SuperFitness

Reader Nutrition Questions Training Fuel

QUESTION: I understand that an egg is one of the best and cheapest source of the protein I need for growth. What about all the fat and cholesterol that an egg contains?

ANSWER: Try "diluting" a regular (whole) egg with three or four egg whites. Five of the six grams of fat in an egg are in the yolk and the whites contain many essential amino acids the yellows do not. It tastes great and its low fat! If you want to reduce cholesterol even more, try mixing the single egg yellow with four egg whites and a serving size egg substitute. This will serve both you and your partner, or can be saved for the next meal in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

QUESTION: I seemed to have a physical intolerance to the phenylalanine compounds found in most shake drink food supplements. Should I keep trying the expensive process of experimenting with other brands, or do you have any advice?

ANSWER: There are some newer sports drinks that utilize a stacking of glutamine (the main anti-catabolic amino used so much in drinks like METRX and PHOSPHAGAIN), and creatine monohydrate (a cellular volumiser that increases the water balance in the muscle cells) to promote lean mass buildup. Although different does not mean better, it may be worth a try if you are having a problem with the more popular shake drinks.

QUESTION: Does L-carnitine help burn fat?

ANSWER: L-carnitine transports fatty acids in the cell into the mitochondria where aerobic activity causes energy to be burned. For most who exercise there are plenty of naturally produced chemicals to get the job done. There does not appear to be a single bottleneck for getting energy for moving that this supplement would help.

QUESTION: I like your column, but I want to use weight training for strength and stamina, not mass or bulk? What are the tricks here?

QUESTION: I understand new fat substitutes like Olestra will soon be in products on the market. Will this make having a healthy diet easy and without all the restraints we now have to live with?

ANSWER: Proctor and Gamble's Olestra is made from sugar and vegetable oil. It is to be used in frying foods (such as potato chips, corn puffs, french fries, etc.). It contains very few calories. It can replace 160 calories and ten grams of fat with only sixty calories and no fat. It's basically a huge fat molecule that is too big to be digested by the body. This would suggest that the sixty calories it contains would not be consumed by the body as simple sugars.

The side effect most disturbing for SuperFitness readers may be that it depletes the body of fat-soluble vitamins and carotenoids. To compensate for this, Proctor and Gamble plans to supplement Olestra with those vitamins that are most prone to depletion. Some genius that developed a fat that cannot be digested will get a bonus. However, it's a poor excuse for not living a healthy lifestyle with proper exercise. Prices haven't been set, but they will be expensive. Giving up exercise and good nutrition may be worse.

QUESTION: A few months ago a guy at the gym told me that athletes should avoid fruit. I know some nutritionists that recommend increasing intake of leafy greens, but is there a professional hex on fruit?

ANSWER: Several have written in recent magazine articles that fructose, which is relative to other sugars, should be avoided. This is the primary sugar in fruit, and it easily converts to fat. Thus, those concerned about body fat levels are encouraged not to eat fruit. Otherwise, fruit is an excellent and nutritious food.

QUESTION: If low fat is good, then no fat diets must be excellent. Right?

ANSWER: Dietary fats are very necessary in the human diet, especially in the diet of an athlete. All dietary fats are necessary for metabolism. If you want to reduce the fat in your body to improve your lean muscle ratio, slowly decrease the percentage of calories from fat in stages. If you normally consume 2,500 calories, start with about sixty grams of fat per day and gradually reduce your consumption until you find the optimal level.

Contributed by C. W. Mann, who also writes the syndicated newspaper column, SuperFitness.

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