High-intensity training has always been followed by mentions of Mike Mentzer who was responsible for pioneering the approach. Though he went on to add his twist to it, his roots never weakened.
Training combined with his science-backed logic towards diet helped many of his clients achieve their fitness goals. In a resurfaced video posted by the YouTube channel Heavy Duty College, he spoke about weight training and sugar consumption.
Unlike many exercises that one would consider for fat loss, Mentzer specified a particular kind that burnt sugar. Lifting weights needed immense power but also burned through the sugar in one’s body. However, it was not an ideal choice of workout for some fitness goals.
Weight training does not burn fat for fuel. It opts to burn sugar instead. Therefore, if a fitness enthusiast wishes to cut down and get some definition, it’s not the right choice of training. Mentzer lectured:
“It’s a simple medical fact. It’s not even open to debate. Weight training burns sugar.”
Therefore, the late bodybuilder called it the ‘worst way to get cut’. Instead, he mentions how high-intensity training demands the fitness enthusiast to consume sugar in the form of healthy carbohydrates to facilitate energy. This nutrient can come in fruits, vegetables, cereals, grains, etc.
In case the individual does not consume sufficient amounts of sugar to burn through the weight training session, Mentzer issued a warning.
Muscles have an amino acid called ‘Alanine’, which helps in the biosynthesis of protein. In case of a lack of sugar, the protein in the muscles is processed for energy.
“That’s why carbohydrates are called protein-sparing. It spares your protein from being used for energy.”
Mentzer has always charted diet plans for his clients who have seriously chased their fitness goals. Across all his tips and advice, he often talks about the link between the kind of exercise one performs and consuming a balanced diet.
While we spoke about how weight training picks sugar to burn, thus sparing the protein, too much of anything could cause problems.
Mike Mentzer warns against excessive protein causing increased fat
According to Mentzer, protein makes up about 25% of muscular tissues. In a video posted by the YouTube channel Heavy Duty College, he talked about his watchful eye on calories and nutrient distribution. This talk led to him discussing the ideal protein content in day-to-day consumption.
A gram of protein has four calories, and to grow ten pounds of muscle, one would have to technically consume a gram every day a year. But this could easily lead to the thought of consuming more to get more, which is false.
A calorie is a calorie, and excessive protein could contribute to the stack of calories. This phenomenon is why it could have the opposite effect of what was intended.
