I like this thread. I've been reading a lot at Berardi's website. He talks a lot about this. Some people have called him a con-man, but all his info is free. Yes, he has a diet book, and a stake in some supplements, but lots of guys do. His presentation does not makle his own products seem necessary. He refers to them, but doesn't insist they are needed for results.
Anyway, here are some of his case studies:
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">*Case Study #1:
National Level Cross Country Skier; Female - 20y
Client Information from September 2002:
5’6" ; 160lb ; 22% fat
(125lb lean, 35lbs fat)
Exercise Expenditure:
~1200kcal/day
Energy Intake:
~2500kcal/day
15% protein
65% carbohydrate
20% fat
Client Information from December 2002:
5’6" ; 135lb ; 9% fat
(123lb lean, 12lbs fat)
Exercise Expenditure:
~1200kcal/day
Energy Intake:
~4000kcal/day
35% protein
40% carbohydrate
25% fat
Net result — 12 weeks:
25lbs lost; -23lb fat; -2lbs lean
*Note that in case study #1, we increased energy intake by a whopping 1500 per day while energy expenditure remained the same. Since the athlete was weight stable in September—prior to hiring me—you might have expected her to have gained weight during our 12 week program. However, as you can see, she lost 25lbs (while preserving most of her muscle mass). Since the energy balance model above, as it appears, can’t explain this very interesting result, that’s one strike.
*Case Study #2:
Beginner Weight Lifter; Male — 23y
Client Information from August 2003:
5’6" ; 180lb ; 30% fat
(126lb lean, 54lbs fat)
Exercise Expenditure:
~200kcal/day
Energy Intake:
~1700kcal/day
21% protein
57% carbohydrate
22% fat
Client Information from October 2003:
5’6" ; 173lb ; 20% body fat
(138.5lb lean, 34.5lbs fat)
Exercise Expenditure:
~600kcal/day
Energy Intake:
~2200 - 2400kcal/day
35 - 40% protein
30 - 35% carbohydrate
30 - 35% fat
Net result — 8 weeks:
7lb weight loss; -19.5lb fat, +12.5lb lean
*Notice that in case study #2, we increased energy intake by between 500 and 700 per day while increasing energy expenditure by about 400 per day. Again, since the lifter was weight stable in June, prior to hiring me, you might have expected him to have gained weight or at least remained weight stable during this 8 week program. However, as you can see, he lost 7 lbs. But that’s not the most interesting story. During the 8 weeks, he lost almost 20lbs of fat while gaining almost 13 lbs of lean mass. Since the energy balance model above, as it appears, can’t explain this very interesting result, that’s two strikes.
*Case Study #3:
Mixed Martial Arts Trainer; Male — 35y
Client Information from June 2004:
5’10" ; 179lb ; 19% fat
(148.6lb lean, 30.4lbs fat)
Exercise Expenditure:
~300kcal/day
Energy Intake:
~1100 - 1500kcal/day
48% protein
25% carbohydrate
27% fat
Client Information from August 2004:
5’10" ; 187lb ; 9% body fat
(170.2lb lean, 16.8lbs fat)
Exercise Expenditure:
~600kcal/day
Energy Intake:
~2400 - 2600kcal/day
26 - 38% protein
28 — 42% carbohydrate
22 — 34% fat
Net results — 8 weeks:
8lb weight gain; -13.6 lb fat, +21.6 lb
*Notice that in case study #3, we increased energy intake by between 1100 and 1300 per day while increasing energy expenditure by only about 300 per day. Again, since the lifter was weight stable in June, prior to hiring me, you might have expected him to have experienced a large gain in mass, both significant muscle and fat gains. However, as you can see, he gained 8 total lbs, having lost almost 14lbs of fat while gaining nearly 22lbs of lean mass.
While the energy balance equation might have predicted weight gain, it’s
unlikely that it would have predicted the radical shift in body composition seen in this individual. Yet another strike against the current view of energy
balance, as it appears.
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He follows principles based on the timing of nutrition around exercise, both resistance and aerobic. He has a reputation of "super-high" calorie plans. Part of this is in the way the body responds to higher calories in conjunction with exercise to increase the metabolism.
