 UBBFriend: Email This Page to Someone! |
 George Spellwin's ELITE FITNESS Discussion Boards
 Diet Discussion Board
 phyto-estrogen and bodybuilding
|
| Author | Topic: phyto-estrogen and bodybuilding |
|
Hitter Amateur Bodybuilder (Total posts: 11) |
posted July 03, 2000 11:11 AM
 
I read somewhere that soy products ferment in the gut to produce a by-product known as phyto-estrogen. That article also went on to state that this pseudo-estrogen was the main chemical responsible for most of soy's health benefits... like increasing good cholestorol, protecting against cancer and many other heart and degenerative diseases. I eat about 4 servings of beancurd daily and I was wondering if phyto-estrogen is actually counter-productive in light of my bodybuilding efforts. Any qualified MDs or dieticians out there? IP: Logged |
|
MS Pro Bodybuilder (Total posts: 437) |
posted July 03, 2000 06:04 PM
You've hit on what I consider a very controversial topic. Soy certainly has some healthful benefits. It seems to be beneficial to a large proportion of women, possibly because phytoestogen can act as estogens in some tissues and anti-estrogens in other tissues. Soy's is thought to inhibit or compete with 'bad' estrogen that causes estrogen-sensitive breast cancer. And it can improve blood lipid profiles. BUT (there's always a but) it's estrogenic effects may not be as beneficial to men, especially bodybuilders. This is not a fact yet as far as I know, but a suspiscion. In small quantities it certainly won't do much harm, the extra estrogenic effect is minimal compared to what men taking large doses of androgenic steroids experience. But until there's more research done one way or the other, I would not eat large quantities of it if you're a male looking to get big and lean. How long have you been eating beancurd, and what is your experience so far? I am interested because this subject has implications for the men out there that eat limited or no animal proteins but are still looking for decent amounts of dietary protein. ------------------ IP: Logged |
|
Hitter Amateur Bodybuilder (Total posts: 11) |
posted July 05, 2000 12:39 PM
I'm a natural bodybuilder and while on my high soy diet,I have noticed one thing......., my weight has went up by about 7-8 pounds and I could not seem to lose it. Perhaps that's due to the carb content found in soy products rather than phyto-estrogen. After all carbs make you fat and make you retain water. Today was my first day without eating beancurd ( used to take up to 5 servings ) and already, I can see the difference. I reduced all my carb intake to only a glass of orange juice and one serving of oats with the rest of my diet consisting of hard-boiled eggs and fried chicken. I definately look a little tighter and less water-fat. I think the key is moderation where soy products are concerned, my staple of 5 servings may have been a little high. But I guess I'll compensate soy's health benefits with other foods. I'm slowly reducing my carb intake to include oats and vegetables only. 1 serving of oats and as much vegetables as I can eat. After all, I do want a physique that is as healthy as it is good-looking. IP: Logged |
All times are ET (US) | |
 |
Contact Us | Back to Elite Fitness
Elite Fitness Discussion Board