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Study finds that diet is 90% of the equation!
Well, actually...not.
But if you’re anything like me, I’m certain you’ve read umpteen articles, heard hordes of PTs, and been subjected to numerous unsolicited opinions that attempt to do just that; namely, put an exact figure on how important diet is to body composition, as compared to other factors - usually exercise (and just as an aside, doesn't it strike you as a bit of a coincidence that most of these figures tend to be nice neat numbers like 50%, or 90%? I mean. sheesh...if I hear another dude tell me that diet is 50% of the equation, I’m going to strongly disagree and claim that 49% is a much more accurate figure...see what he says to that- I’m betting on a raised eyebrow...or perhaps a bemused shrug).
The point is, it’s pretty silly trying to precisely determine the impact of one factor on something as complex as body composition or athletic performance. Off the top of my head, diet is one component amongst other things like exercise volume, exercise intensity, genetics, sleep, stress levels, good training facilities, access to coaching, psychological make-up, peer group support, gender, age, injury history, training experience...and that really was just off the top of my head...I’m sure I've missed out quite a few other important factors as well.
To make matters worse, there’s going to be a great deal of variation from person to person in terms of the impact of each of those factors. In other words, while diet may be 40% of the equation for me, it might be 60% of the equation for somebody else. What’s more, the relative importance of diet might even vary in the same person, depending on their particular time in life (e.g. diet might be more important to a middle aged office worker, when the metabolism has slowed and there is less leisure exercise going on, relative to when that same person was at high school, had the metabolism of a racehorse and was playing sports all day long).
Having said all of that, there’s no question that in some very important respects, diet is one of the most crucial factors in controlling body composition. That’s because, unlike many of the other factors I mentioned, diet is both a necessary and a sufficient condition for successfully changing your body composition.
Great...but what the hell are necessary and sufficient conditions (and why should you care about them?).
Well, as it turns out, it’s not all that simple to say that one thing causes another. That’s because there are all sorts of ways that things can influence other things, without actually bringing them about.
For example, drinking and driving increases the likelihood of having a car smash, but it doesn’t necessarily bring it about in all cases. So, do we say that drinking and driving causes car smashes, or don’t we?
Here’s where the concepts of necessary and sufficient conditions come into play. A necessary condition is one that has to be there if there is to be any chance of the effect occurring. For example, if you are going to catch a cold, it is a necessary condition that you get exposed to a virus. But notice, just because a necessary condition is met, that doesn’t mean that the effect will definitely happen (for example, even if you get exposed to the virus, your body may fight it off and you don’t catch the cold). This is where the concept of a sufficient condition comes in; a sufficient condition is one that will ensure that the effect occurs, no matter what. So, standing uncovered in the rain is a sufficient condition for getting wet (but it’s not a necessary condition, because there are other ways that you can get wet).
Confused? I don’t blame you if you are...this is pretty dry stuff on its own. But here’s where it gets interesting. You see, if we look at all the factors that influence body composition, many of them are necessary, but not sufficient conditions to get the body you want. In other words, they need to be there if you’re going to have any chance of reaching your goals, but they won’t ensure that you get there. Let’s have a look at some of the more well-known factors to see what I mean:
Exercise intensity: necessary - yes, sufficient - no.
While you can’t get a great physique without it (i.e. it’s necessary), exercise intensity alone will not get you buff (if you train like a horse, but eat like a pig, have a guess what you’re going to end up looking like...here’s a hint - it goes “oink”).
Genetics: necessary - yes, sufficient - no.
Sure, you need some genetic basis to support muscle growth and fat loss, but genetics alone doesn’t get you all the way (even bodybuilders with awesome genetics like Flex Wheeler don’t look all that impressive when they stop training and eating well).
Exercise method: necessary - yes, sufficient - no.
No marathon runner is every going to have 20 inch guns, so yeah - you need to train the right way to get the goals you’re after. But, even the smartest training method, devised by the greatest coaches in the world ain't going to do diddly if it isn’t applied with consistency, and supported by appropriate dietary and lifestyle choices.
Good training facilities: necessary - no, sufficient - no.
Hell, if this was a sufficient condition, every poor sod that pays up for a gym membership on January 1st as part of their New Years’ resolution would be buff. Nuff said.
Well, what about diet then...how important is it?
Diet: necessary - yes, sufficient - yes and no.
Diet is absolutely, 100% necessary for body composition success. No matter how hard you train, how often you visualise your biceps as mountains, how carefully you periodise your next 24 microcycles...you won’t get anywhere without the appropriate dietary support (which is the subject for another article, but the Cheat’s Notes version is “appropriate calories and appropriate macros”...in that order).
But what about diet as a sufficient condition? Well, as far as weight loss or weight gain is concerned, diet is both a necessary and a sufficient condition. This is because diet alone will ensure weight loss (or gain). No matter how rarely you train, or how stressed you are, or how naively you follow your PT’s advice to “activate your core” by doing Bosu ball dumbbell presses (forehead slap!), you will still lose weight if you eat less calories than you expend (and vice versa). That’s why diet is so powerful...it covers up for a multitude of sins.
Having said that...diet does have its limits. Sure, it gets the weight off (or on) by itself...but if it’s optimal body composition that you’re after, and not just weight loss (and that is what you’re after if you want to look good naked), then you’re going to have to make sure that your training is on track, as well as all the other factors I talked about before (and a few others I neglected to mention).
So, bottom line: diet is probably the single most powerful factor that influences body composition. This is because it is both a necessary condition for weight loss or gain, and is also a sufficient condition for weight loss or gain. Is it 50% of the equation? Well, it could be, depending on your individual circumstances on any given day...but as we’ve discovered, it’s pretty pointless asking that question in the first place.
Before I sign off, I will however leave you with the one and only factor that is truly both a necessary and a sufficient condition for achieving the body you want...with no qualifications. It’s got nothing to do with diet (although it will take care of your diet for you) and it’s got nothing to do with training (although it will ensure that you drag your ass to the gym, even when you can’t be bothered). It laughs in the face of poor training facilities, and it gives the bird to unsupportive peers. It doesn’t give a toss about gender, and it is blind to age and genetic limitations.
Have you guessed what it is yet?
Just one word folks.
Commitment.
Harry Mavros is a philosopher, trainer and nutrition consultant (in no particular order). He maintains that every person has unique needs, and therefore requires a specialised approach. No 'one size fits all' diet or training programs will be tolerated. He can be contacted at [email protected]
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