Simple Bodybuilding Nutrition

Working out is only part of the equation for building your muscles. To repair, grow and make your muscles bigger, good nutrition is vital. You will find it difficult to build muscle unless your diet is right-regardless of how well your training is going. An effective diet for bodybuilding, as well as providing you with all the building materials you need for developing your muscles, should also be healthy.

Building Muscles Requires Energy
To build muscles you need a calorie surplus. This calorie surplus will provide energy for the process of anabolism-the building up of your muscles. You should monitor your bodyweight on a weekly basis and if you notice that you are not gaining weight, you may find you are not eating enough. If you feel you are gaining fat as well as muscle, you may be eating too much so you should adjust your intake accordingly.

Protein
Protein is broken down in your digestive system to provide amino acids which are the building blocks of muscle repair and growth. Protein comes from animal sources such as fish, chicken, dairy, eggs and beef and vegetable sources like soya and quinoa. For muscle growth, you should make sure that you consume 2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight which should be spread throughout the day in approximately 30 gram portions. This will ensure you muscles receive a constant supply of amino acids.

Carbohydrates
Carbs are the fuel that will power your muscles through your workouts. Carbohydrates come in two forms: simple carbohydrates such as fruit and confectionary and complex such as rice, pasta, bread and vegetables. The closer a carbohydrate is to its natural state, the less refined it is and, therefore, the healthier it will be for you. Refined carbohydrates such as white bread, sweets, processed TV dinners and candy are high in sugar but low in essential vitamins, minerals and fibre which are necessary for your health. Although bodybuilding diets require a calorie surplus, this should come from healthy sources such as whole grains and vegetables.

Fats
Fats can be saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. This describes their chemical structure. Fat is very important for health but because it is very calorie dense, if you consume too much it may cause you to gain weight. Consume adequate good fats; the mono and polyunsaturated fats, by eating oily fish, nuts and seeds while consuming moderate amounts of the less healthy saturated fats found in red meat and dairy.

Water
As much as 70 percent of your body is made of water and every chemical reaction within your body uses water as a medium. You should aim to consume at least 2 litres of water per day plus 250 millilitres per 30 minutes of exercise. Dehydrated muscles don’t work very well and may cramp up so it’s important to make sure you are drinking enough. Caffeinated drinks can increase the volume and frequency of your urinations so you should make sure that you don’t consume too much coffee and cola as these drinks are high in caffeine.

Supplements
There are a great many supplements that you can buy that may benefit your bodybuilding. Protein powders can make it easier for you to consume adequate amino acids whilst creatine can improve your strength and muscle size. No supplement can make up for a poor diet and should be seen as an add-on to an already healthy diet. If you have to make a choice between healthy food and supplements, the healthy food should always be your first choice.