What are the common issues with 'cheat meals' as a dietary strategy?

Common issues with cheat meals include parallels with binge eating, incompatibility with overall goal hierarchies, misapplication of operant conditioning (rewarding undesirable behavior), and reinforcement of rigid cognitive restraint, which can lead to larger deviations from the diet.

What is the 'abstinence violation effect' and the 'what the hell effect' in dieting?

The abstinence violation effect describes the psychological ramifications where a small lapse (like an 'out of hand' cheat meal) can lead to a collapse in motivation and a full-blown relapse, known as the 'what the hell effect,' where individuals abandon their dieting goals entirely.

What is planned hedonic deviation and how is it better than a cheat meal?

Planned hedonic deviation is a pre-planned increase in calorie target for specific days, purely for convenience or social events. Unlike cheat meals, it's integrated into the diet strategy, enhances self-regulatory ability, and improves motivation and self-efficacy, offering positive psychological consequences.

What is 'slack with a cost' as a dieting strategy?

Slack with a cost involves setting an ambitious calorie target daily but having a reserve of calories that can be used if needed. Using this reserve slows progress but prevents major setbacks, aligning incentives with the goal by making the 'cost' of indulgence clear.

How much muscle and strength loss can be expected from taking time off training?

A 2013 meta-analysis suggests that force output (maximal muscular strength) is well-preserved for up to a month of training cessation, with minimal loss of contractile tissue. After a month, reductions become more significant, but trivial losses are common for shorter breaks.

Does age affect how quickly strength is lost during training cessation?

Yes, age is a significant factor. For individuals below 65 years old, strength is lost at a slower rate. Older adults (60-75 years old) experience quicker drops in strength and muscular performance when training stops, with about a two-fold difference in loss rates compared to younger individuals.

Can high protein intake alone prevent muscle loss during periods of inactivity or immobilization?

No, increasing dietary protein alone does not seem to prevent muscle atrophy during periods of low activity or immobilization. While some studies suggest possible minor effects from leucine, the evidence strongly indicates that activity and training stimulus are crucial, and relying solely on protein may lead to unintentional fat gain.

What are the physiological benefits of sauna use?

Sauna use can offer modest positive health benefits related to cardiometabolic and cardiovascular health. It mimics certain physiological responses to exercise, such as increased heart rate and sweat rates, and can lead to reductions in inflammation and reactive oxygen species.

Are the health benefits of sauna use equal for all people?

No, the most significant health benefits of sauna use appear to be for individuals with lower cardiorespiratory fitness or higher cardiometabolic health risk at baseline. For healthy individuals with high fitness levels, the benefits become increasingly modest and potentially redundant. It is not a replacement for exercise.

What are some recommended bluegrass artists and why are they good?

Recommended bluegrass artists include Old Crow Medicine Show, Willie Watson, Dave Rawlings, and Gillian Welch. They are praised for their great musical tradition, fantastic instrumentation (banjo and guitar), good vocal harmonies, and compelling storytelling in their lyrics.

Key Moments

Cheat Meals, Sauna, and Time Off From Training (Ep 93)

Stronger By Science

Sports3 min read91 min video

Jun 30, 2022|8,278 views|247|23

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Key Moments

TL;DR

Cheat meals are inadvisable; opt for planned deviations or calorie reserves. Time off training is okay for up to a month, and sauna has modest benefits.

Key Insights

Cheat meals often mirror binge eating behaviors and reinforce rigid dietary restraint, hindering long-term goal achievement.

Alternatives like 'planned hedonic deviation' or 'slack with a cost' offer more control and psychological benefits than cheat meals.

Detraining effects are minimal for up to a month off training, with strength and muscle mass largely preserved.

Older adults experience faster strength and muscle loss compared to younger individuals during detraining periods.

While sauna use mimics some exercise responses, its health benefits are modest and more pronounced in individuals with lower baseline cardio-metabolic health.

Maintaining muscle and strength during prolonged breaks from training is possible with minimal resistance exercise.

THE DOWNSIDES OF CHEAT MEALS

The concept of 'cheat meals' is scrutinized for its negative psychological and physiological effects. Empirically, cheat meals often align with binge eating patterns, characterized by a loss of control over food intake, mirroring psychological disinhibition. This pattern can disrupt goal hierarchies, contradicting fat loss or calorie reduction goals and leading to demotivation. Furthermore, cheat meals reinforce rigid cognitive restraint, creating an unsustainable dichotomy between being 'on' or 'off' the diet, which often results in larger deviations after minor slips.

SUPERIOR ALTERNATIVES TO CHEAT MEALS

To address the drawbacks of cheat meals, more effective strategies are proposed. 'Planned hedonic deviation' involves pre-scheduling a controlled increase in calorie intake on a specific day, serving as a planned indulgence rather than an uncontrolled 'cheat.' This approach can enhance self-regulatory ability, motivation, and self-efficacy. Another alternative, 'slack with a cost' or 'calorie reserve,' involves budgeting extra calories that can be used as needed throughout the week. This method acknowledges that using these calories slows progress slightly, incentivizing their use only when necessary and better aligning with overall goals.

IMPACTS OF DETRAINING ON MUSCLE AND STRENGTH

Taking time off from training results in minimal muscle and strength loss for up to a month, with effect sizes often being trivial. This preservation is attributed to maintaining contractile tissue and motor skills. Perceived losses in muscle fullness are often due to reduced hydration and glycogen stores, which quickly revert upon resuming training. After one month, however, significant declines in force output and performance become more noticeable.

FACTORS INFLUENCING DETRAINING EFFECTS

Several factors influence the rate of detraining. Age is a significant factor, with older adults experiencing a faster decline in strength and performance compared to younger individuals. The training regimen preceding the break can also play a role; while overloading beforehand might theoretically promote supercompensation, it's often impractical and potentially risky. The nature of the time off is crucial: complete immobilization leads to rapid muscle and strength loss (up to 0.5% muscle and 1% strength per day), whereas maintaining some form of resistance training, even at significantly reduced volume, can preserve gains for extended periods.

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO SAUNA USE

Sauna bathing induces physiological responses that bear resemblance to exercise, including increased heart rate and cardiac output, and reductions in certain inflammatory markers. While these mechanisms are fascinating, the tangible health benefits are generally modest and require more robust research, particularly high-quality randomized controlled trials. Many of the widely cited positive outcomes stem from observational studies with potential for reverse causation, where healthier individuals naturally engage in sauna use.

SAUNA BENEFITS AND CONSIDERATIONS

The health benefits of sauna use appear more significant for individuals with lower baseline cardio-metabolic fitness. For those already highly fit, the added benefits are likely diminished and potentially redundant. Sauna is not a replacement for exercise, as it lacks the significant increases in stroke volume that drive many cardiovascular adaptations. However, it may offer modest cardiovascular and cardio-metabolic health improvements and can transiently suppress appetite due to increased body heat. Despite potential benefits, sauna use is a physiological stressor, and individuals with relevant medical conditions should consult a healthcare professional.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Software & Apps

●Companies

●Books

●Studies Cited

●Concepts

●People Referenced

Common Questions

Intuitive eating involves eating based on hunger cues rather than strict dietary rules. Greg discusses using this approach on vacation and how it helped him maintain his weight without specifically focusing on his diet.

Topics

Diet Management Sangria Hack Frugivore Diet Cheat Meals Binge Eating Operant Conditioning Cognitive Restraint Abstinence Violation Effect Planned Hedonic Deviation Calorie Reserve Training Cessation Strength Retention Bluegrass Music

Mentioned in this video

People

Willie Watson

A former member of Old Crow Medicine Show, also recommended for his bluegrass music.

Pilas and colleagues

Researchers who conducted a study on how frequently people discuss cheat meals on Instagram and the characteristics of cheat meals.

Gillian Welch

A musician often playing with Dave Rawlings, known for her singing and harmonies.

Edward Serafino

Author of a textbook on operant conditioning that highlights the issues with using sweets as rewards for dieting.

Artyom Antropov

A weightlifter from Kazakhstan, known for impressive back squats and front squats at a young age and relatively low bodyweight.

Jane Ogden

Academic who studies the psychology of dieting and authored the textbook 'Health Psychology', referenced for its model of dieting and relapse.

Dave Rawlings

A musician known for his excellent guitar playing and collaborations with Gillian Welch, highly praised for his skill.

Studies & Research

Campbell and colleagues

A systematic review on the effects of immobilization on neuromuscular function, detailing precipitous losses in strength and muscle mass.

Bjornsson and colleagues

Study participants underwent intense quad training for five days, with two-a-day sessions on the last two days, demonstrating supercompensation effects where muscle size and strength increased days after the last session.

Media

Old Crow Medicine Show

A mainstream bluegrass band recommended by Greg for its great musical tradition and storytelling.

Concepts

Sangria

A drink Greg found allows him to drink without hangovers, possibly due to antioxidants from fruit juice.