QUOTE(jamis @ Jul 26 2009, 07:02 PM)
Tats mean morning and post workout carbs dont really help in preventing catabolism?
There are 2 schools of thought in BB. One advocates low carb while the mainstream school advocates hi carb.
We have been brainwashed into thinking carbs are food from heaven. Fats are bad, cholesterol is bad and fats make you fat these kind of craps.
Carbs are depicted as hero while fats as villain.
Fats are essential to life while carbs are not. Fats are needed in the synthesis of protein and they help in the absorption and utilization of protein, vitamins and minerals. If you are on a low carb, hi fat diet your body doesn't need carbs as energy. Dietary fats and your body fats will be used in the production of energy.
It is not uncommon for mainstreamers to believe low carb is a fad or crap until they dare to experiment with it. Not many dare to try. I spoke with a few local competitive bodybuilders, none dare to try simply because they had been led to believe fat makes you fat since they started pumping irons. They didn't dare to take the risk.
I was a mainstreamer once. I 'converted' to low carb hi fat because my body was like $hit while on vegan diet for 2 years (that was in the mid 90's). My diet was hi complex carbs and very low fat but my body fat was high and I lost so much strength. I was lethargic all the time.
Since I had nothing to lose, I decided to try low carb hi fat after an argument with a local doctor who advocates that diet.
While on starch free hi protein and hi fat, I made a remarkable transformation. My waistline was down from 34" down to 29".
I gained more than 10lbs of lean muscle mass (based on the bodyfat machine I had) and my strength levels increased tremendously.
I could lift weights in certain exercises heavier than in my bodybuilding days (hi carb + juice). I was juice free while on low carb.
If I had known this diet earlier, I could have added a few more titles during my competitive days.
I introduced this diet to my 'subjects' then. One of them who had better genetics made remarkable results in 2 years training (juice free).
He was placed 4th in Mr KL junior on his 1st attempt in BB contest.
Sometimes last year, while we were actively discussing about this topic, I was back on low carb hi fat and started training seriously.
I made some good gains within a few months, and my gym mates were asking for my recipes. It was short lived and I am now back to square one.
In my opinion, I don't believe carbs help to prevent catabolism. I have used my own body to prove low carb hi fat is right. So are those who have been on this diet long enough to see the positive results. I am not saying carb is bad. Too much is no good as it wouldl lead to cardiovascular disease. And I don't see bodybuilders would give a damn about it as long as they can achieve their goals. Otherwise they wouldn't be using juice and GH. I was one of them once.
PS. The Inuits eat hi protein hi fat zero carbs during 9 months winter in the Artic for their entire lives. If carbs are needed to prevent catabolism, they wouldn't have survived and grown into adult.
Added on July 27, 2009, 10:39 amOn the other hand, carb is a primary source of energy if you are on hi carb diet because your body can't utilise your body fat as energy. You will get lethargy if your carb is running low. Hence carb is important to the hi carb dieters.
This post has been edited by 4Rings: Jul 27 2009, 10:39 AM