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FoodFreak
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- Oct 6, 2009
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OVER EATING & DIGESTION:
The Importance of Proper Digestion for Bodybuilding
The idea of excessive overeating for bodybuilding purposes seems to have received the same viral credibility as excessive carbohydrate intake. It is very easy to believe what you read in magazines and on the internet about “force feeding for mass” or what have you, but making a habit of blindly following advice is what keeps people from reaching a true understanding, and thus gaining true control over changing their bodies.
The body favors homeostasis and does not like abrupt/extreme changes, nor does it respond to abrupt/extreme changes in favorable ways. We need to understand that when it comes to bodybuilding, we can only build x amount of muscle and burn y amount of fat over time. This process can be optimizing with proper training, nutrition, supplementation, performance enhancement and lifestyle choices however even if all of those things are employed at 100% efficiency, we can still only accomplish so much in a given period of time. Bodybuilding is a process and one that should be enjoyed. Much like anything else in life, if we become fixated on the end result, we miss out on enjoying the process. I mentioned a word in this last paragraph-efficiency…let’s re-address this concept:
In order to achieve our bodybuilding goals we want to make the body work efficiently. This is why we aim to provide the body with enough water, sleep, stimulus (training), and nutrition to promote metabolic shifts towards anabolism of muscle tissue, and catabolism of body fat. One of the key metabolic processes we wish to have functioning as healthily and efficiently as possible is DIGESTION.
If we are not properly digesting the nutrients we eat, they cannot possibly be assimilated into muscle tissue, fuel our workouts, or support our immune systems. As we have now been reminded, our organ systems and metabolic processes can only handle so much, and accomplish so much in a given period of time. I will assume that 9/10 people reading this now immediately realize how counterproductive over-feeding can be. To further exemplify this I always suggest that when thinking about the body we stop micromanaging and “zoom out.” We need to look at the system as a whole and extend it even beyond OUR physical bodies and into the physical things that we consume in order to BUILD our bodies. This is where proper food choices come into play. If you provide the body with what it needs, it will reward you with feeling good, looking good and being healthy!
DO YOU HAVE POOR DIGESTION?
Due to the stresses of modern society, poor lifestyle choices and dietary habits many people (specifically men) have become deficient in hydrochloric acid (stomach acid). This is referred to as hypochlorhydria and will eventually yield mineral loss as the body attempts to compensate and adjust its own stomach pH. A lot of people jump to the conclusion that they should supplement with digestive enzymes…this may do more harm than good. Here is why: Stomach acid breaks down food, so that the body can extract the required nutrients for certain metabolic processes, including muscle growth, vitamin and mineral absorption, immune support etc. The acid begins the digestion of protein in the stomach and then triggers the pancreas to secrete digestive enzymes and the gallbladder to release bile into the small intestine. (The acid is also responsible for killing pathogenic bacteria that enters the body via food). As you can now see, taking digestive enzymes may be “skipping over” the true cause of your indigestion. Charles Poliquin also has a terrific write-up on digestion, hydrochloric acid and nutrient metabolism .
Many bodybuilders need to take into account the pH of the foods they eat. Things like green vegetables, fruits, and natural starchy complex carbs (sweet potatoes, yams, etc) tend to have a fairly balanced pH. Heavy meats like red meat, processed starches and sugars tend to be very acid forming. I have found that the average bodybuilding diet tends to do OK when it comes yielding a decent pH balance however, we now have the issue of HCL deficiency that could be occurring for other reasons. This would obviously lead us back to a pH imbalance. Here is a method to tell how deficient (if at all) you are in hydrochloric acid:
THE TEST:
You will need:
Betaine HCl, at 200 mg potency per capsule.
o Step 1 - Eat a high-protein, whole food meal.
o Step 2 - Eat half of the meal.
o Step 3 - Take a 200mg capsule of HCL.
o Step 4 - Eat the other half of the meal.
o Step 5 - Wait 15 minutes.
o Step 6 –
If your stomach acid is normal, you will feel a pleasant warm sensation in your gut. (such as after a cup of hot cocoa per se).
If you feel nothing, you may need HCl as a supplement…test further:
At every following meal repeat steps 1 to 6 increasing the dose one capsule (200mg) per meal until you feel the warm/burning sensation.
If it takes five meals to get a burning sensation, you will have consumed 1,000mg betaine HCL with that meal. The consistent recommended dose is then 200mg less than it took to achieve the warm/burning sensation. In this case that would be 800mg.
If you work your way up to 6-8 capsules per meal with NO burning sensation you may be achloridic and should seek medical advice.
Note that after a few days or weeks you may find that your determined dose causes burning. This would allow for you to cut back on the dose. Keep adjusting your dose so that you achieve the desirable sensation after eating. Some people can stop using betaine HCL after a while and some people need 1-2 caps per day permanently. This is a good way to start at home and begin solving the problem.
**Always seek medical advice before beginning any supplementation program
Copyright © 2009, FoodFreak. All rights reserved.
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