CHAPTER 4: Different People, Different Meals

As with most dieting, there are several factors you need to consider before you can decide what eating patterns would work best for you. Everyone has different goals; some people want to gain muscle and get fit, some want to lose weight, and others may simply just want to stay at their current weight. The first factor to consider is your fitness goals. Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to gain muscle mass? Depending on your answer, you may either want to follow a high-carb or low-carb diet (Harrison, 2013). http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macro-math-3-keys-to-dialing-in-your-macro-ratios.html

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macro-math-3-keys-to-dialing-in-your-macro-ratios.html

The next factor to consider is body type. This helps determine your tolerance for carbohydrates and where you should start with respect to the ranges pictured above or discussed in Chapter 3. Ectomorphs have a body type that can be described as slim or slender. They typically will have delicate bone structure, small shoulders and chest, and a fast metabolism. People with this body type tend to find it difficult to put on mass. Ideally, an ectomorph should have large percentage of carbohydrates in their diet, as more carbohydrates means a greater likelihood of gaining weight. The range can be anywhere from 30-60% of daily calories consumed from carbohydrates, depending on the fitness goals of the individual (Harrison, 2013). http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macro-math-3-keys-to-dialing-in-your-macro-ratios.html If an athlete has an ectomorph body type, he/she is going to focus more on sports and activities that are related to endurance and speed, because of their physical makeup; due to their light weight and low body fat, they are likely to excel at activities such as long-distance running since they are light on their feet. With this kind of activity, they will require a lot of energy from food because of their already efficient metabolism. This is why an ectomorph would require more carbohydrates in their diet than a person with one of the other two body types.
Mesomorphs are those who tend to be muscular, but not large. They have dense bone structure, broad shoulders, and defined muscles, and rarely have an issue with gaining muscle mass or losing fat (but will put on weight more easily than ectomorphs). For these reasons, mesomorphs should typically eat a moderate amount of carbohydrates, between the range of 20-50% based on their fitness goals. If an athlete has a mesomorph body type, they are likely going to be involved in sports and activities that use both their anaerobic system and aerobic system. Because the anaerobic energy system of glycolysis requires glucose to create energy, a mesomorph still needs a significant amount of carbohydrates in their diet to fuel that energy system.

Finally there are endomorphs, who can be described as soft. They have shorter limbs, a stocky build, and generally have a slower metabolism. Endomorphs have the potential to put on a lot of muscle, but are also more prone to gaining and storing fat. A high amount of carbohydrates will likely cause an endomorph to gain weight, which is why the recommendation for these individuals is on the low end of the range, between 10-40% of total daily calories from carbohydrates (once again based on their fitness goals) (Harrison, 2013). http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macro-math-3-keys-to-dialing-in-your-macro-ratios.html If a person has an endomorph body type and are looking to gain lean muscle or lose body fat, he/she will want to do a lot of cardiovascular exercise, meaning the use of their aerobic system. The aerobic system doesn't depend on glucose (carbohydrates) as much as the anaerobic system does, and can just as easily function on fats and, in some cases, proteins. Especially if the physical activity goes on for an extended period of time, it would be more beneficial for an endomorph to focus on eating fats and proteins, rather than carbohydrates, which are also more likely to cause weight gain.

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/sites/default/files/images/bodytypes.jpg

Regardless of fitness goals and body type, the following “meal” plan should be followed in order to get the most out of an exercise routine:
Pre-Exercise - the goal is to minimize fatigue for the duration of the activity by consuming an adequate amount of glucose beforehand. This meal is eaten about 2-6 hours before the event and should be high in carbohydrates, relatively low in fat and fibre (you don’t want to go to the bathroom halfway through), and have a moderate amount of protein.

During Exercise - for events shorter than around 1.5 hours, frequent rehydration with water will suffice; for anything longer, the athlete may want to rehydrate with a liquid that contains carbohydrates to prevent a drop in blood glucose.

Post-Exercise - after the event, the main focus is still rehydration and fluid replacement, paired with an easily digestible meal high in carbohydrates to promote a quick recovery (Temertzoglou, 2003).

Case 1: Strength/Power Athlete

To understand the nutritional needs of an athlete that requires a lot of power and strength in sport, we must first understand what being a strength athlete means. An athlete in the power and strength aspect would be one who performs an intense activity for a short period of time. This would include a 100 m sprinter, a weightlifter, or even a high-jumper; all of these activities require a burst of energy, which comes from the use of fast-twitch muscle fibres. Very briefly, fast-twitch fibres have the ability to tense and relax quite quickly, and can generate large amounts of tension in a short period of time; they are used especially for activities like sprints, powerlifting, and jumping. These fibres contain high levels of glycolytic enzymes, meaning that the use of them requires that the athlete’s body have a sufficient amount of glucose - or carbohydrates - available for the fast-twitch fibres to use (Temertzoglou, 2003). Power athletes also use their ATP-PC system in something like high jump, where the action only takes a few seconds. This system’s energy source is creatine phosphate, which athletes can either consume as a supplement or from red meats (Danielsson, n.d.). http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Healthy_Diet_for_Athletes

In this scenario, we can assume that a power athlete will have the body type of either an ectomorph or mesomorph - a body with a quick metabolism, or one with dense bone structure and defined muscles. So what are a power athlete’s fitness goals? They don’t necessarily want to lose weight if they are a powerlifter, for example, but perhaps for an event like a sprint or high-jump they want to be lighter; nevertheless, most power athletes aim to increase their muscle mass, so it would make sense that these athletes require a lot of faster-metabolizing carbohydrates in their diet in order to gain muscle and have that resource for their fast-twitch fibres (Danielsson, n.d.). http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Healthy_Diet_for_Athletes However many athletes believe that a high protein diet is the key to fueling their bodies; this contradicts most research, but athletes believe that more protein = more muscle, which is simply not true. As mentioned before, intense and powerful muscle contractions are fueled by carbohydrates, not proteins or fats; the latter two simply can’t oxidize fast enough to meet the demands of the intense exercise (Quinn, 2014). http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sportsnutrition/a/HighProteinDiet.htm

Contrary to popular belief, eating a high-protein or high-fat diet can actually hinder an athlete’s performance because this means that the athlete is eating an inadequate amount of carbohydrates. This ratio of macronutrients can lead to reduced muscle glycogen stores in the muscle and liver and decreased maximal effort, the opposite of what a power athlete is trying to achieve (Quinn, 2014). http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sportsnutrition/a/HighProteinDiet.htm That isn’t to say these athletes should minimize the amount of protein they consume; overall, a power athlete should be eating macronutrient ratios of 50 carbs : 30 protein : 20 fats.

Here is a sample menu of what a high jumper might eat the day of an event:

Time	Food	Nutrients
Breakfast	Oatmeal Scrambled Eggs Milk Orange Juice	Complex carbs Protein Fats Simple carbs
2 hours before event (Lunch)	Steak Mashed summer squash (in place of potatoes) Onions and mushrooms	Protein (creatine) Complex carbs Simple carbs
After the event (Snack)	Protein shake with banana and peanut butter	Protein, Complex carbs

(Danielsson, n.d.) http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Healthy_Diet_for_Athletes

Case 2: Distance/Endurance Athlete

What does it mean to be a distance or endurance athlete? An athlete that participates in endurance activities would likely be active for a long period of time and have a slow release of energy. This would include a cross-country skier, a long-distance cyclist, or a marathon runner; these events all require that the athlete be able to perform for an extended period of time, which can be achieved through the use of slow-twitch fibres. Briefly, slow-twitch fibres do not have the ability to tense and relax as quickly as fast-twitch fibres, and will generate and relax body tension quite slowly. The advantage to these fibres, however, is that they are able to maintain a low level of tension for a longer duration, which makes them ideal for activities such as cross-country skiing, and long distance running/cycling. These fibres contain low levels of glycolytic enzymes but contain high levels of oxidative enzymes, allowing them to be more fatigue-resistant and causing them to rely primarily on the aerobic energy system (Temertzoglou, 2003).

In this scenario, we can assume that an endurance athlete will have a body type somewhere between an ectomorph and a mesomorph - a medium-light build is ideal for distance, because they are light enough to carry themselves but still strong enough to maintain the activity. Moving on: what are an endurance athlete’s fitness goals? These athletes likely don’t aim to build large, powerful muscles, but rather muscles that can sustain them over the long run (literally and figuratively). Because the body is sustaining physical activity for a long period of time, an endurance athlete will primarily use their aerobic energy system, for which the energy source is carbohydrates, followed by fats, followed by proteins. Logically, then, an endurance athlete’s main macronutrient source should be carbohydrates, followed by fats, followed by proteins. In the first 20 minutes of a race, for example, a runner’s body will use carbohydrates as its main fuel source. After this time, the body will switch from the carbohydrate metabolic pathway and begin to break down fats. After an even longer period of time, the body will begin to break down protein - its own muscle stores - for energy; so as long as the body has a sufficient amount of carbohydrates and fats, the protein stores will remain intact (PSE4U notes, 2014). For this reason, endurance athletes should aim to eat macronutrient ratios of 40 carbs : 40 fats : 20 protein.

Here is a sample menu of what a long-distance runner might eat the day of a big race:

Time	Food	Nutrients
Breakfast	Bran or oat cereal Two slices of bread Handful of nuts/seeds	Complex carbs Complex carbs Protein
2 hours before event (Lunch)	Salmon Whole wheat pasta (in place of potatoes) Steamed vegetables	Protein Complex carbs Complex carbs
After the event (Snack)	Protein shake with banana and peanut butter	Protein Complex carbs

(Danielsson, n.d.) http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Healthy_Diet_for_Athletes

Case 3: Sedentary Person/The Average Joe

Being sedentary simply means that your lifestyle lacks a regular exercise routine; you tend to spend most of your time seated and don't partake in a lot of physical activity. You likely don’t use your fast-twitch or slow-twitch fibres very often, so your nutritional needs won’t depend on the specific use of these fibres. A sedentary lifestyle may mean the occasional walk around the block or a walk across a parking lot from one store to another, but overall a sedentary person does not require foods that will provide them with a lot of physical energy. For this reason, the amount of macronutrients you eat will depend less on your fitness goals, and more on your body type.

If you are an ectomorph, you will still require a relatively high ratio of carbohydrates in your diet to accommodate for your fast metabolism. Your body processes nutrients and burns calories with speed, meaning it will require more energy more often than, say, a mesomorphic body type; your macronutrient ratios should be about 50 carbs : 25 fats : 25 proteins. Mesomorphs will need slightly fewer carbohydrates, as it is easier for them to put on weight and store fat than it is for ectomorphs. Since mesomorphs tend to have defined muscles and a good capacity for storing muscle glycogen, they can still benefit from a relatively high level of carbs (but not too high, or they will gain weight). Generally if a sedentary mesomorph is aiming to maintain their current weight, they’ll want to eat macronutrient ratios of 35 carbs : 35 fats : 30 proteins. Finally, if you are an endomorph, you’ll want to stay away from high levels of carbohydrates in your diet; because the have a greater tendency to store carbohydrates as fat, endomorphs will want to keep their total calorie intake low for carbohydrates. Typically, you should be aiming for macronutrient ratios in the range of 30 carbs : 35 fats : 35 proteins (Harrison, 2013). http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macro-math-3-keys-to-dialing-in-your-macro-ratios.html

Here is what a menu for each of the body types might look like (for a sedentary person):

	Ectomorph	Mesomorph	Endomorph
Breakfast	Hashbrowns 2 slices whole-wheat bread Orange juice	Oatmeal 2 eggs Orange juice	Cereal Orange juice
Lunch	Turkey sandwich Small apple or banana Handful of nuts	Lean beef Brown rice Fresh vegetables	Chicken breast Small salad Milk
Dinner	Lean beef Whole wheat pasta Large salad	Chicken breast Milk Medium salad	Turkey Sweet potatoes Steamed vegetables

(Danielsson, 2003) http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/matt89.htm

Personally, I'm not much of an athlete. I don't consistently do weight training or endurance training - but I'm not necessarily a sedentary person, either. I do maintain some physical activity - like walking every day, swimming twice a week, and doing the occasional run - and I have the body type of an endomorph mixed with a mesomorph, a difficult combination when trying to determine how much of each macronutrient I should be consuming in my diet. Because I'm still quite young, my metabolism is currently faster than it will be in a few years; this means that eating a lot of carbohydrates now may not cause me to gain very much weight, but if I continue to eat the way I do I will have trouble maintaining a healthy weight in the long run. My current macronutrient ratio is probably that of an ectomorph, with around 50% of my daily calories coming from carbohydrates. Ideally, by the time I'm around 25, it would be beneficial for me to cut this down to around 30% of my daily calories, and trying instead to include more healthy fats and proteins into my diet. That being said, here is a sample of what I, a somewhat active meso-endomorph, believe I should eat in a day (and currently do eat):

Time	Food	Nutrients
Breakfast	Oatmeal with peanut butter and frozen blueberries Glass of orange juice	Complex carbs, simple carbs, protein/fats Simple carbs
Lunch	Egg sandwich (whole wheat bagel, egg, lettuce, tomato, cheese) Glass of milk or juice	Complex carbs, protein, fats Fats or simple carbs
Dinner	Baked salmon Quinoa with melted cheese Mixed greens salad with balsamic/olive oil dressing	Protein Protein, complex carbs, fats Complex carbs, healthy oils/fats