HIGH PROTEIN, LOW CARBOHYDRATE DIETS - ARE THEY FOR YOU?

By Rick Morris

The theory

The fad diet of the 1960's was the high protein, low carb diet. Now, almost forty years later, the diet is back. The theory behind this diet is that eating carbohydrates causes an increase in hunger. As a result you over eat. This type of diet also claims that by eliminating carbohydrates and eating a lot of protein you will trick your body into burning fat.

How it works

Carbohydrates are the nutrients that provide energy for working muscles and organs. When carbohydrates are limited, your body must burn first stored carbohydrates and then protein from lean muscle. The by-product of this is water, so you lose a lot of weight quickly, most of it from water. Body fat is also burned. When you burn fat for fuel, without carbohydrates, it burns only part way. The by-product of this incomplete burning of fat is ketones. Ketones are eliminated from your body by being processed through your kidney.

Advantages

• You are encouraged to eat a diet that is dominated by high-fat meats, high fat dairy products and rich desserts. Many people are very happy eating this type of diet.
• You lose a lot of weight quickly. The vast majority of the weight lost in this diet is water weight. But the quick weight loss encourages many to follow this type of diet.

Disadvantages

• The high fat content of the diet contributes to heart disease and many types of cancers.
• Most of the weight loss, especially in the early stages, is water. The water will be quickly replaced when you go off of the diet.
• Ketosis can be damaging to your body, including kidney damage, osteoporosis and fatigue.
• The diet results in loss of lean muscle tissue and a slower metabolic rate. When you quit the diet, you will put more fat back on than you had before.
• As a runner, your bodies primary fuel source is carbohydrates. If you have an insufficient amount of carbs in your diet, your running ability and performance will suffer. A low carbohydrate diet will not supply enough carbs to fuel your training and racing. Your muscles will be in a constant state of fatigue.

The bottom line

There are a number of possible health risks involved with this type of diet. The ketone bodies produced can cause damage to your kidneys and weaken your bones. The burning of lean muscle tissue weakens your body and lowers your metabolism. The high fat content can contribute to cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer. A low carbohydrate diet is a poor choice for a runner or any active individual. You will not be able to train or race at a high enough level to reach your peak as a runner if you do not consume a diet that is high in carbohydrates.