Elite athlete
Last Updated Aug 2007
Q: Have just started reading "The Zone;" however, I was searching the Internet to see
what is mentioned about it and found a site that was saying the Zone Diet is not
good for all elite athletes. It has obviously been proven with swimmers, but for
an elite golfer, does it apply? I don't want to lose weight at all but want to eat
in a way to maximize energy and well being and performance especially. I get the
feeling Tiger Woods enters the Zone through things I have read. I 'm currently
about 12-13 percent body fat, 13 stone, and just under 6 feet tall. Besides the
elite golf I train hard in the gym (weights) and play squash weekly. I lead a
pretty active life and want to put on 1/2 to 1 stone of muscle. Can the Zone way
of eating help while trying to get my body into peak shape to perform?
A: The published clinical trial data indicate that the Zone Diet and high-dose fish
oil are ideally suited for improving athletic performance when compared to the
standard recommended diets for athletes. This data (published in Eur J Clin
Investigation, 2005) demonstrate that body fat is reduced, and reflex times are
increased. This helps explain why the athletes I have personally worked with have
won 24 Gold Medals in the past four Olympics. They had an unfair advantage over
their competitors.