A question about low caloric intake for health and longevity? The medical community is saying a low caloric diet can be a healthy lifestyle, but the fitness community believes they achieve optimum health through muscle mass so I am confused as to whether or not the two theories are compatible. I know in the West many of us are biased towards the latter (overeaters, bodybuilders, etc), but does anyone have an informed, unbiased take?
I think it’s quite obvious that a large muscle mass and thus permanently increased metabolism is a far healthier solution than simply NOT eating.
The key either way is to occasionally live on a caloric deficit. When you do that, the body switches on a gene that strengthens the integrity of cell membranes against disease and free radicals that cause cell aging and cell damage.
Bodybuilders and fitness athletes do that all the time when they "cut". (to lower bodyfat, as opposed to bulking, and then you get the best of both worlds, just not all the time)
So there’s not necessarily a contradiction. Being muscular and strong (keeping your neuromuscular system in good order by lifting weights and building muscle) has also shown to INDEPENDANTLY decrease risk of cancer, heart disease and other illness by an 60%! An absolutely incredible figure. References :
It is not really about "low cal" or "body building", but about fitness and balance. Assuming you are not over/underweight, you should shoot for taking in as many calories as you burn. That’s where the 2000 calories for the suggested daily allowance comes from. The "average" person burns about 1500 calories just maintaining normal functions, such as maintaining the heart, lungs, brain, and other organs. This is the basal metabolic rate or BMR. Everything you do during the day burns calories and a person performing "normal" activities will burn about 500 additional calories.
The body processes natural foods, such as fruits and vegetables, very efficiently and tend to expel most of what it does not use. It is the refined foods, especially sugars and grains, that cause a lot of the problems. Add to that high-fat foods which just have a lot of calories naturally but usually taste good, and that leads to exceeding the 2000 calorie allowance.
And bodybuilding alone is not necessarily a good thing. Again, the concept is to find balance. Many bodybuilders are really in no better shape than anyone else as they neglect their cardio health and, on the extreme fringe, do things that are actually counter-productive to health (do I need say steroids?). But as part of a comprehensive exercise plan that includes flexibility, cardiovascular workouts, and muscle toning, it is a part of good health. Toned muscles are stronger and burn calories more efficiently than non-toned muscles – and they look better.
And the one thing most people overlook is the mental facet of health. A positive mental attitude reduces stress which does all kinds of bad things to the body. Everyone should take just a few minutes each day and just relax. Lay on the floor and let their body go limp and review the positive things in their life. This can be the most difficult part of all, but if one consciously begin looking for the positives, one can find them.
July 10th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
A question about low caloric intake for health and longevity?
The medical community is saying a low caloric diet can be a healthy lifestyle, but the fitness community believes they achieve optimum health through muscle mass so I am confused as to whether or not the two theories are compatible. I know in the West many of us are biased towards the latter (overeaters, bodybuilders, etc), but does anyone have an informed, unbiased take?
July 10th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
I think it’s quite obvious that a large muscle mass and thus permanently increased metabolism is a far healthier solution than simply NOT eating.
The key either way is to occasionally live on a caloric deficit. When you do that, the body switches on a gene that strengthens the integrity of cell membranes against disease and free radicals that cause cell aging and cell damage.
Bodybuilders and fitness athletes do that all the time when they "cut". (to lower bodyfat, as opposed to bulking, and then you get the best of both worlds, just not all the time)
So there’s not necessarily a contradiction. Being muscular and strong (keeping your neuromuscular system in good order by lifting weights and building muscle) has also shown to INDEPENDANTLY decrease risk of cancer, heart disease and other illness by an 60%! An absolutely incredible figure.
References :
July 10th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
It is not really about "low cal" or "body building", but about fitness and balance. Assuming you are not over/underweight, you should shoot for taking in as many calories as you burn. That’s where the 2000 calories for the suggested daily allowance comes from. The "average" person burns about 1500 calories just maintaining normal functions, such as maintaining the heart, lungs, brain, and other organs. This is the basal metabolic rate or BMR. Everything you do during the day burns calories and a person performing "normal" activities will burn about 500 additional calories.
The body processes natural foods, such as fruits and vegetables, very efficiently and tend to expel most of what it does not use. It is the refined foods, especially sugars and grains, that cause a lot of the problems. Add to that high-fat foods which just have a lot of calories naturally but usually taste good, and that leads to exceeding the 2000 calorie allowance.
And bodybuilding alone is not necessarily a good thing. Again, the concept is to find balance. Many bodybuilders are really in no better shape than anyone else as they neglect their cardio health and, on the extreme fringe, do things that are actually counter-productive to health (do I need say steroids?). But as part of a comprehensive exercise plan that includes flexibility, cardiovascular workouts, and muscle toning, it is a part of good health. Toned muscles are stronger and burn calories more efficiently than non-toned muscles – and they look better.
And the one thing most people overlook is the mental facet of health. A positive mental attitude reduces stress which does all kinds of bad things to the body. Everyone should take just a few minutes each day and just relax. Lay on the floor and let their body go limp and review the positive things in their life. This can be the most difficult part of all, but if one consciously begin looking for the positives, one can find them.
Balance is the key.
References :