Food: Your Anti-Catabolic Weapon
By Tom Bilella, D.C., C.C.N., C.N.S.
Premiere athletes are constantly in search of the latest information that will help them pack on more muscle, make them stronger and leaner, and improve endurance. If you want to get to the next level, odds are you will need to improve in all or one of these categories. Over the last decade, the focus in sports nutrition has been to find the best “anti-catabolic agent”. To keep things simple, an anti-catabolic agent is anything that will prevent the body from losing precious muscle. Why is this important? Simply because your fat to muscle ratio will largely be a determining factor in improving speed, strength, and performance.
Would you really like to know one of the best catabolic agents? It’s readily available, found everywhere, yet in my experience, grossly underutilized. You guessed it, good, old-fashioned food. It’s not just any kind of food, though. It has to be the right kind and the right balance. I would like to introduce you to the “Ratio Theory” of eating. Here’s how it goes:
The first step is to determine your goals. For example, some athletes need to:
- Pack on quality muscle
- Significantly reduce body fat
- Pack on muscle and reduce body fat
The “Ratio Theory” starts with determining your caloric requirement for the day. Let’s say, for example, your goal is to improve muscle and reduce fat but maintain your body weight. Here is the strategy. Take your body weight (for purposes of this example – use 225 lbs) and multiply this by the coefficient of 15. This equates to 3375 calories per day. By now, you should know that not all calories are created equal. I typically recommend a balance such as:
- 30-40% Protein
- 35-45% Carbohydrates
- 20-30% Fat
Using these ratios, a typical day for this individual would consist of approximately 295 grams of protein, 340 grams of carbohydrates and 75 grams of fat. For optimal utilization, we would break this down into six equal meals. Each meal would contain 49 grams of protein, 55 grams of carbohydrates and 13 grams of fat. Your best protein foods would consist of lean meats, eggs, cottage cheese and meal replacement proteins (such as whey). Quality carbohydrates should come in the form of yams, oatmeal, rice and beans. Fat choices should include healthy oils (Olive, Flax, and Macadamia). Remember, fat is also found in your red meat and egg yolks, so make sure you eat them as well.
Sounds hard, doesn’t it? Well, here are some tricks for achieving your physique and performance goals.
- Eat by the clock, not by your hunger
- Consume 2-3 quality nutrition shakes (“Full Strength” by Phillips Performance is the best) plus a carbohydrate (bananas, potatoes, rice cakes, etc…)
- Consume 3-4 meals per day with your quality carbohydrate
- Drink tons of water (If you are a 225 lb. athlete, you should consume 122.5 ounces of water per day)
- Get adequate sleep (7-9 hours) -- this is when the growth magic happens
- Eat and sleep like a baby, grow like a baby
Remember, your future is in your own hands. Without incorporating a sound nutritional plan, you have not even given yourself a chance to reach your full potential.
Tom Bilella, D.C., C.C.N., C.N.S.
Tom Bilella, D.C., C.C.N., C.N.S., is the founder and director of the Nutrition Treatment Center located in Red Bank, NJ. As one of the nation’s most renowned authorities on sports nutrition and supplementation, Dr. Bilella is the personal consultant to numerous professional athletes who seek his advice for peak performance and optimal health.