Thread: Does diet play a role in strength?

Originally Posted by LexusGS

and my lifts dropped.

Are you heightening?

Yes, it does make a difference wrt strength. How did you lift, or live for that matter, for 2 weeks without eating????

im pretty sure i've stayed the same height, maybe grea 1/4 of an inch at the most. I did eat just not nearly as much as i used to before the dentist.

you can not CAN NOT gain mass without food.. your muscles have nothing to feed off. why do you think you get weaker when you cut down..

Originally Posted by Thermal2

you can not CAN NOT gain mass without food.. your muscles have nothing to feed off. why do you think you get weaker when you cut down..

he is asking about strength, not gaining mass.

you don't neccessarily get weaker when you cut down. I am stronger now at 170 then I was at 200lbs.

Originally Posted by P-funk

he is asking about strength, not gaining mass.

you don't neccessarily get weaker when you cut down. I am stronger now at 170 then I was at 200lbs.

I think he means while you're cutting.

Sometimes I feel I dont have as much juice when cutting and as a result I have a slight drop in lifts.

if you arent eating properly then yes you strenght will suffer.

Originally Posted by LexusGS

I keep hearing that the way one eats has a big effect on someone's gains. By gains, do you people mean gains in size? Or both size and strength?

Both! Food is the fuel that your muscles run on. If they don't get enough fuel they don't run well. Size is also affected. Without enough calories your body goes into what's called a catabolic state. In essence, it eats itself. Your body begins to burn muscle as fuel. That will obviously make you get smaller and weaker. The next time you go to the dentist stock up on protein powder. You can suppliment what little food you can eat with protein shakes to prevent you from losing too much weight/strength.

if you are asking in terms of maximal strength, then the answer could be no as long as you kept training. but once we get to repping strength, food can have a huge impact on it.

Originally Posted by Yanick

if you are asking in terms of maximal strength, then the answer could be no as long as you kept training. but once we get to repping strength, food can have a huge impact on it.

It sounds like you're saying that food has zero effect on maximal strength so long as the training is kept up.

It's like asking if a car operates the same with half the cylinders firing. It runs, but not as effeciently. Just my 2 cents.

Originally Posted by Squaggleboggin

It sounds like you're saying that food has zero effect on maximal strength so long as the training is kept up.

unless you take my statement to the extreme, like don't eat for a week and try to hit a max.

missing a meal here and there won't do anything...look at powerlifters, they don't give a shit about their diet, they'll miss meals when they're too busy or they'll pig out at a buffet one day but none of that will stop em from hitting PR's when they feel good.

I always take things to the extreme. That's how you can tell if they'll work. I see what you're saying now though, but I disagree. I think the guys in the competitive weight classes (around 150-220 BW) do plan their diets quite carefully in order to stay competitive, especially those on the border of going to a different weight class.

Originally Posted by Squaggleboggin

I always take things to the extreme. That's how you can tell if they'll work. I see what you're saying now though, but I disagree. I think the guys in the competitive weight classes (around 150-220 BW) do plan their diets quite carefully in order to stay competitive, especially those on the border of going to a different weight class.

yea but how many people on here are competitive weightlifters/powerlifters and out of those how many are actually good enough to necessitate a strict diet so they won't have to lift in a higher/lower weight class?

the only time i see something like what you're saying being relevant is when your competing on a world stage in front of thousand or millions of people and representing your team/country/coach w/e. for the rest of us, who are 99% doing this for fun none of that worrying over the details is needed.

exactly, i usually rep 185 5-6times on a good day, today I could barely get it up for 3.

Diet plays a huge role.... food is your fuel. Would you put mud in your gas tank and expect it to run properly?

It's not just about staying in a weight class. You can stay the same weight and eat ho-ho's all day... What do you think will happen?

Originally Posted by squanto

Diet plays a huge role.... food is your fuel. Would you put mud in your gas tank and expect it to run properly?

It's not just about staying in a weight class. You can stay the same weight and eat ho-ho's all day... What do you think will happen?

like i said, it depends on what we define strength as. the poster already indicated that he lost some repping strength, which i said will happen if you are depleted.

absolute strength and speed strength do not really require carbs to perform as they are typically over in a few seconds which means your body never goes beyond the creatine phosphate cycle (i think thats what its called, i'm rusty on all this stuff cause of college bs taking up so much time). once you start working longer your body goes through the rest of the energy systems, glycolysis (slow and fast) and finally if the activity lasts long enough you get to the aerobic system which are impacted greatly if you are low on carbs/glycogen.

oh and to answer your question about what will happen if you eat ho-ho's all day? you'll probably look and feel like shit, but that would just happen because of the severe mal nutrition (lack of protein, essential fats, micro nutrients) but you'll stay the same weight if calories are kept in check and you'll still move the same weight as long as you can barrel through the extremely shitty feeling. once again taken to the extreme, missing a meal or eating a burger here and there will not make or break the average person or even the average competitive athlete, its once you get to the very top that you have to worry about the smallest details.