The trouble I have with a lot of dietitians is that they don?t properly incorporate exercise into their nutrition plans. When dealing with active people?especially elite athletes?you can?t divorce one from the other. The two need to be integrated. Without a comprehensive plan, you?re just shooting in the dark and hoping for the best.
This is more than just a simple matter of calories in, calories out. If it were that simple, we?d all be walking around with six-packs. The human body is much more complicated than that and calorie expenditure is no exception. So when incorporating exercise components into a nutrition plan, we need to monitor the intensity, volume, and modes of exercise. We also need to keep close tabs on trends that can tell us whether or not a client is over trained.
It?s important to understand what your goals are. For example, if you want to bulk down, then low intensity/high volume exercise might get you there. But if you need explosive power, that low intensity exercise won?t get the job done and will cause you to release catabolic hormones. These will break down your muscle and may cause fat loss, but more often than not, actually will cause fat gain instead.
Why? Because too much high volume/low intensity training decreases insulin sensitivity by elevating cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone that also causes muscle catabolism. And high levels of insulin promote lipogenesis (fat storage). This is why excessive roadwork can have a detrimental effect on body composition. Too much low intensity exercise can also suppress the immune system and human growth hormone.
