Column 16 | The liquid formula

ANSWER

How much fluid you should drink per day is generally calculated based on your body weight. For a non-athlete with an average weight of 80 kilos, two to three liters per day is enough - although the actual average fluid consumption of the normal population is much lower.

However, things are different for athletes, as a lot of fluid is lost through physical activity and the sweating that comes with it. The following formula has proven to be effective here:

This formula is a minimum. An 80 kg athlete should therefore drink at least four liters a day. For every hour of exercise they do, they should add another liter. However, it is important to only drink still water, as carbonated water, such as typical mineral water, distorts the natural feeling of thirst. This means that you cannot drink as much as your body needs. It is also important to make sure that you do not wait until you are thirsty to drink, but before you are. Thirst is a warning signal from the body that tells us that the body is already short of water and needs it immediately.

If you drink at regular intervals and especially at times when a lot of fluid is consumed, such as during training, you prevent a fluid deficit. And even a small loss of fluid causes a drop in performance, and that is exactly what we want to avoid in order to remain efficient for a long time. If you also consider that our muscles are made up of around 70 percent water and water plays a fundamental role in building muscle, even the last skeptics should be convinced that adequate fluid intake is extremely important.

ANSWER

In order to gain fat, you first need an extremely positive nutrient balance. It doesn't really matter which nutrients are primarily consumed: if you eat significantly more than you use, your body stores the excess nutrients either in your muscles or in your glycogen stores (especially if they are empty) or in your fatty tissue.

However, the likelihood of gaining fat from proteins is lowest because proteins primarily stimulate the metabolism, which in turn burns calories.

Postprandial thermogenesis, i.e. the heat production induced after eating, differs considerably between the individual nutrients protein, carbohydrates and fat. While postprandial thermogenesis for fat is only three to four percent and for carbohydrates seven percent, it increases to up to 30 percent for meals that are primarily high in protein! This means that you burn significantly more calories after a protein-rich meal than after one that is high in carbohydrates or fat.

That is why there is a general and correct recommendation to significantly increase protein intake during a calorie-reduced diet. Firstly, to protect the muscles from breaking down and secondly, to achieve increased metabolic activation. In terms of possible fat storage through proteins, one would have to consume significantly more protein shakes and protein-rich meals than equivalent carbohydrate and fat-rich meals in order to store fat, which is hardly possible due to the high level of satiety. But it is also true that, as mentioned, the excess energy consumed is stored in fat deposits.

I have been following a high-protein diet for many years and consume around 600 grams of protein a day. Despite this, my body fat is never more than 12 percent throughout the year and my metabolism is running at full speed, which makes building muscle much easier.

In summary, it can be said that although there is a possibility of gaining fat by consuming too much protein, this is very unlikely due to the facts mentioned above.