Home / Articles / Q & A / Going Postal / Dec 6 2002

Going Postal
We respond to the good, the bad, and the ugly of this month's mailbag.

John, if I eat a P+C meal and my stomach still feels full 2.5 -3 hours later, should I delay a P+F meal, and if so, how long? Perhaps in this situation, easily digestible carb sources like sweet potatoes and rice are better for bodybuilding than mass quantities of lentils or oatmeal. You can more quickly follow the more digestible carbs up with a P+F meal.

That's a great question. In fact, it's one that Bill Roberts presented to me a few years back at the first Testosterone Magazine "No Holds Barred" seminar. This question came up during the presentation of my Massive Eating and Don't Diet ideas.

Since the point of the meal combining is to avoid high blood levels of dietary fats, carbohydrates, and insulin, you are right in assuming that the quick digesting carbs will enter the blood more quickly and the glucose and insulin that appear there will also be cleared more quickly. This would mean, of course, that the stomach and the blood would be more "ready" for a P+F meal much sooner.

However, I don't believe that having a bunch of meals that are high in easily digestible carbs (i.e. High GI carbs) is the way to improve a weight lifter's physique. Studies show that diets that contain a bunch of high GI carbs will decrease insulin sensitivity, lead to lower daily energy expenditure, and will make ya fat. So there's gotta be a better way.

Well, according to my original Massive eating diet, if the first ½ of the day contains P+C meals while the second ½ of the day contains P+F meals, you don't need the carbs to be cleared when a P+F meal should be consumed. Well, that's not entirely true. There will be one time, the crossover point if you will, where you will have consumed a P+C meal and then need the next meal to be P+F. But I wouldn't worry too much about that. One "overlap" per day won't destroy your physique. Alternatively you could consume high GI carbs during this one last P+C meal for the day and that would ensure that you're clear of carbs when it's time for a P+F meal.

Perhaps you could train mid day, consuming your high GI P+C meal after training and then using this as your "crossover" meal so that your next meal is a P+F.

Tammy, from what I can recall, it's actually the EPA and DHA we want from omega3 fatty acids. Flax oil, though rich in omega3, has to go through various steps in the body before being converted into EPA/DHA and the conversion rate is about 2% right? Moreover, if one takes in caffeine regularly, it reduces the percentage further. Do correct me if I am wrong.

Since fish oil already has EPA/DHA, can I conclude that fish oil is a better source of flax oil for omega3?
All being said, I am still very confused about fats. The polyunsaturates, monosaturates etc are making my head spin! Can you direct me to a "tell all" article about fats or it would be nice if you could explain it to me?

P.S: My goal is optimal health and maximum hypertrophy.

So, wow, check out the big brain on Spencer!

Your confusion is valid. Lipid metabolism is complicated, and I find it difficult to find those who are interested in this topic with whom I can discuss it. The body builders, though, are among the most informed group on nutrition and supplementation, and I believe they have firsthand knowledge of what works, and how, before the scientists can catch up! Although I don't have as much time as I would like to nurture my interest on this topic, I will share my thoughts with you.

You're right about fish oil being a more readily available source of EPA and DHA than flax, although the numbers are sketchy. Some sources say that only 3-5% of consumed alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) will be converted to EPA or DHA, while others say humans have a 10-15% conversion. These percents also vary in the conversion to EPA versus DHA. Nonetheless, fish oil is a better choice for EPA and DHA, and supplementation of about 10 times the amount of flax may be needed to equal the content in fish oil.

With that said, although most will recommend fish oil over flax; I believe that an individual's needs will dictate which to use. For healthy individuals, I believe in the supplementation of both. In order to explain, I will back up. We know that both omega 6 and 3s are essential fats needed in the diet; however, the general population gets far too much of the omega 6 kind in their diet. Therefore, it is necessary for most to decrease this type and ensure adequate amounts of omega 3s. Since omega 6s promote blood clotting and inflammation, those at risk for cardiovascular disease, or who battle obesity or diabetes would benefit the most from EPA/DHA through fish oils.

[JB's note: However, the ratio of omega 3s to omega 6s is also important, perhaps even as important as the adequate consumption of EPA and DHA. Therefore individuals should be taking EPA and DHA for their very specific physiological effects and should be taking flax oil to balance out the omega 3 and omega 6 ratio.]

But here's something interesting. The reason EPA and DHA have gained so much popularity is because they prevent the arachidonic pathway that leads to the production of the pro-inflammatory eicosanoids and immune cells. Because of this, arachidonic acid, and its eicosanoid derivatives have been labeled 'bad,' which they are, especially in individuals who have chronic inflammation or have viscous blood due to high blood glucose or triglycerides. However, inflammation gets a bad rap. Sure it's a horrible thing when inflammation fails to turn off in an inflammatory autoimmune disease, but it is a necessary process for healing. The inflammatory process is required for the clearance of damaged tissue so that the repair process can ensue.

In healthy, active individuals, there is no need to completely prevent the inflammatory actions of omega 6s, and remember, they are also required in the diet. That is why flax has gained popularity. Therefore, this oil becomes very important as a supplement, not only for vegetarians, who don't consume fish or its oil, but for those who are very restrictive about fats in their diets. For those who eat non-fat diets so that they can supplement healthy fats as their major fat source, flax may be more important because it contains the essential fats needed in the diet, whereas supplementing only DHA and EPA is not as complete. Also, for body builders, preventing the immune response, through omega 6 elimination, or any other type of inflammatory prevention, like aspirin or excessive vitamin E, may actually thwart the hypertrophy process. This is because the same immune cells that participate in muscle tissue breakdown during the inflammation process, also participate in, and are required for, the repair and rebuilding process of muscle tissue.

Therefore, when deciding which is better, alpha linolenic acid, or exclusive EPA/DHA from fish oils, one needs to consider the individual, health issues, and their goals.

I hope this helps. The internet is a great resource for general flax versus fish oil information; however, much of the effects of inflammation and the hypertrophy stuff exists in the scientific literature.

If you could fight anyone in TV Land, who would it be and why? (Rules: one, you fight the character, not the actor; two, the fight takes place on the set of the show.)

Fair enough. This one was so good, we canvassed some of the Science Link crew. So here's our TV Fight roundtable:

Ryan Foster: Larry from three's company. No one should be allowed to grow chest hair longer than 3 inches, and wear cheap gold chains, and have an afro. I would also kick the poop out of him just to take his velour warm up suits, because hey, velour is back!

Eric Noreen: I would fight Ginger and Mary Ann in a pool filled with some sort of gelatin product that the professor made from coconuts. I think the reasons for my choice are very obvious.

Phil Caravaggio: That's a tough one. I would have to say the dickhead who won the original version of Big Brother, Eddie. Without his crutches, he'd be a pushover.

Alex Cimino: Urkel. Or Screetch. Hell, even AC Slater. In fact, I'd fight the entire casts of Family Matters, Saved By The Bell, Will And Grace, 3rd Rock From The Sun, and Friends in a two-day Battle Royale.

John Berardi: Mitch Buchannan from Baywatch. All those gorgeous women, and he chooses Stephanie . . . That warrants a beating on general principle.

Jason Grenci: I'm with JB, it's gotta be from Baywatch. But for me, it's that that bald lifeguard with the mustache, who seems to be in every shot yet is never referred to. Does that guy even get paid? I'd put him out of his misery.

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