FITNESS Exercise and weight-loss myths

The truth is out there


Personal trainer
Paul O'Brien

If you’ve ever played the game Chinese Whispers, you’ll be aware of how easily something can be taken out of context, exaggerated or even morph completely. This applies to the field of exercise and fitness as much as to any other. Let’s look at some of the more frequently heard myths and see if there is any truth in them. If any of these questions have ever bothered you, or put a spanner in your works, let’s try to put them to bed for good.

Myth 1
Crash diets really do work

It is true that crash dieting can lead to dramatic weight loss. However, it is ultimately an ineffective and dangerous means of losing weight.
Most of the weight lost on these types of restrictive diets, where one or more of the major nutrient sources (carbohydrates, proteins or fats) are excluded, ultimately results in a reduction of muscles mass. This in turn lowers your metabolism, making it easier to gain weight. This is why people who revert to normal dietary patterns after a crash diet always experience accelerated weight gain.
Crash diets also result in depleted glycogen stores and water levels, not excess body fat. They also cause dietary imbalances, hormonal, electrolyte and vitamin and mineral deficiencies. In short, crash diets are a recipe for disaster!

Myth 2
Lifting weights enhances muscle growth

This is true, bit it must be qualified. It basically depends on the volume of your exercise. This is determined by the amount of weights you lift and the amount of times you lift them (repetitions).
To promote muscle bulk and growth, it is necessary to lift about 80-95 per cent of your maximum lift capacity over a repetition range of 1-5 reps. In other words, the weight you lift should be sufficiently heavy to prevent you from further lifts outside this range.
Concentrating on lighter weights (40-65 per cent), however, will promote muscular toning or endurance over a higher rep range (12-20 reps). Another effective means of weight training for muscular toning is bodyweight training, using your body as resistance. It is also harder for women to gain muscle bulk as they have far less testosterone in their system – a key hormone in promoting muscle growth.

Myth 3
Sugary snacks before training boosts energy

It seems this one is still doing the rounds. Unfortunately for you sweet-lovers, it’s not true. Eating high-sugar foods before exercising will cause a corresponding spike in blood insulin, to remove the excess sugar from your system. As this sugar is quickly removed, it can bring on feelings of weakness and lethargy.
The best idea is to consume some high-carbohydrate foods about 90-120 minutes before exercising. These will trigger a slow release of fuel during your exercise and prevent low-blood-sugar crashes. A baked potato with beans or a wholemeal bagel with banana are good pre-exercise snacks.

Myth 4
Lots of water before exercise causes cramps

Cramps are caused by the loss of too much water through sweating. A cramp is ‘body-talk’ – your muscles’ way of telling you that you’re dehydrated. To prevent cramps and dehydration, drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise.

Myth 5
Slow, steady-state aerobic training within a target heart-rate range is the best way of burning body fat

This is true – to a point. If you are seriously de-conditioned and just getting back to exercising, working within a target heart-rate zone of 40-60 per cent of maximum heart rate will help you effectively burn fat, as the body will call on body-fat stores as the major fuel source for exercise at this intensity.
However, once you have been accustomed to training after around two to three months, your body-fat loss rate will drop. Your body becomes accustomed to your exercise and uses less energy to fuel your exercise. It’s a function of your brilliant brain.
To rise above this ‘plateau’, introduce some interval training into your cardio workouts. For example, periodically increase your speed over a short distance when out walking or jogging.

Paul O’Brien is a Personal Trainer and Life Coach and runs his own fitness and coaching business in Westport. He is the founder of Bootcamp West, a fitness program running in Westport, Castlebar and Louisburgh. For information about fitness training, coaching, bootcamp programmes and new TRX classes, email Paul at paul@bootcampwest.com or call 086 1674515.