The controversial Atkins Diet is known for quick results and extremely low carbohydrate intakes. The effects of low-carb diets will make a difference in how your body performs and what results you can get with your workouts. Because of the dramatic shift in your macro-nutrient intakes, you should be aware of the effects it has and know if it is the right choice for your body.
The Atkins Diet
The Atkins Diet, founded by Dr. Robert Atkins, consists of four phases. The first phase, an initial 14-day induction diet, is when most practitioners experience extreme weight loss. You rid your body of carbs by consuming as few as 20 grams a day, and focus instead on high protein and fat intake, reasoning that when the body is deprived of its regular source of energy, carbs, it will then turn to fat as a source of fuel instead. The following phases of ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and maintenance gradually introduce more and more carbohydrates until you find the point at which your body gains weight from them.
Traditional Recommendation
According to the American Heart Association, your diet should be comprised of 10 to 15 percent protein, 55 to 60 percent carbohydrates and 25 to 30 percent fat to ensure the proper amount of nutrients for your body. This loosely equates to around 300 grams of carbohydrates for the average adult, well above the 15 to 60 grams that you may have on the Atkins Diet. Any diet recommending under 100 grams of carbs per day is considered a low-carb diet.
Exercise and Atkins
The Atkins website recommends 30 minutes of moderate activity five to six times a week, an estimate that most experts agree on, yet the suggestion of exercise provides little correlation between the diet and and any effects it may have on your workout routine. When exercising, any muscle contraction uses energy from adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, which comes from glucose. And glucose comes from carbs. If you've severely cut your carb intake and you're in the middle of your strength routine, your muscles have now lost their source of fuel. When non-traditional sources must convert to glucose, such as fatty acids, it creates a less-efficient transfer of energy, resulting in muscle fatigue, decreased power and poor performance.
Expert Insight
The American Dietetic Association recommends losing only one to two pounds a week to avoid potential health hazards and increase the likelihood of losing weight and keeping it off for good. The Atkins Diet says you can lose 15 pounds in two weeks. Dr. Rosemary Riley, from an article in "Clinics in Sports Medicine," believes the Atkins Diet deviates from what is healthy, denying your body of fiber and phytonutrients necessary for living a healthful life. She also believes that such low carb intake lowers your glycogen stores necessary for performing high-intensity exercises such as running and weight lifting.
Long-Term Verdict
While the Atkins Diet can aid in dramatic weight loss at the beginning of the diet, keeping the weight off five years from now is the true test of whether the diet will work. Strength training can be performed, but know that your body's true potential cannot be met without the proper amount of nutrients and glucose your body needs from traditional energy foods.
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