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Nutrient Density  Explored

Researched and Composed by Gabriel “Venom” Wilson, BSc. (Hons), CSCS 

Abstract

There are two popular phases in the sport of bodybuilding, known as bulking and cutting. Several factors must be taken into account if one is to obtain success in either aspect. Within the following study, the author will narrow in on optimal nutrient consumption and its effect in regards to the aforementioned terms.

Results show that when seeking to obtain mass, it is expedient to consume calorie-dense foods and, in contrast, when cutting you should opt for foods with a minimal calorie density. It was additionally discovered that taking nutrient density into account could be of great assistance for various scenarios, such as composing a diet rich in proteins or preparing a pre-workout meal dense in carbohydrates to enhance athletic performance.

Nutrients

Studying the complexity of the human body is simply mind-boggling. In a fraction of a moment, millions of chemical reactions transpire within the human system. Cellular respiration, muscular contractions, and nerve impulses are but a few of these factors; however, with such magnificence comes a price. This price is known as energy.  Energy is required for all of these transactions to take place. To obtain this fuel, we turn to nutrition. 

Nutrients are substances that the body can use to obtain energy, regulate bodily functions, and add to physical structure. These nutrients must be provided by whole foods or supplementation. A nutrient can also be defined as that which the human organism cannot produce enough of or cannot produce at all, and yet is reliant on for survival.  There are six types of nutrients: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water. The body requires large quantities of the former half, hence, they are termed macronutrients. Vitamins and minerals, on the other hand, are named micronutrients because they are needed in minuscule amounts.  

Athletes requires nutrients above and beyond the point of survival; in fact, they demand perfection! To accomplish such a task, one can allow no slack. Today, the current writer desires to add a weapon to the athletes arsenal, allowing one to maximize their diet, making it as dense as possible.
 

Questions & Answers

To enhance the readers comprehension on the topic, the following paragraphs will be displayed in a question & answer format. The question will be denoted as Q, and highlighted with the color red, while the answer will be deemed A, and highlighted with the color orange.  

Q. What is nutrient density? 

A. Nutrient density (ND) is the amount of a particular nutrient (carbohydrate, protein, fat, etc.) per unit of energy in a given food; however, the term ‘density’ is not scientifically accurate.  Density means mass per unit of volume, not mass per unit of energy (as refereed to above). Loose interpretations of this word are common, however. For example, population density refers to the number of people per unit of area.   

To further your comprehension on density, allow me to discuss one of God’s most miraculous creations, DNA. This medium has the highest storage density known to man [4,5,10]. Scientists can only dream to one day duplicate its brilliant efficiency. To clarify, Dr. Warner Gitt states the following:
 

The knowledge currently stored in the libraries of the world is estimated at 10¹⁸ bits. If it were possible for this information to be stored in DNA molecules, 1 percent of the volume of a pinhead would be sufficient for this purpose. If, on the other hand, this information were to be stored with the aid of megachips, we would need a pile higher than the distance between the earth and the moon. [10]

Q. How can I calculate nutrient density? 

A. There are several ways to calculate ND. The following are 3 methods:
 

Calories- Divide the calories from one particular nutrient in a given food, by the total calories of that food, and then multiply this by 100. For example, let’s say I wanted to calculate the nutrient density of fat in a bowl of Cheerios. A serving size gives approximately 110 calories; of these, 14.7 come from lipids. To compute, simply divide 14.7 by 110, and multiply by a factor of 100. This adds up to a 13.4% fat density in a serving of Cheerios.

Grams- An additional method is to use grams as a unit instead of calories (you can also apply this to ounces or what have you). This time, 2% low fat cottage cheese will be used to calculate protein density. A serving size of cottage cheese contains precisely 120 total grams. Of these units, 14 consist of protein. You can calculate using the same computations as above, which adds up to an 11.7% protein density per serving of cottage cheese, by grams. You may also divide the total grams (120) by the protein grams (14) and conclude that there is a gram of protein for every 8.6 grams of cottage cheese.

INQ- Lastly, a popular method used is the “Index of Nutritional Quality,” or INQ. This process is a bit more complicated, but vital for the readers comprehension skills in future studies. It proceeds as follows: INQ= (Amount of nutrient per 100 g/RDA for that nutrient)/(calories in 100 g/Population average for energy intake). Here is the INQ for protein in an egg:

1.      In 100 grams of an egg, there are 12.4 grams of protein.

2.      The protein RDA for an adult male is 63 grams (I know, simply appalling, but bear with me).

3.      There are 141 calories in 100 grams of an egg.

4.   The RDA calorie intake for adult males is 2900.

Now, if we take this information and plug it into the above calculations, we arrive at an INQ of 4.0. To clarify, a food between 2-6 in the INQ ranking system is considered good, and above this is viewed as an excellent source.

This concept can, however, be adapted to the bodybuilding lifestyle, which would mean that an athlete would change INQ to INQF, or Index of Nutritional Quality for Freaks!

The FRDA (freak recommended daily allowance) for protein is a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. To calculate for a 200-pounder, just replace step 2 (the RDA) with the FRDA (which would be 200 grams), and then plug this into the rest of the calculation.

Q. In what way does nutrient density apply to an athlete?

A. Nutrient density has several possible benefits for a bodybuilder [2,3]. For example, in case one is  having trouble consuming enough protein in a given day; the applicant could search for foods dense in proteins and consume a higher portion of those foods. Or when preparing for an event, and in need of an ample serving of carbohydrates for energy; one would likewise find nutrients dense in carbs and opt for those. Or when low-carb dieting, the athlete could seek foods with low carbohydrate nutrient densities, such as vegetables. ND is also advantageous when determining the efficiency of one food compared to another, i.e. eggs have a higher protein INQ (4.0) than a Big Mac (.5). This can apply to minerals, vitamins, etc.; the possibilities are endless.

Q. What is calorie density?

A. Calorie density (CD) is the number of calories per weight of food. A perfect illustration is found when comparing proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Typically, proteins and carbs contain 4 calories per gram, while fats have 9 calories per gram. Fats would be said to have a higher calorie density than the former two.

Q. How can I calculate calorie density?

A. Calculating CD is very easy. Simply divide the total weight in grams, ounces, or what have you, by the amount of calories and then multiply by 100. For example, in 40 grams of Quaker Oatmeal, there are 150 calories. This would add up to a calorie density of approximately 27%. The lower the percentage, the higher the calorie density.

You can also divide the total calories by the weight and determine how many calories there are per gram. Using Quaker Oats again, we find that there are 3.75 calories per gram of oatmeal.

Q. In what way does calorie density apply to an athlete?  

A. Calorie density can have great value under various circumstances [2,9]. I will display two as follows:

Bulking- let’s say that you are an ectomorph and have trouble gaining mass. In order to overcome, you must consume at least 4,000 calories daily. The problem is, how can you consume this many calories without your stomach exploding? The answer: choose calorie dense foods. For instance, one cup of cucumbers contains a minuscule amount of calories at 14, while the same cup, filled with raisins, would contain a whopping 520! Imagine trying to consume all of your carbohydrates from the cucumber. Such a task is almost impossible; this is why you would opt for the calorie dense raisin.  

Cutting- In contrast, when on a very strict cut, one might consume as low as 2,000 calories daily. One difficulty is cravings and sensations of hunger throughout your body. To assist such a predicament, seek foods low in calorie density so that you could consume more total grams, but the same amount of calories, due to a smaller unit density. Such a protocol would produce much higher postprandial (after eating) satiety (fullness). For example, 80 grams of rib beef roast adds up to 315 calories, while 1 turkey burger, the equivalent of 112 grams, adds up to only 130 calories. Obviously you would choose the turkey burger. Some also would recommend lowering their fat percentages to obtain a more calorie-dense diet overall [7,9].

Q. I have difficulties staying strict with my diet and not bingeing on junk food. Do you have any tips for this?

A. I sincerely believe that the primary reason people cheat is due to a complete lack of understanding; ignorance, if you will. After all, one or two cheat meals a day won’t affect my results right? Wrong! Allow me to present why.
 

A bag of Theater Popcorn with butter has been found to contain an extremely high fat density, consisting of 130 grams of lipids, adding up to 1170 calories! This nutrient comes from several sources of artery-clogging saturated fats, such as hydrogenated soybean oil and coconut oil-based fats. In addition, it may contain up to 700 mg of salt per bag.
 

In my appendix, I list several other nutritional stats to popular junk food places. In short, with this in mind, only a fool would even consider letting junk food enter their body on a regular basis.

Consequently, this same principle can be applied to one’s spiritual life.

Proverbs 28:5 [1]

5 Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.  

Hebrews 11:24-26 [1]

24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.            

If people truly comprehended the glory of the Most High and what he has prepared for those who love him, they would not continually seek to sin willfully, but instead, would spend the rest of their lives searching after eternal treasures, which are in heaven.
 

Editors Note:  Outstanding point! 

Q. So are nutrient and calorie densities sufficient for making a perfect diet plan?  

A. No, not at all. For instance, in the bulking example, though you want to consume more calorie dense foods, you would not opt for theater popcorn, though it has a very high calorie density, or for 5 cups of table sugar so that you can get your carbohydrate intake.  

To compose a complete diet, you must take several factors into account; this includes calories, meal frequency, quality of foods, i.e. a high efa ratio in your fat consumption, glycemic index (discussed in last month’s issue of JHR [11]), fiber consumption, vitamin/mineral intake, and much more. Nutrient and calorie density will give you a solid idea for what you are trying to accomplish and how to go about doing so. For more comprehensive discussions on the aspect of nutrition and supplementation, refer to the nutrition section of our site [6].

Conclusion

The following is a sample of the will power it takes to succeed in this sport:
 

“The dedication I have for this sport is very intense. I’ll give anything, I’ll give whole commitment to do it. Because I must do it, to the best or better than I can possibly do it to my ability. That’s what it’s about tomorrow night on stage. All year long I’ve been doing this and now the final day is here to show what I've got.”
--- Tom Platz

Friends, in order to achieve our goals we must be unwavering. Give each and every meal, workout, and all struggles your best effort!  

Keep it Hardcore, 

Venom

Executive of Bioenergetic Research

Venom@abcbodybuilding.com

Appendix

 Below I have included 6 nutrient and calorie density charts to get you on the right track. Enjoy your gains!