After arriving in Beijing came a well deserved rest and food uncontrolled …… dinners, lunches, dinners disproportionate …… course, the weight increased from 73 to 78 kg in a few weeks …. returning to the routine you can imagine how I felt ….
This year I plan to try to improve in all disciplines and to do one of the things I have to care is feeding. Ruben explains here how it will change my habits and the results we have.
No more lunches so dear to my hard training after their beers, cut up etc etc etc. No hunger and temptation step but a sausage sandwich with ajoaceite …..
Well I leave you with Ruben:
On 10/11/11 Peter came to me in CARESPORT, with a clear statement, “I feel very heavy, hard run … I want to take off Lorza”. At first, I understood that request as an exaggeration of his own extroverted and carefree. How does a triathlete at this level may have “Lorza”? (I thought). Yes, they were not “Lorza” themselves as stressed, but it was obvious he was not in a healthy weight.
After anthropometric measurements, from which we obtain values for skinfolds, bone diameters and perimeters. And after the use of these data with different equations, we obtained values of body composition and somatotype.
For starters, the% of fat mass was 17%, which is very high in elite athletes, in which fat% ranges from 6 to 10%. As supondréis, higher fat levels, the worse the performance. And more so in endurance sports like triathlon. So, we had a clear objective, lower fat%.
How much fat% down?
The easy answer would be 11%. That is, lower fat% to 6% which is the minimum to maximum performance. And yes, it is true. But is it desirable to achieve that% fat at the beginning of the season?, Is is it possible to attain this% safely and balanced for Peter in so little time? Obviously not. Fat is essential for us, and has very important functions and disparate. As can be:
To act as an insulator body, helping to regulate body temperature. Important aspect at this time of year.
· Form part of many body structures.
· To ensure the formation of vital hormones such as sex, ensuring fertility.
· Transportation-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and prevent deficiencies.
· Etc.
But most of all, fat is the main energy store, and it and the “Lorza” from Peter which will get the energy needed to run 140km on the bike and not falter in the attempt.
However, it is clear that a balance must be fat to muscle, from which to get the maximum benefit from the training phase, without playing on the edge and avoiding possible deficiency states that may lead to various diseases typical of the winter period.
Therefore, I have raised as much as 10% body fat in Peter to the next Half Ironman in Valencia on March 4, 2012. This is summarized in the 77kg down to 71kg today, considering you only lose fat. Thus, a preparatory phase to ensure sufficient reserves of fat (do not forget the importance of fat as an energy source in the long distance), but in turn yield an optimal weight. Since then, our objective is to reduce the maximum fat%, only for the summer competitions in which you want to perform at your best and have the peak shape. Also, remember that these competitions are Sprints Triathlons, where raw power and the stored glycogen rather than fat reserves.
How to Lose fat%?
There are no miracle creams or products on their own stored fat% decrease in the body (other thing is, reduce the absorption of dietary fats in the intestine). Therefore, the only solution is to consume a diet lower in energy to total energy expenditure, Eat Stop Eat ie the sum of basal energy expenditure (minimum cost of energy the body uses for vital functions do not stop), activity energy expenditure physical (includes all forms of voluntary muscle activity, from brushing teeth to make series of 1000m the track) and diet-induced thermogenesis (energy needed to resynthesize the nutrients absorbed from the intestine).
Following the analysis of different forms of basal metabolism, plus the analysis of physical activity and training throughout the week, the estimated total energy expenditure at the time of Peter the season was 3000 kcal / day.
Because training at this point in the season were not very demanding, and we were interested in losing weight, relatively quick, I planned a diet of 2600 kcal / day for 3 weeks and thus approximate the calories in the diet to objectives. Getting a deficit of approximately 500kcal/día, with the intention of getting a loss of 0.5-1kg / week.
Show results in 3 weeks?
Expected, the initial 77kg to 73.8 kg, 3.2 kg LOSS. And most importantly, the weight comes from fat loss, decreasing fat from 17% to 14.78%. We are on track. And all in the right way without starving at any time of day (mandatory from hunger in the diet), with a good feeling for his part in training and in day to day. And especially with motivation through the roof.
In this diet, not only intended to deliver significant caloric deficit to lose weight. But mainly food sort of Peter. Which was a DISASTER. And this is the fundamental aspect of dietary consultations, nutritional education.
Like any athlete who comes to queries and search performance, Peter produced a study diet, from which to observe the failures in their diet. After filling out a food diary over a week in which I indicated times intakes, food types, weights and preparations, I took a lot of things clear.
Dietary study conclusions
The main conclusion is that the diet of Peter had a major lack of control. Not so much a quantitative level, ie not exceeding caloric intake in excess of caloric expenditure. But a qualitative level, ie food choices throughout the day.
In general terms, pizzas, pastries, chocolate, snacks at all hours, low intakes of bread, poor distribution of food throughout the day … are some of the dietary guidelines. So far, we know that “no” is good food (no good foods or bad, what matters is the timing, frequency and amount to eat), but after studying dietary obtain objective values, such as:
·% MACRONUTRIENTS INTAKE
or HC: 45% (an endurance athlete, even in resting phase or transition in the planning of the training should consume a minimum of 50-55%). Prevents proper recovery between workouts.
or FAT: 35% (high intake and low quality)
or proteins. 20% (high intake)
· HIGH saturated fat intake at the expense of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.
· HIGH cholesterol intake (almost double the recommended)
· Consumption of 10g of fiber a day compared to 25g THE RECOMMENDED
Low power consumption in vitamin E (important antioxidants, essential in the fight against free radicals)
· Consumption of high glycemic FOOD BEFORE TRAINING AND LOW GI FOODS after workouts.
· Etc.
In short, a full supply of areas for improvement and should be modified differently in future visits, depending on the training phase, proximity of competition, types of training, physical, emotional and above all in terms of availability times in the daily life of Peter and those closest to him.
In 1 week, anthropometric and dietary control again, we’ll see how it continues to evolve this great triathlete. And we will continue discussing more aspects related to nutrition.
