| Primal Performance Recovery |
Post-workout nutrition advice from a reformed endurance addict.
Former triathlete Mark Sisson challenges the common wisdom on recovery nutrition.
Of course, this all rests on the assumption that carbohydrates are the only dietary source of glucose available to us. This is a patently false conclusion, but it’s one that has become gospel for most facets of the fitness community, from gym junkies to marathoners. The reality is that our bodies have another way to synthesize glycogen which involves protein, but not in the way you might think. Let’s take a step back. For hundreds of thousands of years, Paleolithic hunter-gatherers, our genetically identical ancestors—early humans—ran, hunted, leapt, fought, played, and exerted themselves without the help of sports drinks or pasta. Beyond the odd root or tuber, they didn’t have a whole lot of access to simple, easily digested carbohydrates. Even the fruit they had seasonal access to was vastly different than the heavily engineered sugary things we eat today. The quickest source of simple sugars was probably honey, and that meant climbing a tree and braving a few dozen stings from its angry inhabitants. They got most of their caloric content from animal foods, nuts, limited vegetation, roots, and the odd berry. Location and climate played a huge role in exactly what early man’s diet looked like, but whether it was coconuts and fish or elk and blackberries, most traditional hunter-gatherer diets were high in fat and protein and low in carbohydrates. So how did early man thrive without the help of plentiful, easily digestible carbohydrates? How did he have the energy to stalk game and forage for nuts? Wouldn’t his glycogen-depleted muscles be unable to bear the weight of a just-killed buck back to camp? For one thing, cavemen weren’t running marathons. And as for the claim that post-workout carbohydrates are required to effectively synthesize protein itself? I’ll let a recent Dutch study lay that one to rest. Researchers at Maastricht University compared subjects’ blood and muscle samples during post-workout recovery. Participants were either given a pure protein supplement or a protein supplement with various amounts of carbohydrates. They found that the carbohydrates did “not further stimulate post-exercise muscle protein synthesis.” As long as “ample” protein was ingested, optimum protein synthesis occurred regardless of carbohydrates. So we see that post-workout recovery should include protein and that carbohydrates are completely unnecessary—provided you’re keeping your workouts intense and to the point. Personally, I like jerky, cold chicken breast, a handful of nuts, or even a whey protein supplement to maximize the post-workout protein synthesis window lasting thirty to forty-five minutes. There’s an altogether different option for post-workout recovery, also with its roots in evolutionary anthropology: intermittent fasting (IF). IF has gained a pretty substantial following, and it attempts to mimic the feast-and-famine that some contend typified early man’s eating habits. It’s unlikely our ancestors always had three square meals per day; it’s more likely that there were times of plenty and times of not-so-plenty. Some days, the hunt might have been unsuccessful, or the foraging baskets empty. Our bodies seem to have developed a hormonal response to such a situation, one that actually turns the lack of food into a benefit. Instead of shutting down and storing fat—the usual claims of fasting detractors—our bodies actually burn fat and conserve muscle when fasting, seemingly as a response to an unfavourable situation in which maintaining strength was more necessary than ever. Obviously, we live in a time of relative plenty. Our fridges are fairly well stocked and a wholesome protein snack is always within reach. Fasting is no longer a necessary part of modern life, but the biological, hormonal benefits that hark back to the Stone Age remain in our genes. To take advantage of these benefits, and to emulate the kind of eating schedule early man might have followed, I make my fasting as random as possible. There’s no set schedule, no magic formula: a skipped meal here, a twenty-four-hour fast there, a bit more food after a day of fasting. We now know that anaerobic activity—intense bursts of exercise, heavy resistance training—actually boosts human growth hormone (HGH) production far more than endurance training. Naturally produced HGH is hugely beneficial to us, helping burn fat and build muscle. But HGH secretion is also increased during intermittent fasting. It sounds ridiculous, right? A lack of nutrients causes our bodies to actually promote strength building? It’s true. A study examining HGH secretion in men on a two-day fast found that HGH production actually increased, presumably as a defense mechanism designed to prevent muscle loss when food was scarce. Think of the Stone Age hunter spending a day and half tracking a deer through snow and tundra, only to come up empty-handed. He still had to make it back without food, and the increased HGH production throughout this forced fast could be just the ticket to make that possible. Now, I usually make it a priority to get a nice dose of protein—say, twenty to thirty grams—within thirty minutes of working out, especially after I lift. And I tend to lean toward the grazing method most days, making sure to always have a bit of food on hand. But on those intermittent fasting days, on those days where the hunt was a wash, I don’t skip the workouts. Instead, I skip the post-workout meal and go full throttle to maximize the HGH secretion brought on by the anaerobic activity and the fasting. Done intermittently, fasting can have hugely positive effects on your fat-burning and muscle-building potential, especially when combined with anaerobic activity and plenty of fat and protein intake when you do eat. Of course, we are not cavemen. We may share their genetics, and our bodies may respond best to their traditional diets and workouts, but some of us engage in activities that call for a different dietary approach. Though I don’t personally endorse endurance training anymore, I totally get the allure. I used to run marathons at a fairly high level, even making the 1980 Olympic Trials; chronic injuries and respiratory infections pushed me out and into triathlons. I couldn’t run as much as before, but biking and swimming were fine, and I placed fourth at the Hawaii Ironman. So I understand that drive to consistently perform at a high level. The runner’s high, the endorphin rush, the ability to eat whatever you want without gaining much weight … I know all about it. But for me, the health issues were mounting up and couldn’t be ignored. It wasn’t just a joint issue or physical wear and tear from the training; it was the fact that my training required massive amounts of carbohydrates, and this was taking a toll on my health. To give you an idea, at the height of my training, I was eating a gallon of ice cream a day and entire loaves of bread. I was never overweight or anything, but I now know that the refined carbohydrates and grains—foods our bodies simply aren’t really designed to eat—were killing me with the increased inflammation and impaired immune function. Objectively, I was the height of “fit,” but the combination of extreme training and the extreme diet required to maintain it made me anything but healthy. I saw the same thing happen to my peers. These were guys running incredible times and training daily, but they always seemed to be coming down with something or nursing some injury or another. I imagine a lot of runners are reading this. I know my audience, believe me. I was involved in the endurance world for decades, and I know how rewarding it can be. I know that if you’re training for endurance sports, immense amounts of carbohydrates are the norm. I also know that I’ve never felt better than I do now, having stopped endurance training to adopt an entirely different way of eating, exercising, and living. I call it the Primal Blueprint. It is a lifestyle based on the fact that our human ancestors lived for hundreds of thousands of years on a diet high in fat and protein and low in carbohydrates. It eschews chronic cardio in favour of anaerobic activity—heavy resistance training, intense sprinting—and slow, constant movements. It avoids most carbohydrates, especially those found in grains, legumes, potatoes, and sugar. Above all, it is designed for individuals interested in obtaining optimum health and fitness. In all honesty, it’s probably not the ideal lifestyle for a high-level endurance athlete, but there are workarounds. My first bit of advice to an endurance runner interested in incorporating the Primal Blueprint into his or her life is this: cut down on the training. It’s unpopular advice; long-distance running can be addictive and completely satisfying, but I simply can’t endorse it as a regular activity. That said, millions of people who get a lot of fulfillment from endurance training won’t give it up, and there are ways to get enough glycogen to fuel your endurance efforts with Primal foods while avoiding the bulk of the refined grains and carbohydrates that most runners rely on. The fact is that the Primal endurance athlete is going to require more than the one hundred or so daily grams of carbohydrates from fruit and veggies the Blueprint calls for. Our bodies can synthesize around two hundred grams of glycogen from fat and protein on a diet like this, but the added endurance training requires more than that. The trick is to tinker with your diet to figure out exactly how many carbohydrates you can get away with removing from your diet. To start out, ditch the grains and legumes in favour of fruit and starchy vegetables like yams or squash. For an after-workout infusion of glycogen, try a bit of plain whole-fat yogurt with fruit and honey. During a particularly grueling session, sports drinks are fine. Your body will be utilizing the glycogen, instead of storing it as fat, so immediately post-endurance workout is the best time to fuel up with carbohydrates, particularly simple ones. You’re not going to be able to completely ditch the carbohydrates, especially if you continue to train hard, and that’s okay. You can, however, limit the number of carbohydrates to the specific amount required for your workouts and reap the benefits of eating like our hunter-gatherer ancestors without giving up your training. Primal Blueprint RecipesSpicy Stuffed EggplantIngredients:2 large eggplants 5 Tbsp olive oil 1 cup onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper 16 ounces ground beef, bison or pork ¼ cup almond flour 2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley Salt and pepper to taste Method: Wash the eggplants and cut in half lengthwise. With a spoon, remove pulp (but don’t throw away!) to leave a scooped shell about half an inch thick. Next, chop the eggplant pulp coarsely and set aside. In a large skillet, heat half of the olive oil. Place the eggplant shells cut-side down and cook for about five minutes. With tongs, transfer shells to a shallow, oven-proof dish. Add remaining oil to skillet and sauté onions and garlic for two minutes over medium heat. Add eggplant pulp, tomatoes, thyme, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste and cook over medium-high heat until the majority of the moisture evaporates and you are left with a stew-like mixture. Remove from heat and mix in cooked meat. Next, stuff the eggplant shells with the stew-like mixture, top with almond flour (a stand-in for breadcrumbs) and bake in a 400-degree Fahrenheit pre-heated oven for fifteen minutes. Remove from oven, top with chopped parsley. Serves four. Tilapia Fillets in a Spicy Poblano SauceIngredients:4 fillets tilapia 2 Tbsp olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced Salt and pepper to taste For sauce: 2 Tbsp butter 1 medium onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 8 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped 3 sprigs fresh cilantro 1 cup chicken stock ½ cup heavy cream Salt and pepper to taste Method: To make the sauce, warm the butter in a large skillet until hot. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until onion browns. Add the poblano peppers and cilantro and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Next, empty the ingredients into a food processor. Add chicken stock and process until smooth. A few minutes before serving, return mixture to saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the cream and salt and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer for three minutes. To prepare the tilapia, warm the oil in a large skillet over high heat and add the garlic. Sauté for one or two minutes. Add the tilapia, cook for two minutes on each side or until done and remove from pan. Arrange on plate, layer on poblano sauce, and serve immediately. Serves four. Primal ChiliIngredients:3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 onions, diced 3 pasilla peppers, seeded and diced 1 red pepper, seeded and diced 3 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 Tbsp dried oregano 2 Tbsp paprika 2 Tbsp ground coriander 1 Tbsp cumin 1 Tbsp chili powder 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 cinnamon stick 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, crushed 1 cup beef broth 2-4 Tbsp canned chipotle chile, diced 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar Cilantro leaves, for garnish Lime wedges, for garnish Method: Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat; add three tablespoons olive oil, the onions, pasilla peppers, and red pepper. Cook until everything is soft and the onions are beginning to caramelize, about ten minutes. Pat the beef dry and season it with salt and pepper. Add it to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until it has browned on all sides, about ten minutes. Add oregano, paprika, coriander, cumin, chili powder, garlic, cinnamon stick, tomatoes, beef broth and chipotle (add as little as one teaspoon to the whole can depending on how hot you’d like your chili). Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for one and a half hours. Remove the meat and shred it with a fork. Return it to the pot, and cook for another ten minutes, uncovered, to thicken. Right before you are ready to serve add the red wine vinegar to the pot and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with cilantro and lime for garnish. Serves six to eight. About the AuthorMark Sisson is publisher of MarksDailyApple.com, the fastest-growing healthy lifestyle blog on the Internet from 2005-2007. A respected expert in health and nutrition, Sisson owns Primal Nutrition, a Malibu, California, nutritional supplement company founded in 1999. Sisson is a former 2:18 marathoner and fourth-place finisher at Hawaii Ironman. As well, Sisson served as vice-president of the International Triathlon Union. |
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