Thursday, March 31, 2011

More Cavemen In Sports?

Because of my life long involvement in sports, I always get excited when I see athletes go paleo.  Athletes need to eat optimally to maximize performance.  The status quo for fueling an athlete was always loading them up with "complex carbohydrates".  The tide is turning.  A friend emailed me this article on Grant Hill and Steve Nash, two of the best but oldest players on the NBA's Pheonix Suns.  
Grant Hill and Steve Nash
"You see a guy like Grant (Hill) come here and it seems like he's drinking from the fountain of youth,"
We're not sure what Hill's been drinking during this healthy run in Phoenix, but we know that he - like Nash - follows a consistent, comprehensive training regimen. This includes a diet that, according to witnesses, is about as a strict as what you see on those reality TV survival programs.
OK, they're probably not wolfing down handfuls of pre-game crickets, but chicken, fish, dried fruit, vegetables and raw nuts are in, while pasta, rice, breads and other processed foods routinely are out.
Sounds like paleo to me.  Nutrition really is the fountain of youth. Exercise without the proper food will do nothing but wear you down and make you hungry.


CP

3 comments:

Jan said...

Exercise without the proper food will do nothing but wear you down and make you hungry.

That is the message I think the Taubes detractors are missing. Exercise is great for you, but if you're not eating a nutrient dense diet (i.e. eat some real meat, people!) then exercise is not going to do much to make you healthier, much less lose weight. You're just gonna wanna eat more, and if you're eating more of what makes you fat in the first place (refined carbohydrates and fructose), you're just going to get fatter.

I have a friend who is on a statin, eats very little meat/fat/cholesterol and is running more than five miles a day and is completely frustrated because she can't lose weight. She won't even listen to me, because her doctor is the one telling her to do what she's doing. It's sad.

Chuck said...

It is sad. There are many that just won't even consider that low fat may be wrong. But there are others who are open minded enough to take an objective look at the other side of things.

Lee said...

Jan...before my switch to the Paleo lifestyle, I was running approx. 10-12 miles per week. After each run, I was icing down my knees & I was never able to get rid of my belly fat. Since my switch in August 2010, I reduced my miles (during the winter) to just 4-6 miles per week, actually increased my food consumption (real foods!)& lost 20 lbs. Keep discussing the Paleo lifestyle with your friend...hopefully she will realize it's time to try something new.