What nutrition is suitable for bodybuilding? Discover the perfect diet for optimized training and better performance.
Eliminating unnecessary fat to build muscle is the key to successful bodybuilding and training. The success of your efforts depends on your diet, nutritional supplements, and physical exercise during the training period. Bodybuilding can be seen as a three-part process, with each part seen as the foot of a three-legged stool.
The parts are weight training, cardio training and nutrition. This simply means bodybuilders should be keen with their diet and supplements as they are keen with physical workouts. The following is a detailed look at the how a proper diet can help you achieve a successful muscle-building program and the importance of diet in bodybuilding.
“Bodybuilding starts with nutrition”
Mastering nutrition is vital for beginners who do not have nutritional knowledge. In this case, it is the most important point (even before training) and it should be the priority. Unhealthy eating only burns the stages in muscle building progress and fat loss.
Some basic preparations including cutting down refined sugars and processed fats from the diet.
They can be replaced with healthy fats such as omega-3s from fish and unrefined foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Also, beginners who have a low protein intake can add foods high in protein. protein supplements, such as egg whites, fish and chicken breast, to build muscle faster.
These changes in diet are likely to yield great bodybuilding improvements which you can’t witness with changes in way you train.
A healthy diet
Every bodybuilder is determined to achieve good results. But, a good diet is necessary throughout this period in order to support your efforts without overdoing it.
A quality bodybuilding diet should contain healthy foods with very little or no junk foods and takeaways. For instance, it should be composed of plenty of healthy foods such as fish, eggs, beans, vegetables and fruits.
Also, don't forget to remove saturated fat and extra salt to prepare your body for the best results.
Lots of protein
Bodybuilders need to consume a lot of protein to build muscle faster. They can get their protein from natural sources such as fish, eggs, chicken and tuna. It is possible to consider specific supplements for bodybuilding, which provide healthy protein.
Proteins are composed of amino acids which are the building blocks of muscle tissues. Bodybuilding activities such as weight lifting increases the demand of proteins to build, repair and maintain muscles. Meats contain a naturally made compound called creatine that provides muscles with energy through the bloodstream. The compound can also be converted into phospho-creatine which supplies muscles with additional energy in form of ATP.
Just the right amount of carbohydrates
Carbohydrates provide the first source of energy for the body. They fuel bodybuilding and other life processes sparing the consumed proteins for muscle growth.
However, unused carbohydrates are usually stored as body fat depending on the time of consumption. The trick is consuming just enough carbohydrates to prevent the body from using protein for energy. You can get carbohydrates from simple and complex sources.
Simple sources act faster to provide the body with quick energy. They include sugar, fruit juices and fruits. Complex carbs on the other hand are slow acting and they provide the body with long-term energy. They include oatmeal, rice, breads and pastas.
Sufficient fat
Fats are necessary for muscle building. They help the body function properly and may act as sources of stored energy for the body. Bodybuilder should stay away from saturated fats as much as they can since they carry several health risks.
Some sources of saturated fats include dairy products, beef, pork and egg yolks. Unsaturated fats are recommended because they help muscle building during workouts and help the body maintain healthy cholesterol levels. They also promote healthy testosterone levels which boosts bodybuilding efforts.
Some great sources of unsaturated fats include almond oil, cashes and olive oil.
Plenty of water
A bodybuilding diet can’t be complete without drinking plenty of water every day. Water is vital in bodybuilding since it prevents dehydration which can easily halt fat-burning exercises and processes. All the processes in extreme workouts require water to keep the body fully hydrated.
Body builders should aim at drinking over 10 glasses of water very day to stay hydrated and cater for the water lost through sweat when working out. This leaves your body hydrated throughout the day with enough water to transport nutrients and supplements to your muscle cells.
Proper timing
Eating your meals at the right time is as important as the food you eat. A good diet for bodybuilding would be to take your meals 1-2 hours before and after workout. A smaller meal is necessary before the workout and then one should eat a protein-rich meal within an hour after the workout.
It is also better to have at least 5 smaller meals split throughout the day than three main meals. Many smaller meals provide constant supply of nutrients that keeps the body in a fat-burning mode throughout the day.
Control of insulin
The zone diet helps bodybuilders control insulin and the rate at which carbohydrates are used by the body by turning their genes on and off’. The genetic make-up can’t be changed, but its expression can be altered. The alterations can influence the health status, the amount of energy required for daily activities and the ability to effectively lose and maintain ideal weight.
The training of bodybuilders should therefore focus on a 1-2-3 diet, where they are required to eat fats, proteins and carbohydrates in a proportion of 1/2 / 3. This diet is highly recommended for bodybuilders with diabetics because it promotes the choice of carbohydrates with a low glycemic index.
Conclusion
Bodybuilding trainers will tell you that bodybuilding is 80% nutrition.
This is really true because the two are inseparable and a proper diet is the foundation of a successful bodybuilding plan. They two complement each other regardless of your bodybuilding goals which may range from athletic conditioning, losing fat to muscle building.
You can work very hard, but all your efforts may be regarded useless if your diet is wrong. The trick here is to master the nutritional basics for bodybuilding to provide your body with the necessary raw materials. Be sure to check your diet and ensure it is helping you achieve your goals. As a result, you will be assured of muscle growth due to proper hydration, nutrition and supplementation. (see our article on the 11 essential food supplements)
