STRONG MAN NUTRITION++

NUTRITION LEADING UP TO STRONG MAN COMPETITION

After completing my first strong man competition, I can now say I have a better understanding of the nutrition requirements for strong man.

Above is a picture of my friend Marc @turbo_savage420 - He inspired me to do this comp.

The sport of strong men, is as it sounds, has the requirement for strength. But unlike the often compared sport of powerlifting, it requires more cardiovascular capacity. For that reason, powerlifting, or Olympic lifting are purer displays of strength and power, where as strong man, is like a hybrid sport between CrossFit and Olympic lifting / powerlifting. The key component is that your must drive a powerful movement for a period of time.

Pic of myself (right) and my highschool friend Mark. P, post axel bar deadlift

Now as a biohacker, I am always applying the science and strategy of sleep / nutrition / breathing to various different sports or physically demanding tasks. I have never done anything that requirement this much strength. I’ve done bulking/muscle building many times over the past decade, but they never included developing strength and mass at the same time.

NUTRITION FOR STRENGTH AND MASS

This event took place on May 20th 2023. I began training for strength / strong man in September 2022, so lets say about 8 months. Prior to that I was do strictly CrossFit, and was focused on fat loss in combination with the HIIT style crossfit training. I had dropped to about 180 lbs. @ 12%, my overall fitness was fantastic (Cardio / flexibility / strength). My strength was probably the weakest of the 3, but I could back squat 225 and deadlift around 300 and bench around 200 lbs.

I decided that I would focus on building strength and muscle at the same so. The strongment comp we had registered for had 2 weight categories, under 200 lbs or over 200 lbs. That gave me a target of 200, so I gained 20 lbs. on the dot over 8 months.

My two older boys (Bennett - Left and Callaghan Right) getting ready to cheer me on

I added the 20 lbs. well, I’d say about 13-15 lbs. of muscle and 5-7 lbs. of fat. These are good ratios for natural athletes (no steroid use). Adding muscle always comes with fat.

To do this, I found out my avg caloric daily requirements using the cunninghams equation at the following link; https://peterbond.org/calculate-rmr-cunningham-equation

I always prefer the cunninghams equation, as it is one of the only ones that takes muscle mass into consideration. This is very important for athletic populations.

I then added 300 kcal to my daily average, and target about 6g / kg of carbs and 1.5-2.0g /kg of protein and filled in with lots of healthy fats.

This is a sample day for me;

Breakfast

2 cup oatmilk (>50g carbs)

1 banana (~25g carbs)

3 tbps. cocoa powder (Loads of iron/magnesium/zinc and ionophores such as quercetin to help utilize those energy nutrients)

1 tbsp. hemp or chia seeds for omega fats, adding micros and fiber.

1 scoop of plant based lean fit protein

1 cliff bar on the side (oatmeal and soy protein, perfect addition to boost complex carbs ~45g and 10 protein).

The shake was easy for me during this bulking phase. I was able to drink it on the go. It was quick and convenient, as well as easy to digest, which is important for me, because I never have time sit in the mornings. The shake provided me with over 100g complex carbs, loads of micronutrients, at least 35g protein and essential omega fats and about 800 kcal.

LUNCH

whole wheat wrap (30g carb, 5g protein

1 can of light tuna in water (40g protein) or 4-5 eggs

baby spinach

1 tbsp. olive oil

pickled carrots

2 tbsp. light mayo

2 cliff bar (90g carbs, 20g protein) or peanut butter and honey toast

So we have about 1200 kcal here for lunch, totaling 2000 kcal for the day

DINNER

1.5 cups pasta (350 kcal, 90g carbs)

Store bough marinara, nothing fancy

180g chicken breast (60g protein, 330 kcal)

1-2 cups of 2 different colored vegetables

800 kcal, >100g carbs and 75g protein

DESSERT

PB + HONEY + CRACKERS OR 2 CLIFF BARS (500 kcal, 90g carbs, 20g protein)

So my calculated avg caloric burn was about 3000, my lean bulk target was 3300, and I tried to keep carbs around 500g and protein around 150g.

This was not difficult to do. Personally, I prefer a simple 3 meal per day as I am busy.

I terms of supplements, I was using;

3g creatine HCL Muscletech

3g Beta Alanin Allmax

9mg boron

500mg krill omega 3

2000 mg hawaiian spirulina

After about 8 months of training, I achieved my weight goal, but fell short of strength goals. I got my dead lift up to 420 lbs, bench press up to 250 lbs, and squat up to 385 lbs.

During the competition, I was able to axel deadlight 11x350 lbs which is a significant PR.

I hope you guys keep getting stronger!

Bada bing

BEET IT OR BEAT IT

Beets: Hell YA! Or ewwww….?!

Some of us love these vibrantly colored roots and some of us despise them… If you like them, you’re in luck, and if you don’t, you better learn to.

Science has been showing that they have some unique health and performance benefits. Regular consumption of beets can have some impressive effects such as reduced body fat, improved recovery from exercise, improved stamina, and improved strength. Asides from all that magic, beets are very nutritious, so even if all the science is wrong with regards to beets’ ability to turn you into Popeye, you won’t be wasting your time eating them, as they are a good source of nutrients, fibers and anti-oxidants.

PHYTO-PERFORMANCE LOVES SCIENCE

At Phyto-Performance Nutrition, we are always investigating the available scientific research on performance enhancing foods that can help us get results for our athletes and weekend warriors. As the science of nutrition evolves, we are slowly deciphering and uncovering some of the amazing benefits that foods can elicit.

BEETS MAKE ME RUN FAST

Beets have been a hot topic lately, as they’ve been shown to enhance performance in a few different ways. Initially they were found to improve aerobic capacity in terms of VO2. Improving your VO2 means that your body will need to consume less oxygen for them same amount of work, so if you run 5 km and decide to eat some beets for breakfast, your body will need less oxygen during that run compared to if didn’t consume any beets at all. This can lead to a faster run, if that is the goal, otherwise it would just lead to a more metabolically efficient run.  This effect of improved metabolic efficiency is believed to be due to their ability to increase blood nitric oxide (NO) levels, which can dilate blood vessels and allow more blood to flow in and out of muscles, and thus result in better nutrient delivery and gas exchange (Dominguez et al. 2017).

DO YOU EVEN RECOVER BRO?

Another angle in which tasty little beets can help you is by improving muscle recovery. These two recent studies by Clifford et al. 2016, 2017 investigate beet juice’s ability to improve markers of exercise induced muscle damage. Its common to feel soreness after a bout of exercise because whenever you push through your comfort threshold, you are subject to muscle fiber breakdown and the associated muscle soreness. This muscle soreness can last for up to 72 hours post exercise, and it will reduce your ability to perform. During the sore period you will have decreased strength and power output, and thus decreased performance.  What Clifford and friends measured was whether beets could reduce exercised induced muscle pain as well as recovery of strength and power, and It turns out they do!        

THE BEAST THAT IS BETAINE

Betaine and betalaines are two nitrogenous based compounds that are thought to be responsible for many of the performance benefits derived from beets. Betaine is regularly used as a performance enhancer supplement, whether in your pre-workout or taken individually. The compound betaine was originally identified in beets, hence the name, but it turns out there is a few other great food sources: Spinach, wheat germ & quinoa. Betaine by itself has the potential effect of improving strength, increasing circulating blood levels GH, and reducing body fat (Cholewa et al. 2014). Although beets are a source of betaine, most of the studies testing betaine show benefits with doses much higher than you would get from eating beets. Therefore, if your looking for performance results specific to betaine, we recommend consuming all 4 natural sources of betaine, and potentially even use a supplement. I use Rivalus powder burn which contains 500 mg, and I also purchased a pack of pure betaine from www.canadianprotein.ca

COST TO BENEFIT RATIO

That said, even though there is good science to back up the use of beets and betaine for performance, it is always a question of price-to-benefit ratio when it comes to taking a new supplement, and with beets, we also must consider the enjoyability factor – big issue for my wife, not at all for me... In my opinion, beets offer great value!

From a basic nutrition standpoint, aside from all the performance benefits, beets are a significant source of the following compounds: Folate, Mangnese, copper, fiber, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, vit C, Iron, Vit B6. Beets are relatively cheap to buy – I recently bought a double pack of pickled shredded beets at Costco for about 5$. These were great as they were an easy addition to my lunch wraps, or as a side with my meal. I also will often add beet powder to my daily smoothies to boost my consumption, as I can’t eat beets every day.  This has the added effect of making my smoothies a nicer colour – again palatability! The beet root powder is affordable, a bottle comes to about 16$+ tx (Phyto athlete discount), contains 2kg of dried beets and it lasts me for a couple of months. When it comes to betaine specifically, I try to get as much as possible from food.  I try to consume baby spinach daily, whether in a smoothie, in my egg omelet or in a salad. Baby spinach is a super functional, easy throw-in, as well being very affordable (Costco sells are large pack for about $3). Also, I try to eat quinoa and whole grain bread or wraps WITH the wheat germ (Note: I am not gluten intolerant, my genetic test backs this up). I often make beet wraps: Shredded beets, spinach, whole grain wrap including the germ, some shredded chicken and maybe some hummus or avocado. <—- Balanced and great for performance.

SHUT UP AND TRAIN, but eat your beets too

SO, if your looking for ways to improve your health and performance, beets are a great addition to your tool box. Beets by themselves have the ability to improve your metabolic efficiency in terms of VO2. They are also nutrient, fiber, and anti-oxidant dense, and pack unique abilities to help your recovery from exercise. They contain the compound betaine, and if you want to increase muscle & strength, try getting in supplemental betaine from quinoa, spinach, wheat germ, a synthetic supplement can help as well.

Happy training & thanks for reading!

 -Patrick Martin-Arrowsmith

Disclaimer: The information provided is meant to spread knowledge and induce interest for educational purposes. It is based on limited research. We try to pull the overall message of the literature, but further research may be necessary.  What is done with the information or suggestions is solely the consumers decision. The information provided is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical condition. References are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsement of any website or other sources.

Cholewa, J. M., Guimarães-Ferreira, L., & Zanchi, N. E. (2014). Effects of betaine on performance and body composition: A review of recent findings and potential mechanisms. Amino Acids,46(8), 1785-1793. doi:10.1007/s00726-014-1748-5

Clifford, T., Bell, O., West, D. J., Howatson, G., & Stevenson, E. J. (2015). The effects of beetroot juice supplementation on indices of muscle damage following eccentric exercise. European Journal of Applied Physiology,116(2), 353-362. doi:10.1007/s00421-015-3290-x

Clifford, T., Howatson, G., West, D. J., & Stevenson, E. J. (2017). Beetroot juice is more beneficial than sodium nitrate for attenuating muscle pain after strenuous eccentric-bias exercise. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism,42(11), 1185-1191. doi:10.1139/apnm-2017-0238

Domínguez, R., Cuenca, E., Maté-Muñoz, J., García-Fernández, P., Serra-Paya, N., Estevan, M., . . . Garnacho-Castaño, M. (2017). Effects of Beetroot Juice Supplementation on Cardiorespiratory Endurance in Athletes. A Systematic Review. Nutrients,9(1), 43. doi:10.3390/nu9010043