. What should I eat before and after workouts?
– JC Thomas Jr.
I can see why you reached out, JC! At first glance, there’s certainly a conflict between low-carb and plant-based eating. For vegans, the reliance for protein is heavily on carbohydrate-rich beans. But since you limit carbohydrates it gets trickier to meet protein needs. Depending on the amount of carbohydrate you allow, you should be able to work in legumes daily, though not necessarily for pre/post workout. There are more protein options from seafood and dairy if you perhaps are pescatarian, lacto-vegetarian or ovo-vegetarian.
What are vegetarian things I can eat that contain a lot of protein?
Anything that is suitable for mealtime can be incorporated into pre-workout or recovery snacks. Surrounding your workouts, I’d say to opt for starch or vegetables with accompanying nuts or seeds, and to sacrifice fruit carbohydrate. You can incorporate vegan protein supplements at these times as well. To keep calories up, you need more volume/portions and should incorporate fats throughout the rest of the day.
Here’s a list of some vegetarian foods with limited carbohydrate (<5 grams per serving) *:
and vegetarian foods with very low carbohydrate (<2 grams per serving) *:
*per USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Legacy Release, April 2018.
– Debbie J., MS, RD
This article should not replace any exercise program or restrictions, any dietary supplements or restrictions, or any other medical recommendations from your primary care physician. Before starting any exercise program or diet, make sure it is approved by your doctor.
Some questions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Have a nutrition question? Our registered dietitian is ready to help!
Email nutrition@lafitness.com or submit your question below and it may be featured in an upcoming article!
With so many sources offering nutrition advice, it’s hard to know what’s true. Even factual information can become distorted by the time it reaches you. Like a game of telephone, the message often changes as it’s passed along. Here, we debunk 5 common diet myths to...
Eating the right foods before a workout can make a significant difference in your performance and recovery. The goal is to provide your body with the energy it needs to perform at its best while minimizing muscle damage. Here’s a guide on what to eat before a...
If you’re careful with your nutrition, working out weekly, and still experiencing problems with your weight, take a moment to read this QA.
I currently weigh 270 lbs. and I’m looking to lose at least 70 lbs. I’m trying to lose at least 5 lbs. per week. What should I eat and how much?
– Niesha G.
Your specific diet for rapid weight loss would need to be developed one-on-one with a dietitian, preferably in conjunction with a medical professional. I can say that we’ve addressed similar requests in the past – and the answer is different for each unique person.
Though it’s certainly plausible the scale could drop 5 pounds each of the first few weeks, it’s likely most of that weight would be water loss. Unless you are burning an extra 2,000 calories (a week’s worth of exercise!) daily there wouldn’t be an energy deficit great enough to promote fat burning to that extent.
So… I’d say to focus on your first 10-15-pound reduction by reducing portions, eliminating fried foods, alcohol, and sweets. For structure, you could follow a moderate diet plan providing no fewer than 1,500 calories a day. Whether it’s Mediterranean style, lower carbohydrate, high fiber or 6 mini-meals, adhering to a regimen for a couple of months forces you to plan, shop and prepare for everything you eat.
Here’s just one sample 1,500 calorie day of familiar American foods to get your started*:
Analysis on www.FitDay.com by a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist = 28% Protein, 28% Fat, 44% Carbohydrate, 25 gm Fiber * Findings were used along with RDN’s professional judgment.
– Debbie J., MS, RD
This article should not replace any exercise program or restrictions, any dietary supplements or restrictions, or any other medical recommendations from your primary care physician. Before starting any exercise program or diet, make sure it is approved by your doctor.
Some questions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Have a nutrition question? Our registered dietitian is ready to help!
Email nutrition@lafitness.com or submit your question below and it may be featured in an upcoming article!
With so many sources offering nutrition advice, it’s hard to know what’s true. Even factual information can become distorted by the time it reaches you. Like a game of telephone, the message often changes as it’s passed along. Here, we debunk 5 common diet myths to...
Eating the right foods before a workout can make a significant difference in your performance and recovery. The goal is to provide your body with the energy it needs to perform at its best while minimizing muscle damage. Here’s a guide on what to eat before a...
If you’re careful with your nutrition, working out weekly, and still experiencing problems with your weight, take a moment to read this QA.