By Dr. Antonio Parolisi
The estimation of nutrient percentages, within a diet aimed at competitive fitness or sport in general, as well as sedentary life, seems to create discord among the experts, who, following their own thesis, plan food programs based on different ideologies.
The proposals on the market are vast and all have a more or less scientific value. There are supporters of the classic "Food Pyramid" - which sees carbohydrates with a very high percentage (around 50%), followed by proteins (around 20%), and fats (about 30%); the followers of the zone diet, the legendary 40/30/30 of the esteemed American biochemist Barry Sears; the supporters of the "Metabolica", of the great Mauro Di Pasquale; and lovers of other diets like the " Low carb " or the "Low fat" .
The basic question is very precise and is the following: can a fixed percentage of nutrients, even varying the caloric share from subject to subject, always go well? In my opinion it is like saying that the 90-60-90 sizes are perfect for any woman, regardless of her height!
Let's analyze this question together: if we find ourselves in front of a woman like Manuela Arcuri, 175cm tall with a normal-line build, the above measures will surely be (at least for most people) nothing short of perfect.
Fortunately, women are not all alike, so we could be in the presence of a 150cm tall woman with a slight outline, who, with the circumferences listed above, would be a bit "round". The same goes for a 190cm tall woman who with those measurements might seem too thin.
Surely someone will be thinking that the measures 90-60-90 are indicated for the woman in the "average", but if this, is it true what are the parameters of the circumferences in other women in the "not average"? Hence the need to find different measures for different bodies.
I understand that the measurements of female circumferences have no value with calories, but the concept is similar - and it can be applied to the percentages of nutrient distributions within a diet, as not all subjects are body-builders, but not even all novels writers ... We could still find, always, a writer who is at the same time a body-builder . By this I mean that every individual has different energy needs.
The planning of a personalized food program is not at all easy and much less practical. It requires a dose of detailed information on the subject and an accurate history of the person. Only in this way will it be possible to establish a caloric quota as close as possible to the real needs of the individual in question. The lines to be followed are linked, as the data of one line will be used for the analysis of the others.
I'll explain.
After an accurate medical-specialist-sports visit, with the relative authorization for the practice of physical activity, the subject's approach should include, firstly, the analysis of the maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) measurable in ml / kg / min, with indirect or direct tests (the latter under strict medical-cardiological control); this will make it possible to assess the condition of the subject from a cardiovascular point of view and determine its calorie consumption in relation to the oxygen consumed; to remember that a liter of oxygen burns about 5 calories. By establishing a percentage of work based on the maximum heart rate (HRmax), the amount of oxidized nutrients during sports practice will be known (see: respiratory quotient).
The analysis of body composition is an indispensable parameter for evaluating the percentage of fat and its lean mass, thus establishing the effective structure to be nourished, both during motion and at rest.
Once the subject's basic metabolism data (BMR) has been obtained, the caloric needs will be evaluated, hour by hour, considering the periods of sleep, work, inactivity, physical exercise and so on, up to outline all the 24 hours of the "typical day". This estimate, regardless of what can be said, will never be precise, but at least it will come as close as possible to the real calorie requirement (see: calorie calculation).
CONTINUE: second part ยป
