The Athlete’s Kitchen Copyright: Nancy Clark, MS, RD  March 2004

Athletes: Abandon Atkins, Not Carbs!

“I don’t know how to lose weight anymore. Should I avoid carbs? Eat more protein? Just eat smaller portions? I am so confused...”

“My teammates think they will lose weight if they eliminate carbs. They’re just losing their competitive edge...!”

“The Atkins diet worked for a while, but then I regained the weight...”

 As a sports nutritionist, I am listening to an endless stream of confusion regarding what to eat, how to lose weight, what foods to avoid, which carbs are good, which carbs are bad. I find myself repeatedly begging sports-active people to eat carbs (if they want to enjoy optimal performance, that is) and reminding them excess calories are fattening, not carbohydrates. But more than any other time in my career, I’m having a hard time convincing athletes to include carbs as the foundation of each meal so they can enjoy high energy, stamina and endurance. I remind them:
1) only carbs get stored in the muscles as glycogen and
2) depleted muscle glycogen stores are associated with fatigue.

Thanks to the Atkins Revolution, an extraordinary number of today's athletes are experiencing needless fatigue. They are running out of energy half an hour into the workout. Marathoners are training only five miles before they complain how tired they feel. Soccer players are waiting listlessly for the ball to come to them; they lack energy to attack. Hopefully, this article will counter the high protein hype and convince you (or your carb-evading friends) that pasta is important for athletes and bagels are not evil.

Q. If carbs are so good, then why is the food industry creating so many low carb products?  The food industry is frantically jumping on the consumers' bandwagon. With an estimate 59 million people avoiding carbohydrate-type foods, the bread, bagel, cereal and pasta industries are feeling the pinch. The food industry's scramble to produce low carb products reflects a drastic need to generate income. Case in point, Burger King has resorted to selling a bunless burger!
   With too many dieters (including athletes) avoiding sandwiches like the plague, bread companies have chosen to create a low carb bread. This means slicing the bread thinner so it has half the carbs, half the calories. Or, they add fiber. Bread with 8 grams of fiber can be wholesome and hearty, yet can have fewer carbs than the standard fare. (Carbs from fiber don't count.) Add some soy flour (with a higher protein content) voila! The bread industry’s answer to the anti-carb
crusade.

Q. Can I really eat as much protein as I want and lose weight?
Of course not! But I'm seeing countless new clients who come to me complaining the Atkins Diet isn’t working for them any more. Why not? They have been eating plenty of calories of cheese omelets, fried chicken and crustless quiche. They fail to understand that the Atkins Diet doesn’t work; rather, the dieter works to eat fewer calories. Withno calorie deficit, there's no weight loss apart from an initial water-weight loss that occurs with carbohydrate restriction.(With the depletion of each one ounce of carb stored as glycogen in the body, you lose about three ounces of water.)
     Low carb does not mean low calorie. That low carb crustless cheesecake loaded with cream cheese, eggs, sour cream, saturated fat and cholesterol is also loaded with calories. As is the "Atkin's Friendly" meal (steak with butter sauce, salad with blue cheese dressing). No diet foods there! Today's dieters need reminders: carb free does not equate to calorie free. You will not lose fat if you eat too many calories of steak and cheese. Calories do count!
     Carb avoiders, please use your common sense. You cannot eat copious calories of protein and fat and expect to get leaner. You should also think twice about eliminating orange juice, bananas and carrots. Does that really sound like a healthful thing to do? Of course not! Fruits and vegetables offer abundant nutrients that protect against cancer, hypertension and heart disease. Losing weight should be about gaining health, not just losing fat.

Q. What is the best way to lose weight?
Not with the Atkins Diet, or any diet, for that matter. Research suggests when dieters eat equal calories of a well balanced sports diet with 55 to 60% of the calories from carbs (110-120 grams carb) vs. a lowcarb, high protein diet (20 grams carb), fat loss is similar. There is little metabolic advantage to manipulating the ratio of protein to carbs. The disadvantage is denial and deprivation of favorite foods. That is, do you really want to never eat a bagel again? And do you want to endure workouts that are harder and less enjoyable because your body
is carb-depleted?
    Granted, including some protein in each meal does offer weight loss help. Protein lingers in the stomach, providing a pleasant "full" feeling. But you need not eat only protein, no carbs. If you are currently on the Atkins Diet, please add in oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes, multi-grain breads, fresh fruits and colorful vegetables ...the wholesome, nourishing foods that once filled cupboards before the onslaught of soda pop, Frosted Flakes and Twinkies. The obesity epidemic is fueled with highly processed foods that are easier to over consume than whole foods (and, in the general public, too rarely exercised off).
    By eating fruits, vegetables and unrefined grains, you are likely to feel satiated from their fiber and be better able to lose weight by simply consuming a few hundred fewer calories at the end of the day? No extra beer, four fewer Oreos, only three small spoonfuls of ice cream. Weight loss comes not via a "diet," but with mindful eating (the opposite of mindless eating).
     If you want to lose body fat, I highly recommend you consult with a registered dietitian (RD) who specializes in sports nutrition. This professional can design a personalized eating plan that works for you and your lifestyle. You'll learn how to lose weight while maintaining energy to exercise. You'll also learn how to manage the American food supply and eat in a way you want to maintain for the rest of your life.
To find a local RD, simply put your zip code into the referral network at www.eatright.org.
      Wake up, America. Do you really think you'll win the battle of the bulge with bacon, cheese omelets and cream?  Wheaties is the better choice for not only champions but also diligent dieters.

Nancy Clark, MS, RD is nutrition counselor at SportsMedicine Associates in Brookline MA (617-739-2003). Her new Sports Nutrition Guidebook,Third Edition (2003; $24) and her Food Guide for Marathoners (2002; $20) are available via www.nancyclarkrd.com or by sending a check to Sports Nutrition Services, PO Box 650124, W. Newton MA 02465.