Definition of Paleo Diets
Paleo diets are constructed around the idea that we should eat foods similar to those that were eaten prior to human settlement and civilization -- more or less prior to 10,000 years ago. At this time, say Paleo diet advocates, early humans ate no grains, dairy, potatoes, sweet fruits or beans. Paleo human lived on meat, fish, berries, and leafy vegetables. And that's mostly what is advocated in the Paleo diet of today. Fundamentally, this is a low-carbohydrate diet, although many advocates modify the diet to include various carbohydrate foods such as sweet potatoes or oats. Of course, when they do that, it's not really a Paleo Diet as described by Loren Cordain, one of the originators of this idea.
In addition, from a nutrition perspective, the Paleo dieters mostly advocate that saturated fat and cholesterol are okay and don't contribute to heart disease -- which is in defiance of just about every healthy eating guideline developed by nutrition and dietetic communities worldwide.
Even so, Paleo dieting seems to have captured the imagination of a sector of the weight training and athlete community. Notwithstanding the fact that there is expert opinion to suggest that the theoretical basis of the Paleo diet is misguided, whether such a diet suits hard-training gym goers and athletes, is another thing. Here is an analysis.
Protein. As with all similar diets, the limitations of low-carbohydrate diets and exercise apply. However you won’t have a problem getting sufficient protein for exercise on the Paleo diet.
Carbohydrates. Although berry fruit consumption is encouraged, this is still a carbohydrate-restricted diet. Heavy exercisers may find it difficult to consume enough carbohydrate to fuel their activity without some sugar, starchy vegetable and grain foods. A serious triathlete, for example, may require 4500 kcalories/day to fuel a rigorous training program. Weight trainers require full glucose (glycogen) stores in muscle, and fast muscle contraction to support their training. Low muscle stores of glycogen on low-carb diets has implications for training and competition performance. Of coure, if you're not serious and you don't train hard, it probably does not matter.
Essential fats. Paleo dieters make a special point about the omega-6 to omega-3 fat ratio, which they say is skewed too much in favor of omega-6 fats found in seed oils and nuts (and meat). Omega-3 fats from fish feature strongly in the Paleo diet. Current scientific thinking is that the ratio matters less than the total amount of omega-3 fats in the diet.
In addition, Paleo dieters advocate consuming saturated fats in animal foods, which is contrary to authoritative dietary advice.
Availability of Fuel for Training and Competition. Athletes compete in a variety of places, often under extreme conditions of climate and food variety and availability. Following fad diets like Paleo can mean you are more likely to under-eat because of the scarcity or unavailability of favorite foods.
A Paleo-like diet could be a healthy diet with restrictions on red meat and saturated fat and cholesterol accompanied by sufficient fruit and vegetable consumption. For vigorous athletic activity, including weight training, Paleo diets may have to be modified to make allowances for additional and alternative carbohydrate consumption.
Summing Up Extreme and Fad Diets
The basic principles of eating for health and physical activity are clear enough: don’t get waylaid by extreme diets. You don’t need them for healthy living and above all you don’t need them for weight training. See the Bodybuilder’s Weight Training Diet for more detail of a suitable diet.
