How to Gain Weight - As an Athlete

One pound of muscle is equal to about 100 grams of protein. Therefore, an individual would need 14gm/day above normal protein requirements to gain weight (muscle weight). Sports nutrition authorities recommend 1.5 to 1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight for the athlete who is training to increase muscle mass. Supplementation by expensive protein powders or amino acids is not necessary. All an athlete has to do is consume additional protein and carbohydrates about two hours before and immediately after the resistance training workout. 

Dietary supplements appear to be popular among athletes attempting to gain strength and muscle mass. There is no data to support the use of most supplements. That being said, creatine monohydrate does appear to increase body weight and strength. There is no data supporting beneficial effects of DHEA supplementation and high serum DHEA levels have been associated with several health risks. Most studies show that there is no ergogenic effects of androstenedione supplementation and its use could exert feminizing effects in males and reduce HDL.

Lifting weights and eating protein is often perceived as the best way to bulk up. 

Extra calories may be needed, however, especially those from carbohydrates – not protein. Carbohydrates fuel your muscles so that they can perform intense muscle-building exercises. Overloading the muscle with weightlifting and not with protein will increase the actual size of the muscle fibers, instead of water weight. Research indicates that protein powders and amino acids no not work for gaining muscle weight – despite what advertisements might depict. Eating the calories needed is better than taking additional supplements. You are most likely to gain weight if you consistently eat larger-than-normal meals. 

Suggestions for those trying to gain weight include drinking 1% and 2% milk, although I have my boyfriend drink whole milk as he needs both the calories and fat from whole milk; increase your intake of lean meats, poultry, and fish; use nuts, seeds and limited amounts of peanut butter for snacks; increase your consumption of whole-grain products; add fruit to other food exchanges and drink more fruit juice (it’s higher in calories); use fresh vegetables as snacks with melted low-fat cheese or a nutritious dip (like humus!); and lastly, try to minimize the intake of saturated fats, using monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats instead, and minimize calories through alcohol.

Eating three balanced meals per day supplemented with two or three snacks will help you obtain your goals while keeping your metabolism and energy levels consistent. If you can’t get the calories and minerals necessary through foods, liquid supplements may contain 300-400 calories with substantial protein. If you can’t gain weight, try the following: eat more frequently throughout the day, eat extra snacks and larger meal portions, eat foods that are denser and calorie high, eat healthy fats! You can get more calories by using granola, muesli, grape-nuts, bananas, raisins, cooking with milk, margarine, peanut butter and wheat germ, using walnuts, almonds and avocados. Fruits with high calories include bananas, pineapple, mangoes, raisins, dates and dried fruits.

My boyfriend David, has cystic fibrosis; and amongst the many disease side effects he has, he does not absorb calories or fat properly due to improper functioning of his pancreas. Therefore, David has to eat approximately three-four thousand calories per day when he’s inactive, and up to eight thousand calories per day when he is very active. We achieve this through morning shakes consisting of Ovaltine, Ice Cream, Whole Milk, Kefir, Gold Standard Whey Protein and Two Bananas; a carbohydrate dense snack before lunch; a foot long sandwich from Subway; a veggie and fruit intensive snack; and two dinners consisting of chicken or beef, vegetables (usually broccoli or asparagus with vinaigrette), pasta. I also make homemade guacamole for him to add to his meals. It’s always surprising to him that I eat half of what he eats and that is ‘ok’ for me as an individual.

French Paradox

Much press has been given to the French Paradox. Epidemiologic studies have observed that in southern France, mortality rates from heart disease are lower than expected despite the consumption of diets high in saturated fats and the tendency to smoke cigarettes. Low-to-moderate intake of wine is associated with lower mortality from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease and other causes. The French Paradox refers only to Southern France, as longevity and mortality rates from all-causes in France are similar to that in other industrialized countries. Other variables may be at play, including under reporting of coronary related deaths in France. Both dietary and non-dietary factors may be influencing results: such as lower levels of stress, under-reporting of deaths, slow food (antithesis of the fast food mentality), time lag association similar to that observed between cigarettes smoking and incidence of lung cancer in women. The French consume a Mediterranean-style diet, along with consumption of mostly red wine with their meals. France has the highest per capita consumption of grape-wine than any other developed country. Epidemiologic studies suggest that the intake in France could explain a 40.0% reduction in heart disease. These factors have been proposed to explain the so-called paradox.

Wine and Tea

Numerous studies have showed the benefits of alcohol on the heart in a number of different countries. However, for those with a tendency towards alcoholism or a family history of alcohol related cancers, they should opt for the grape juice instead. Many health conscious consumers have sought supplements and foods rich in polyphenol antioxidant resveratrol since there are potential health benefits. Cardio protective effects, as well as HDL raising and LCL lowering effects of alcohol have been shown in a well-controlled dietary intervention study, with pre and post menopausal women as well as men. Trying to capitalize on the high concentration of resveratrol in many red wines, some Vineyards have obtained federal permission to print the resveratrol content on the labels.

At low to moderate ethanol intake, the risk of heart disease or death is lower than in abstainers, but at high intake levels, these risks rise again. Ethanol intake has also been reported to have cardio protective effects because of its effects on platelet aggregation. Human studies with de-alcoholized red but not white wine show short-term cardiovascular benefits, which supports the recent health benefits of red grapes.

Epidemiologic studies evaluating the protective effect of drinking tea on the development or incidence of cardiovascular disease is significantly less than the number of studies examining ethanol or wine intake. Tea consumption is reported to have similar protective effects. Green tea has been associated with lower serum cholesterol concentrations, higher HDL and lower LDL’s. Tea consumption also contributes to a lower mortality after acute myocardial infarction. In contrast, a British study saw no inverse relationship between tea consumption HDL, LDL or triglycerides except in individuals who had specific atherogenic ApoE genotypes. It should be noted, however, that there may be other benefits to black tea as it provides a rich source of polyphenols and antioxidants.

The mechanism explaining why wine and tea consumption may offer protection against atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease remain unclear. More research on the polphenolic compounds found in tea and wine may show that they are partially responsible for the health benefits. Potential benefits include of wine and tea poly-phenols to reduce the risks of atherosclerosis or heart disease include the following: 1) may help prevent high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure, 2) increase HDL levels and decrease LDL levels, 3) inhibit lipoprotein (a) levels, 4) have some chemo-protective effects, 5) inhibit oxidation of LDL, 6) maintain plasma levels of antioxidant vitamins, 7) scavenge a wide range of reactive oxygen, 8) modulate activity of antioxidant enzymes, 9) decrease metal ion pro-oxidant activity, 10) enhance nitric oxide synthesis to keep blood vessels patent, 11) display anti-inflammatory activity, and 12) inhibit platelet aggregations like aspirin does.

Wine was observed to be more effective than ethanol in preventing the development of atherosclerotic lesions in cholesterol-fed rabbits. Consumption of green tea has been associated with decreased serum traclyglycerols and cholesterol. Foods and beverages rich in penolic compounds, especially flavonoids, have often been associated with decreased risk of developing several diseases.

I would personally like to think that wine and tea both have health benefits, just like Omega-3s do. I have a family history of CVD, and despite being a triathlete and marathoner, eating well, drinking moderately, etc., my last cholesterol test was worse than I expected: note that I didn’t say bad. I had borderline LDL (not good, but low in the ‘middle’ section) and good HDL, but borderline on the middle section. I don’t remember what I ate before I took the test, but I’m hoping that I had just doped up on a lot of red meat – otherwise, there isn’t much work to be done except eat less meat and start taking cholesterol medication – which is great for someone who is 25 years old.

Brain + Sports = Good

I wanted to post a link to a great article from the NY Times blog about how Sports focuses the Brain. Check it out here: Bran + Sports = Good