The day after Christmas seems like a good time to write a review on a book about nutrition. I just finished massive dinner — number 2 of a 3-night holiday eat-fest. Thankfully, it will be over soon and hopefully the damage will be minimal.
I grabbed a copy of Matt Fitzgerald’s new book, Racing Weight: How to Get Lean for Peak Performance while I was doing some holiday shopping. I am always a sucker for books on sports nutrition, especially if they come from writers or publishers I trust. Fitzgerald’s book is the latest addition to the myriad of books on the subject. I expected this book would once again identify a new diet that would trump all others. Instead, Fitzgerald offers a consolidation of sorts.
Drawing on common sense, experience, and solid research Fitzgerald shapes a very practical approach to nutrition. I liked this book, not so much because I learned a lot of new information. Instead, I came to the realization that many different diets work for many different types of athletes. Many athletes have performed very well on high fat, high protein, and/or high carb diets. There is no one way to a lean physique other than more calories out then calories in. The kicker for endurance athletes is maintaining an ability to perform or improve while continuing to lose unwanted fat. Based on my experience, following his plan will most likely award you with a leaner body and allow you to sustain significant training loads.
Fitzgerald’s book is divided into 3 parts. Part I helps the athlete identify his/her optimal racing weight. Part II takes the athlete through a 5 step process for eliminating excess fat. Part III provides the athlete with menu options. Identifying your optimal racing weight will depend on your sport and your experience racing at different weights. For most of us, certainly in the cycling world, lighter is better. For some this may not be the case. The 5 step process focuses on eating a good balance of high quality foods at the right times and training with more intensity. The menu options are practical with easy to obtain ingredients. For the average athlete who is busy and on a budget, Fitzgerald’s approach is attainable.
Fitzgerald does a fantastic job debunking the multitude of diet myths, many of which are still practiced by pro athletes. He does this with sound research. Study after study does NOT show half the stuff we believe to be true about losing weight. Racing Weight contains many insights, too many to mention. His best nugget of advice: “Shape your diet to meet a daily carb target. Add in fat and protein in reasonable amounts.” I like this a lot. Fitzgerald offers recommendations on carbohydrate intake based on weekly training hours. Experiment with different levels of fat and protein to see what works. I personally shoot for 20% protein, 20-30% fat, and 50-60% carbohydrate depending on the time of year.
January 1st approaches. For athletes in the North East, this is the best time of year to drop some weight. Grab a copy of Racing Weight or head to www.racingweight.com and try some of Fitzgerald’s strategies. You might just drop those nagging five extra pounds you’ve been carrying around season after season.
mb