Supplements
So you’ve decided to get healthy. You’re exercising, walking, running, maybe going to the gym a few times a week. That’s great news! Somewhere along the way you are going to begin to hear about supplements. The gym that I go to puts a bunch of handouts on everything including supplements on a display area for members to review. You will also hear advice from the people you meet and workout with. You will also hear from your friends that as well. So what’s the best advice on nutritional supplements? The first step is to have a good understanding of what you are putting into your body on a daily basis. Get a notebook and log everything you eat for 1 week. And I mean everything. Once you have that data you need to analyze it. Break the food into groups such as simple carbs, complex carbs, sugars, proteins, fats and fibers. Then calculate the calories for each group and total for the day. Here’s a guideline you can compare to see if you are eating healthy. The percentage is of total caloric intake for the day.
Carbs (complex carbs) 45% - 65% -
Protein 10% - 35%
Fats (mono-unsaturated fats, poly-unsaturated) 20 – 35%
The next thing you should do is to calculate your daily caloric requirements. There are many places on the internet that offer online calculators for your convenience. I made my own with an excel spreadsheet. I found the formula to calculate my BMR (Base Metabolic Rate).
Calculate calories with the number of available online calculators from weight loss sites, the Mayo Clinic and even the American Cancer Society. Most of these calculators operate in the same way:
Choose to input standard or metric measurements. Input your age, height, weight and gender to receive the number of calories needs for your body. Determine your personal basal metabolic rate or BMR. The BMR is your daily caloric needs needed for your body to perform its basic tasks, such as heart to beat, breathing, digesting, etc. This measurement can help you fine tune the calorie needs of your body. Here is an example of the calculations.
The woman's American measurement BMR equation is: (4.7 x your height in inches) + (4.35 x your weight in pounds) - (4.7 x your age in years). Add 655 to this total for the BMR. The man's American measurement BMR equation is: (12.7 x your height in inches) + (6.23 x your weight in pounds) - (6.8 x your age in years). Add 66 to the total for the BMR. The BMR equation in metrics for women is: (9.6 x your weight in kilograms) + (1.8 x your height in centimeters) - (4.7 x your age in years). Add 655 to the total to learn your BMR. The BMR equation in metrics for men is: 66 + (13.7 x your weight in kilograms) + (5 x your height in centimeters) - (6.8 x your age in years). Add 66 to the total to learn your BMR. Apply the Harris Benedict formula to calculate calories based on your activity level and BMR. All you have to do is multiply the BMR for your body by the number for your activity level.
If you don't exercise or exercise little, multiply the BMR by 1.2 for daily calories. If you take part in light exercise or sports 1-to-3 days each week, multiply the BMR by 1.375 for daily calories needed. People who exercise moderately and/or play sports 3-to-5 days a week should multiply their BMR by 1.55Active people who engage in strenuous sports or hard exercise 6-to-7 days a week need to multiply their BMR by 1.725.People who engage in very physically challenging jobs or exercise, such as 2-a-day workouts, should multiply their BMR by 1.9 for daily caloric needs.
This is just a start but now that you have the data and a better understanding of what you eat and what you need to eat you can decide if you are not getting enough of some nutrients. The best way of getting the nutrients you need is to eat more items from a particular nutrient group. If you have a busy life and you are constantly on the run you may not have time to stop and eat healthy at every meal. That’s when you should be considering supplements. It may not be possible to sit down for a balanced meal after a workout but you still need to soak your muscles with carbs and protein in the 30 minutes following. That’s when you can consider a healthy carb and protein shake. There are plenty of them on the market but I would look for something with little or no sugar.
Vitamins can be supplemented as well if you feel that your unable to get enough of them naturally in your diet. Make sure that you are using a quality product in order to receive the most benefit. If you really want to be sure you are eating well to support your exercise plan consult with a certified nutritionist.
Carbs (complex carbs) 45% - 65% -
Protein 10% - 35%
Fats (mono-unsaturated fats, poly-unsaturated) 20 – 35%
The next thing you should do is to calculate your daily caloric requirements. There are many places on the internet that offer online calculators for your convenience. I made my own with an excel spreadsheet. I found the formula to calculate my BMR (Base Metabolic Rate).
Calculate calories with the number of available online calculators from weight loss sites, the Mayo Clinic and even the American Cancer Society. Most of these calculators operate in the same way:
Choose to input standard or metric measurements. Input your age, height, weight and gender to receive the number of calories needs for your body. Determine your personal basal metabolic rate or BMR. The BMR is your daily caloric needs needed for your body to perform its basic tasks, such as heart to beat, breathing, digesting, etc. This measurement can help you fine tune the calorie needs of your body. Here is an example of the calculations.
The woman's American measurement BMR equation is: (4.7 x your height in inches) + (4.35 x your weight in pounds) - (4.7 x your age in years). Add 655 to this total for the BMR. The man's American measurement BMR equation is: (12.7 x your height in inches) + (6.23 x your weight in pounds) - (6.8 x your age in years). Add 66 to the total for the BMR. The BMR equation in metrics for women is: (9.6 x your weight in kilograms) + (1.8 x your height in centimeters) - (4.7 x your age in years). Add 655 to the total to learn your BMR. The BMR equation in metrics for men is: 66 + (13.7 x your weight in kilograms) + (5 x your height in centimeters) - (6.8 x your age in years). Add 66 to the total to learn your BMR. Apply the Harris Benedict formula to calculate calories based on your activity level and BMR. All you have to do is multiply the BMR for your body by the number for your activity level.
If you don't exercise or exercise little, multiply the BMR by 1.2 for daily calories. If you take part in light exercise or sports 1-to-3 days each week, multiply the BMR by 1.375 for daily calories needed. People who exercise moderately and/or play sports 3-to-5 days a week should multiply their BMR by 1.55Active people who engage in strenuous sports or hard exercise 6-to-7 days a week need to multiply their BMR by 1.725.People who engage in very physically challenging jobs or exercise, such as 2-a-day workouts, should multiply their BMR by 1.9 for daily caloric needs.
This is just a start but now that you have the data and a better understanding of what you eat and what you need to eat you can decide if you are not getting enough of some nutrients. The best way of getting the nutrients you need is to eat more items from a particular nutrient group. If you have a busy life and you are constantly on the run you may not have time to stop and eat healthy at every meal. That’s when you should be considering supplements. It may not be possible to sit down for a balanced meal after a workout but you still need to soak your muscles with carbs and protein in the 30 minutes following. That’s when you can consider a healthy carb and protein shake. There are plenty of them on the market but I would look for something with little or no sugar.
Vitamins can be supplemented as well if you feel that your unable to get enough of them naturally in your diet. Make sure that you are using a quality product in order to receive the most benefit. If you really want to be sure you are eating well to support your exercise plan consult with a certified nutritionist.
|