Sleep, fat and carbs, and weight loss
May 8th 2010 01:16
This week I answer questions from a reader who is an athlete who specialises in strength training. I answer the reader’s queries about foods that influence sleep; alcohol; fat and carbohydrate requirements for athletes; and weight loss.
QUESTION
Hi I just wanted to ask you when I go out and I drink beer I always have trouble sleeping and feel hyper do you have any idea what it could be because I don't want to stop socialising but I can't sleep, could alcohol have a stimulating effect on you and also how many carbs when building muscle can you have in one meal before start storing fat and how many grams of fat and carbs per kg can I have if I am an athlete and is dark rye bread healthy thanks.
ANSWER
Alcohol is another thing that can aggravate sleeping patterns. There's
not that much you do, apart from cutting back on the alcohol before
bed and not getting drunk. Alcohol can have a stimulating effect to
begin with, but over all it is a depressant. That is it slows down
your reaction times and can make you feel down.
It's not the particular macronutrients (that is
alcohol, fat, carbohydrates and protein) that make your body store
fat. It is consuming more energy than your body is able to use up.
That is eating too much and not exercising.
For athletes, you can have 1 gram of fat per kilogram of body weight per
day up to 90 grams per day. Your carbohydrate needs are different
depending on how intense your work out is and how often you work out.
This is because the muscles main fuel is glycogen, which is a type of
carbohydrate. Other vital organs also run on carbohydrates. Therefore, if you
do moderate to high intensity exercise for up to 60 minutes per day
you need 5-6 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight. If you
do endurance training for 2-5 hours per day, 4-7 days per week you
need 8-10 grams of carbohydrates per day.
Dark rye bread is healthy. It's a good source of carbohydrates and is
more filling than white bread.
QUESTION
Hi, I just wanted to ask what could cause you to feel fidgety and restless can some sort of food allergy do this and can dehydration cause insomnia?
Caffeine can make you restless. It is a stimulant and can make you feel alert. If you have a caffeine habit and you stop consuming caffeine you maybe experience withdrawal symptoms, which can make you irritable. Tobacco can make it difficult for you sleep properly. Food allergies can make you feel uncomfortable and therefore restless. If you think you have an allergy, you should see a doctor to get diagnosed.
As far as I know, dehydration does not cause insomnia. Some medications, an overactive thyroid hormone, and heartburn are causes of insomnia.
QUESTION
Thanks for the reply again, I seem to not be able to sleep when just drinking little not even getting drunk so I don't know why, I wake up really warm could it be just dehydration can that effect you that way.
And when lowering body fat should I drop carbs to 2 -2.5 g per kg and does lack of protein cause muscle loss.
ANSWER
You could try going without alcohol for a while and see what happens.
It could be the sugar in the drinks; the sugar can interfere with
your ability to sleep properly. Ready to drink mixes are very high in
sugar.
To lower your body fat, you'll need to consume fewer calories
(energy) than your body needs to maintain your body weight. So that
could be anywhere between 500-2000kJ less per day. Doing strength
training and cardiovascular exercise also helps lower your body fat
levels.
Protein is needed for muscle gain. Most people get enough protein to
maintain their muscle mass. Having too much protein (and consequently
eating too many calories) can lead to fat gain. That's what your body
does when you consume too much energy (which can come from protein,
fat, carbohydrates and alcohol), it stores it as fat.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me at nutrition.advice@gmail.com or leave your questions here.
Krissi
QUESTION
Hi I just wanted to ask you when I go out and I drink beer I always have trouble sleeping and feel hyper do you have any idea what it could be because I don't want to stop socialising but I can't sleep, could alcohol have a stimulating effect on you and also how many carbs when building muscle can you have in one meal before start storing fat and how many grams of fat and carbs per kg can I have if I am an athlete and is dark rye bread healthy thanks.
ANSWER
Alcohol is another thing that can aggravate sleeping patterns. There's
not that much you do, apart from cutting back on the alcohol before
bed and not getting drunk. Alcohol can have a stimulating effect to
begin with, but over all it is a depressant. That is it slows down
your reaction times and can make you feel down.
It's not the particular macronutrients (that is
alcohol, fat, carbohydrates and protein) that make your body store
fat. It is consuming more energy than your body is able to use up.
That is eating too much and not exercising.
For athletes, you can have 1 gram of fat per kilogram of body weight per
day up to 90 grams per day. Your carbohydrate needs are different
depending on how intense your work out is and how often you work out.
This is because the muscles main fuel is glycogen, which is a type of
carbohydrate. Other vital organs also run on carbohydrates. Therefore, if you
do moderate to high intensity exercise for up to 60 minutes per day
you need 5-6 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight. If you
need 8-10 grams of carbohydrates per day.
Dark rye bread is healthy. It's a good source of carbohydrates and is
more filling than white bread.
QUESTION
Hi, I just wanted to ask what could cause you to feel fidgety and restless can some sort of food allergy do this and can dehydration cause insomnia?
Caffeine can make you restless. It is a stimulant and can make you feel alert. If you have a caffeine habit and you stop consuming caffeine you maybe experience withdrawal symptoms, which can make you irritable. Tobacco can make it difficult for you sleep properly. Food allergies can make you feel uncomfortable and therefore restless. If you think you have an allergy, you should see a doctor to get diagnosed.
As far as I know, dehydration does not cause insomnia. Some medications, an overactive thyroid hormone, and heartburn are causes of insomnia.
QUESTION
Thanks for the reply again, I seem to not be able to sleep when just drinking little not even getting drunk so I don't know why, I wake up really warm could it be just dehydration can that effect you that way.
And when lowering body fat should I drop carbs to 2 -2.5 g per kg and does lack of protein cause muscle loss.
ANSWER
You could try going without alcohol for a while and see what happens.
It could be the sugar in the drinks; the sugar can interfere with
your ability to sleep properly. Ready to drink mixes are very high in
sugar.
To lower your body fat, you'll need to consume fewer calories
(energy) than your body needs to maintain your body weight. So that
could be anywhere between 500-2000kJ less per day. Doing strength
training and cardiovascular exercise also helps lower your body fat
levels.
Protein is needed for muscle gain. Most people get enough protein to
maintain their muscle mass. Having too much protein (and consequently
eating too many calories) can lead to fat gain. That's what your body
does when you consume too much energy (which can come from protein,
fat, carbohydrates and alcohol), it stores it as fat.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me at nutrition.advice@gmail.com or leave your questions here.
Krissi
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