Hi,
I am a 17-year old male, have practiced the Zone for a couple months, and have come across a problem relating to exercise. I play handball for about 1.5 hours six days a week (sometimes for 2 or more hours on Saturdays), which, according to the criteria I found in one of the books (the Soy Zone), puts me in the category of "Elite Athlete" (very flattering!) for more than 2.5 hrs a week of exercise. I would like to keep up this kind of schedule, as handball is a fascinating game.
I have been underestimating my block requirement for a while and have only recently moved to 21, the number the block calculator and book gives me using the Elite Athlete designation (the 1.0 activity multiplier from the books). Still, I have recently felt tired mentally and physically, as though I have lost a lot of sleep. I have often felt unengaged and unfocused in my handball games, but I am confident I am getting the proportions of carbs to protein right in my meals.
Handball is a full-body workout, and information from other players and internet sources tells me that the game expends substantial calories: anywhere from 600-1000+ calories per hour, depending on singles or doubles, etc.

Could it be that I am not getting enough calories? It seems I have been losing excess weight and body fat, but wonder if I am not getting enough calories.
Would I need to add more monounsaturated fat to my diet? If so, how much?
Does being a teenager complicate the block requirement calculation?

Thanks a ton,
Aaron V-V

Hi Aaron,

Yes, teenagers who are still growing (at 17 you would fit into this category) require a block or two more daily than the calculator states (it's for adults). That said, 1.5 hours of handball a day wouldn't fit the Elite activitylevel, so you're most likely getting enough protein with out adding any more blocks over the Elite calculation for your weight and measurements.

For the Zone diet, To support energy needs beyond the blocks recommended using the Elite activity level, additional monounsaturated fat is used by athletes and people who do strenuous physical activity. You can read more about it in teh very first Zone book (THE ZONE, aka ENTER THE ZONE), You can also go to the Elite Athlete page in the fitness tab above and watch the videos of dr. Sears explain the Zone diet to athletes. to help your situation, recheck your meal composition to be sure you aren't making Zone balancing errors, pay close attention to not eating too many higher density carbohydrates, and increase the amount of monounsaturated fat you're adding to your meals.