Body Building Nutrition

Nutrition is an essential component of any body building programme. There is absolutely no point in working your muscles if you are body does not have the right fuel to convert your effort into lean body mass gain. This essentially means maintaining a well-balanced macronutrient ratio, or in simple terms, an optimal combination of carbohydrate, protein and fat in your diet.

The recommended ratio varies amongst experts, but is usually around the area of 50% carbohydrate, 30% protein and around 5% fat including essential fatty acids. Body builders will also need to consume more calories than an average person of the same height, because the goal of body building is lean body mass gain achieved through intensive workouts, both of which require substantial fueling.

Carbohydrate-wise, body builders typically prefer what are called low-glycemic polysaccharides and other slow-digesting carbohydrates, as opposed to high-glycemic sugars and starches, which can cause insulin spikes and encourage the body to convert incoming energy straight to fat, rather than using it to assist the building of muscle fibre.

However, fast-digesting sugars such as glucose can be useful in the period directly before or after (or even during) a workout, when muscle glycogen stores must be replenished in order to stimulate the synthesis of new muscle protein. Many energy bars or exercise bars on the market are designed for exactly this purpose.

Examples of slow-digesting carbohydrates include rice, pasta, potatoes and oatmeal, while fresh fruit is an excellent source of fast-digesting sugar. The percentage of protein as part of a balanced bodybuilding nutrition programme is subject to some debate, with estimates ranging from 20-50%.

What is widely agreed upon however, is that the quality of protein is important. Lean meat such as chicken, beef, pork or fish are good sources of protein, as are eggs and many dairy products. Beans, seeds, nuts and lentils are also good proteins, and whey protein is often used as a dietary substitute, particularly in popular protein shakes and bars.

Whey protein is preferred for its fast absorption rate and high Biological Value (BV - the measure of how readily a protein can be used in protein synthesis in the cells of an organism, as when building lean muscle tissue following a workout). The importance of consuming protein in the period directly following a workout, and before resting or sleeping, is also emphasized.

This will lead to more efficient muscle building as the body will have the materials it needs to hand at the time it needs them most. Many body builders advocate splitting meals up into six or seven smaller portions throughout the day, rather than the typical three square meals. This is done for two main reasons.

Firstly as above, to ensure that the body has a constant supply of nutrition to enable it to build lean muscle tissue. And secondly because it is thought that grazing in this manner can increase the bodies base metabolic rate, and thereby enable it to burn excess fat more efficiently.
Some experts also recommend calorie cycling, which basically means reducing your calorie intake between one-quarter and one-fifth for two days out of the week.

The theory behind this is that it prevents your body from becoming accustomed to a certain calorific intake and adjusting to it, which is thought to lead to stagnant results. Fat is an important part of bodybuilding nutrition primarily because hormones are manufactured from fat, including testosterone which promotes muscle gain and helps maintain a good metabolic rate. If the body is not getting enough fat, it will begin to store incoming carbohydrate as fat which would otherwise be used to fuel muscle building. Recommended sources of good fats include natural peanut butter, olive oil and fish oils.

As well as formulating a balance nutritional programme with appropriate macronutrient ratios, many bodybuilders add dietary supplements to their daily nutritional routine, and many of these have been proven to have healthy beneficial effects. As well as protein supplements (usually in the form of whey, casein or soy protein, as well as simple egg whites), body builders make use of amino acids, creatine, pro-hormones and thermogenics, as well as complete meal-replacements such as shakes or bars.

The most popular amino acid supplements are glutamine (the most abundant amino acid in human muscle tissue, which can be depleted during periods of intense physical exercise) and branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), which have an anabolic/anti-catabolic effect on the muscles.

Creatine is an organic acid which occurs naturally in the body and helps supply energy to muscles for short, intense bursts of energy, such as during a workout. Creatine supplements have been proven to help people exercise harder, for longer, as well as improving general brain function and reducing mental fatigue. Creatine is the most popular and probably most effective bodybuilding supplement.

Finally of course water is an essential part of any balanced nutrition plan, but particularly that of the body builder. 65% of your body is water, and muscle tissue is primarily composed of water. Water is also needed for all the chemical reactions involved in building lean body mass, helps lubricate the joins and maintain a correct body temperature. Drink water constantly throughout the dar, particularly before, during and after workouts. Drink it often, and drink a lot.

Body Building Nutrition