A smart athlete will take advantage of any possible competitive edge, including training methods, technical improvements and nutrition. Some athletes find that cutting carbohydrate intake can improve their performance by decreasing body fat and providing more sustained energy. There are several different low-carb diets available, and, though they are often lumped together, each has its own distinct approach. Choosing the right nutritional plan can give you an advantage over your competition. Consult your doctor before beginning any new diet.
The Atkins Diet
Introduced by Dr. Robert Atkins in the 1970s, the Atkins Diet is one of the first mass-marketed low-carb diets and remains one of the most popular. The Atkins Diet advocates low-carbohydrate eating as a permanent lifestyle change to manage weight, diabetes and heart disease risk. The Atkins Diet can also be beneficial to athletes, such as football players, who have difficulty managing their body weight. While the Atkins Diet starts off strictly limiting carbohydrate consumption, in the long term dieters are typically allowed to include more carbohydrates, particularly in the form of fruits and vegetables.
The Paleo Diet
The Paleo Diet can be credited to Dr. Loren Cordain, who modeled the diet after foods humans ate during the Paleolithic Era. Cordain believes that our nutritional needs have not evolved at the same rate as food production methods, making a diet rich in processed foods unhealthy and fattening. While not always classified as a low-carb diet, the elimination of breads, pasta and sugar will significantly lower your carbohydrate intake. Cordain believes that the Paleo Diet is well suited to athletes because the elimination of processed carbs stabilizes energy levels and triggers increased fat burning during exercise.
The Metabolic Diet
Introduced by Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale, the Metabolic Diet is a low-carb plan specifically geared toward bodybuilders and strength athletes. Unlike other low-carb diets, which advocate long-term carbohydrate restriction, the Metabolic Diet recommends five to six days of carbohydrate restriction, followed by a one- to two-day carb load. Known as cyclical carbohydrate restriction, the Metabolic Diet uses the carb loads to prevent muscle wasting, which can sometimes accompany long-term carb restriction. Di Pasquale believes that eating large amounts of red meat during the low-carb phase boosts testosterone production, which helps build muscle.
References
- "The Metabolic Diet"; Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale; 2000
- "The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Food You Were Designed to Eat"; Dr. Loren Cordain; 2002
- "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, Revised Edition"; Dr. Robert Atkins; 2002
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