Listen Here:
Click or simply search “Sigma Nutrition” on your podcast platform of choice.
Or listen directly on the Sigma website here.
Introduction
One passionately debated concept is that of “calories-in, calories-out” (CICO). This is colloquial phrasing for how energy balance relates to bodily energy stores. And this gets translated as shorthand for indicating how energy balance influences gain/loss of body mass.
When looking at some of the commentary related to CICO, there are two opposing positions that are both incorrect. On one hand you have people who clearly focus too heavily on calories alone. But on the other you have people claiming that “CICO is wrong” and that looking at energy balance as the main driver of changes in body mass is misguided.
In this episode, we focus in on the latter of those positions, i.e. the claim that “CICO is a myth”, or “calories don’t matter” or “fat loss has nothing to do with CICO” or several other similar statements that we’ll look at one by one.
Related resources
- [02:02]Understanding chronotypes
- [06:26]Measuring chronotypes
- [15:12]Genetic and environmental influences on chronotypes
- [28:34]Health implications of chronotypes
- [52:21]Practical applications
The Hosts
Click through to your app of choice to listen and subscribe:
Danny Lennon has a master’s degree (MSc.) in Nutritional Sciences from University College Cork, and he is the founder of Sigma Nutrition.
Danny is currently a member of the Advisory Board of the Sports Nutrition Association, the global regulatory body responsible for the standardisation of best practice in the sports nutrition profession.
Dr. Alan Flanagan has a PhD in nutrition from the University of Surrey, where his doctoral research focused on circadian rhythms, feeding, and chrononutrition.
This work was based on human intervention trials. He also has a Masters in Nutritional Medicine from the same institution.
Dr. Flanagan is a regular co-host of Sigma Nutrition Radio. He also produces written content for Sigma Nutrition, as part of his role as Research Communication Officer.
Overview
- Claims of why “calories in, calories out is stupid”
- What CICO is not synonymous with
- Common Claims “Disproving” CICO:
- “I am eating more now and my body composition is better. CICO is nonsense”
- “I reduced my intake but I stopped losing weight. CICO is nonsense”
- “Tracking calories never worked for me, but when I went low-carb weight just dropped off. CICO is nonsense”
- “I developed hypothyroidism and gained weight on the same diet, see it’s hormones. CICO is nonsense”
- “Tracking calories isn’t psychologically healthy and isn’t a sustainable way to live. CICO is nonsense”
- “There is more to diet and body composition than calories. CICO is nonsense”
- Problems Calculating Calories: Is assessing calorie intake and expenditure a problem?
