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Q:Is it true that in order to lose weight you need to cut back on carbohydrates and
increase protein?
NO. A high protein diet is not recommended for athletes or people of poor
cardiovascular health (which accounts for more than 60% of the national population). The
reason people lose weight using this high-protein method is because it has a dehydrating
effect—carbohydrates help your body store water and protein makes you excrete more
water. So initially you get hooked because you lose weight immediately, but the weight
lost is really water weight. The best way to lose weight is to eat less calories than your
body uses for energy, thus forcing your body to tap into its fuel reserves stored as
fat.
Q:What are the possible different effects of a diet high in carbohydrate, and a diet low
in carbohydrate but high in protein?
High Carb Diet: Research tells us again and again that the body’s fuel (especially
during exercise) is carbohydrate. Further scientific inquiry demonstrates a direct
relationship between endurance (exercise > 1 hour in duration) performance and stored
carbohydrate content (glycogen). During exercise we primarily burn carbs for fuel, and
some fat, rarely do we burn protein (which is stored in the form of muscle). The only time
we begin to rely on protein as a fuel is when we run out of carbs. When this happens we
start breaking down our muscles to provide energy to fuel the exercise. So while a high
protein diet may be all the rage right now, it is a very poor choice for athletes. Time
and time again I see patients who complain of low energy, poor performance, and tiredness
who believe they are over-trained. Nine out of 10 times when I analyze their diet, I
discover the real reason for these symptoms is they are out of gas (carbs). Once we fix
that, the symptoms fade away.
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