High Carbohydrate vs. High Fat
This debate has been going on for quite some time now and often seems to get nearly as heated as the battle between the Republicans and Democrats. People pick a side and then fight tooth and nail against the opposition.
The reality is that neither of the camps has the right answer. Its all relative. There are different activity types and for those different activities there are different energy sources that are best suited for those activities.
To put it simply, in general, carbohydrate is anaerobic energy and fat is aerobic energy.
Most people who live fairly sedentary lifestyles spend most of their time in aerobic activities (sitting, sleeping, walking) whereas most athletes spend much of their time engaging in the anaerobic activities.
This is precisely why a low carbohydrate, high fat diet (such as Atkins) often works very well for achieving fat loss for relatively sedentary people. However, if you try to get an athlete to operate on a low carb diet, he is going to do about as well as a diesel truck would do if you decided to put gasoline in it instead of diesel. Its simply not going to work. The energy source needs to match the activity type.
That being said, if someone lives a sedentary lifestyle and eats a high carbohydrate diet, then they are going to have a massive excess of carbohydrate entering their bloodstream and the body will send Insulin to come clear that blood sugar out and go store it as body fat.
It is highly important to eat for your lifestyle. There is no "one size fits all" answer to the question regarding the "best diet". What one person needs for their lifestyle will be very different from what another person needs for theirs. To try to apply the exact same strategy for different lifestyles will only result in frustration and disappointment.
The reality is that neither of the camps has the right answer. Its all relative. There are different activity types and for those different activities there are different energy sources that are best suited for those activities.
To put it simply, in general, carbohydrate is anaerobic energy and fat is aerobic energy.
- Anaerobic activity is high intensity activity. This includes weight lifting, sprinting, jumping, explosive sports, etc.
- Aerobic activity is low intensity activity. This includes walking, sitting, sleeping, light jogging, long distance endurance sports.
Most people who live fairly sedentary lifestyles spend most of their time in aerobic activities (sitting, sleeping, walking) whereas most athletes spend much of their time engaging in the anaerobic activities.
This is precisely why a low carbohydrate, high fat diet (such as Atkins) often works very well for achieving fat loss for relatively sedentary people. However, if you try to get an athlete to operate on a low carb diet, he is going to do about as well as a diesel truck would do if you decided to put gasoline in it instead of diesel. Its simply not going to work. The energy source needs to match the activity type.
That being said, if someone lives a sedentary lifestyle and eats a high carbohydrate diet, then they are going to have a massive excess of carbohydrate entering their bloodstream and the body will send Insulin to come clear that blood sugar out and go store it as body fat.
It is highly important to eat for your lifestyle. There is no "one size fits all" answer to the question regarding the "best diet". What one person needs for their lifestyle will be very different from what another person needs for theirs. To try to apply the exact same strategy for different lifestyles will only result in frustration and disappointment.