54 Chapter 3: Weight Management protein should be elevated to about twice the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for general health. This can be achieved by prioritizing lean protein sources at each meal (to include snacks). It is also recommended that the additional protein come from whole food sources instead of from sport foods and/or supplements as often as possible. Table 3.5 provides specific macronutrient intake recommendations for those individuals interested in general health as well as those interested in gaining muscle mass (Israetel et al., 2019). Table 3.5. Macronutrient Intake Recommendations Carbohydrates Protein Fat General Health 0.3 - 5.0 g / lb. / day 0.3 - 2.0 g / lb. / day 0.3 g / lb. / day Hypertrophy (Size) 1.0 - 2.5 g / lb. / day 0.7 - 2.0 g / lb. / day 0.3 g / lb. / day Weight Maintenance In addition to losing and gaining weight, another popular weight management goal is to maintain a current weight. Weight maintenance is best achieved by keeping daily caloric intake as close to total energy expenditure as possible. Total energy expenditure represents the combined energy costs associated with executing processes essential for life, digesting, absorbing, and converting food, and performing various physical activities (i.e., TEE = BMR + NEAT + TEF + EAT). Some effective strategies for weight maintenance include regularly performing resistance training (focusing on the compound lifts), maintaining and/or increasing NEAT (e.g., walking for ≥ 30 minutes per day), consuming plenty of protein (e.g., 0.7-1.0 grams per pound of body weight per day), and limiting the amount of sedentary behavior. Body Recomposition Another common weight management goal is recomposition (aka recomping). Body recomposition is the process of simultaneously decreasing fat mass while increasing fat free mass (FFM) (Hough & Schoenfeld, 2022). Body recomposition can be accomplished in one of three ways: 1) concurrently reducing fat mass while maintaining FFM; 2) maintaining fat mass while increasing FFM; 3) reducing fat mass while increasing FFM. Individuals with high percentages of body fat and limited resistance training experience typically experience the largest recomping effects. According to Contreras & Cordoza (2019), individuals wanting to recomp should perform resistance training at least two times per week, increase their protein intake (e.g., 0.7-1.0 g/lb./day), and maintain a eucaloric diet (which involves having caloric intake equal caloric expenditure). The caloric intake required for a eucaloric diet will likely need to be modified over time to compensate for changes in an individual’s muscle mass, activity level, fitness level, and/or goals.
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