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Introduction
You may have heard the saying, “Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym.” There is truth to this.
Training hard is often the widely assumed solution to getting in shape. But starting any physical
fitness plan involves understanding that working out is only the first step. You should never
neglect what is arguably the most important aspect of fitness: Nutrition.
Nutrition is a vital aspect of fitness because it’s fundamentally linked to how your body maintains
energy to workout effectively and gain muscles. Energy comes from a variety of macronutrients
like proteins, carbohydrates and fats and of course minerals and vitamins. This book provide a
proven and very effective nutrition program that will help you maximize your results when
performing High Interval Intensity Training.
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MACRONUTRIENTS
Nutrients that provide us with calories or energy are referred to as macronutrients. We need nutrients
for growth, metabolism, and for other body functions. The pre-fix “macro” means large, telling us that
large amounts of macronutrients are essential for optimal health. Macronutrients can be broken down
into three categories: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Although calories can be obtained from each
of these three categories, each category provides a different number of calories. A carbohydrate
provides 4 calories per gram, protein provides 4 calories per gram, and fat provides 9 calories per gram.
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Carbohydrates
If we were to compare how much we depend on each of these macronutrients, carbohydrates would
be the most essential. We require the largest amount of carbohydrates in order to stay healthy and
productive. The USDA published the Dietary Reference Intakes and stated that 45%-65% of our daily
calories should be obtained from carbohydrates.
There are a multitude of reasons for our dependence on carbohydrates. Carbohydrates act as the
body’s main source of fuel and can be easily used by the body for energy.
We also depend on
carbohydrates in order for proper functioning of our central nervous system, brain, kidneys, and
muscles. Not only do carbohydrates help our organs function properly, but they have the ability to be
stored in our muscles or liver and used later. We also rely on carbohydrates for intestinal health and
proper waste elimination. With how much we depend on carbohydrates, it is a good thing that they can
be found in many common foods such as grains and potatoes, fruits, milk, yogurt, vegetables, beans,
and seeds. When talking about carbohydrates, it is important to mention fiber.
Certain types of
carbohydrates contain fiber that our body is not able to digest. Although that may sound negative, it is
actually very helpful in that these fibers simply pass through our intestinal track and clear waste from
our body. In order to avoid health issues such as hemorrhoids or constipation, fiber is an essential part
of a healthy diet. Research has proven that those who each diets high in fiber are at lower risk for heart
disease, obesity, and generally have lower cholesterol.
Fats
Many people attach a negative connotation to the word fat, however fat is an essential component to a
healthy and well-balanced diet. The Dietary Reference Intakes published that 20%-35% of our daily
caloric intake should come from fats. Although it is true that too much fat can cause
weight gain, there are also many positive functions that fat has in our body such as promoting normal
growth and development, offering energy, providing cushioning for organs, helping to maintain cell
membranes, and providing taste, consistency, and stability to foods!!
When discussing fat, it is important to note the three different types of fat: saturated fat, unsaturated
fat, and trans fat. When you are aware of the three types of fat and where they can be found, you will
be able to better balance your fat intake. Saturated fat can be found in foods like meat, lard, cream,
and butter. Trans-fat can be found in snack foods, baked goods, fried foods, and margarines. Both
trans-fat and saturated fat are fairly unhealthy and have been linked to heart disease. Unsaturated fat
is the best kind of fat to include in your diet and can be found in olive oil, nuts, avocado, and canola oil
and it has been found to reduce the risk of heart disease.
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Proteins
Protein is another essential component of a healthy diet. The Dietary Reference Intakes states that
10%-35% of our daily calories should be obtained from protein. A person who consumed appropriate
amounts of protein will reap the many benefits that it offers such as proper growth, tissue repair, healthy
immune function, lean muscle mass, and a good supply of energy.
Protein is most commonly thought of as being in meats, fishes, and poultries, but it can also be found
in cheese, milk, nuts, legumes, and even in some vegetables! Upon consuming any of these foods that
are excellent sources of protein, the body will break the protein down into amino acids, some being
essential and others not as essential. In order to make sure that you receive all of the essential amino
acids for optimal health, it is necessary to include animal proteins in your diet. Although plant based
proteins are very healthy, they do not contain all of the essential amino acids.
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HIIT Nutrition
When participating in HIIT it is vitally important to ensure that you have optimum nutrition. HIIT
workouts are physically taxing and therefore your muscles need to be appropriately fuelled. You
will not only burn a significant number of calories during the HIIT workouts but research has
suggested that participating in HIIT also increases the amount of calories you continue to burn
throughout the day due to excess post exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) thus increasin g
resting metabolic rate up to 24 hours after a HIIT workout [1].
This means that you should be eating more on days you are working out in order to not only fuel
your muscles pre-workout but also to aid their repair post workout as your body continues to burn
extra calories.
There is conflicting research as to what macronutrient, carbohydrate, protein and fat ratios should
be used to set up a diet, with different ratios being advocated depending on the individual’s overall
goals and lifestyle. However for the purpose of this training program the overall calories and
macronutrient ratios will vary depending on whether it is a rest day or a workout day, with workout
days requiring a higher percentage of carbohydrates for energy.
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