A Simple Guide To Bodybuilding Nutrition

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Four Dietary Needs of Bodybuilding Nutriiton

When it comes to creating a nutritional guide to bodybuilding, there are four areas which must be addressed.
Carbohydrates
Proteins
Fats
Water

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy by the body. Carbohydrates release insulin, which is important for two reasons.
The insulin stores the carbohydrates as fat or in muscles
The insulin grabs the amino acids or proteins and stores them in muscles for recovery and repair.
People are overweight because of the absorption of too many carbohydrates and their transfer into fat. This is created by over release of insulin. As a guide in bodybuilding nutrition it is important to know where to find carbohydrates and in what amounts.

Carbohydrates are made of two kinds, complex and simple. Here is a short list of what food is in each category.
Complex – starchy food such as oatmeal, sweet potatoe, pasta, corn and peas. Fibrous food such as broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, lettuce, mushrooms, pepper and spinach.
Simple – apples, bananas, grapefruit, grapes, oranges, pears or pineapple

Utilizing one cup a day of one of these is enough carbohydrates to help maintain muscle.

Proteins

Proteins make up every tissue in the body from skin and nails to muscle. Everyone who is into bodybuilding needs a nutritional guide of 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. Consuming more than this is unnecessary. Every time you consume protein your metabolism increases by 20%. Proteins also help carbohydrates maintain controlled release to effectively provide energy through the day.

Some good examples of food containing proteins are:
Eggs
Chicken breast
Turkey
Red meat
Tuna

Consuming approximately 6-8 ounces of each provides about 35-40 grams of protein.

Fats

Fat is an essential requirement for body function. The manufacture of hormones and testosterone along with joint lubrication is based on fat. Without some fat the body will begin creating body fat to maintain itself. Any good guide to bodybuilding nutrition takes this into account.

There are three types of fat:
Saturated fat – this is the fat most associated with heart disease and high cholesterol. Most saturated fats are found from animal origins however some altered vegetable fats can increase saturated fats. Such food as packaged food, coconut, palm oil and non-dairy creamer.
Polyunsaturated fat – this type of fat has no effect on cholesterol and is found in such food as corn oil, soybean, sunflower oil and cottonseed oil.
Monounsaturated fat – this is the good type of fat. These fats are high in essential fatty acids. Food such as canola oil, fish oil, virgin olive oil, and flaxseed oil contain this type of fat.

When it comes to consuming fat, it should be about 20% of your total daily calories.

Water

When it comes to nutrition and bodybuilding, many guides ignore water. Without water no organism would survive long. Most people underestimate the value of water in their nutritional needs.

Water is an important part of any guide for bodybuilding nutrition for the following reasons.
With 65% of the body made of water, most of the muscle cell is water
Water is used to clense the body from toxins and pollutants
Water is required for a host of chemical reactions to aid in energy production, muscle building, and fat burning.
Water is used in joint lubrication by the body.
Water is used as a coolant for the body when outside temperatures are high.
Water is used to control appetite. Drinking water keeps hunger cravings down.
Cold water increases metabolism.

These four needs of proper nutrition should be a part of any nutritional guide for a bodybuilding program.

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The Basics Of A Bodybuilding Nutrition Plan

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Having a proper nutrition plan for your bodybuilding program is as essential to any bodybuilder as proper physical training. Following these three basic requirements as your bodybuilding nutrition guide will not only ensure the success of your program, but also allow for more enjoyment of the process over time.

Essential Nutrition Supplements

Having essential nutrition in a bodybuilding plan will require the use of supplements as part of the overall planning. Knowing what your needs and goals are will help you properly utilize nutritional supplements in bodybuilding. The use of supplements is best incorporated as an added bonus to maintaining nutritional needs not as a replacement.

Proper Meal Planning

Maintaining proper nutrition planning during bodybuilding means proper meal planning to gain the most nourishment for your body during the day and the entire training process. While there are basic set requirements in planning meals, such as frequent small meals and a balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat intake, there is no set method of meal planning which fits into everyone’s routine. Here are some general guides for planning to help you along:
Keeping the caloric intake in proper cycling helps with overall muscle building and maintanence.
Planning on using foods that not only fit into the nutritional requirements, but also your personal tastes is essential. Keeping a meal plan does not mean forcing yourself to forgo taste and enjoyment of your food.
Planning meals means keeping at least an informal track of what your caloric and nutritional intake is.
Think up new and innovative recipes to help maintain variety and balance in the nutritional aspect of your program
Do not force yourself into limitations, look around to see what can provide you with the basic needs for your meals.

Nutrition Planning Over Time

Nutritional planning in bodybuilding requires the same amount of persistence and attitude that your physical program requires of you to achieve success. One without the other will not lead to anything but failure. As with physical training, nutritional training takes time to integrate into your daily routine and cannot be achieved overnight.
Move gradually into your dietary goals so that you do not place your body into shock while trying to adjust to new requirements.
The more adjustment you require to adapt to the new dietary values means that much more time required to achieve optimal results for your particular program.
Be sure you are aware of the nutritional requirements of your program and of your body before beginning any changes in diet. Having no clue what it will take to maintain nutritional levels in your program is like not knowing what level of weights you are capable of working with before a workout.

Using these steps as a nutritional guide in bodybuilding will certainly help achieve the desired results for any specific program. Having a nutritional plan for bodybuilding in place will also lead to eventual benefits well down the road after the days of training are over.

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