"This is the soup that makes the soldier"

History buffs and my fellow nerds might recognize the title of this post from the French proverb, “C’est la soupe qui fait le soldat."  Attributed to either Napoleon Bonaparte or Frederick the Great, the French aphorism quite literally means “this is the soup that makes the soldier,” though others may know it as “an army marches on its stomach.”  To their credit, Napoleon and Frederick realized that without sufficient food stuffs, a general could keep his army in the field, and Bonaparte, in particular, used unorthodox tactics to group and maneuver his forces while on campaign.  The same can be said for a weightlifter, as he or she must continually fortify their supply line.

 

A weightlifter’s supply line consists of sleep and calories.  While both are vital to facilitating progress in the gym, the former aids recovery in ways the latter cannot, as sleep allows for a resting of the central nervous system and more active secretion of plasma growth hormone (GH).  Such concepts are not revelations.   In fact, in 1968, researches from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri measured GH, insulin, cortisol, and glucose levels in eight young adults over a 38-night period.  The results of that study are clear.  “In eight of the nine subjects, [researchers] observed an elevated level of plasma GH during the night.  They speculated that since the longest interval between meals occurred at night, the increase secretion of growth hormone was a response to fasting and the associated need for an accelerated mobilization of free fatty acids.”[1]  A more detailed study was carried out some years later, and those researchers once again observed that plasma GH levels were low during light sleep and depressed for several hours following a meal.  Conversely, peaks in plasma GH were routinely observed during “deep sleep;" hence, the genesis of John Welbourn’s statement, “sleeping 8 hours or more a day makes you bullet proof.”  His full post, “42 Things I learned Leading Up to 2013,” can be found here.  It is an excellent read, and I would strongly recommend it.

In terms of calories, keep it simple – eggs, fish, fowl and straight up animal flesh are all excellent sources of dietary protein, while leafy green vegetables, such kale, collards, spinach, broccoli, etc., and roots and tubers provide wonderful health benefits.  Meat for strength, vegetables for health, as they say.  I’ve been quoted as saying, “You can’t get strong eating f*cking hummus.”  For the root and tuber intake, I stick primary with yams and sweet potatoes, because they are simple to prepare, easy to transport, and cheap to buy.  Carrots are another one of my favorites, though less carbohydrate-dense.  Yukon Gold potatoes taste great, especially when mashed, but they tend to give me mild digestive issues.

Keeping it simple will also help to ease ancillary strains on the supply line, such as travel, work, or other familial obligations.  It is not unusual for me to cook several pounds of food before a trip, then pack it all in plastic bags and transport the reserves via cooler.  Do yourself a favor, and call ahead to the hotel to see if they have a refridgerator in your room.  If I am travelling to my grandparent’s house in Ohio, for example, I ask my grandmother to thaw out 5-10 pounds of ground venison the day before my arrival.  Ground red meat allows for quick and flexible meal preparation.  It sounds strange, but it all works.  Remember, weightlifters must fortify their supply line if they wish to continue progressing in the gym.

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[1] Y. Takahashi, D. M. Kipnis, and W. H. Daughday, “Growth Hormone Secretion during Sleep,” Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Metabolism Division, St. Louis, Missouri, 1968.