Learn how to build your diet to maximize muscle mass without accumulating large amounts of subcutaneous fat. Most bodybuilders believe that it is very difficult to organize proper nutrition. However, if you take it seriously, then you will understand that it is quite simple. It is important to remember the basic principles and devote a short period of time to mathematical calculations. After that, you just have to be as disciplined as possible. Today we are going to tell you about the rules of nutrition and 11 popular dietary mistakes in bodybuilding.
Nutrition rules
Calorie intake
If you expend more energy when you get it, then the growth of muscle tissue will be impossible. In most cases, you need to consume 500 more calories, but for this you will have to spend some time with the calculator. When you determine the required calorie content, it remains to distribute it among the three nutrients. It should also be remembered that not only the energy value of your food is of great importance, but also the quality of the calories consumed. It will depend on this factor for what purposes the body uses it: gaining mass or replenishing the glycogen depot.
Protein compounds
Protein compounds are the main nutrient required for mass gain. However, you shouldn't only eat foods that contain protein. In a proper diet, the nutrient should be present in a proportion of 30 to 30 percent. Very few bodybuilders calculate the exact nutrient content of their diet. You must remember that it is better to consume a little more protein than to undergone the norm.
You should be aware that the main sources of quality protein compounds are eggs, chicken and turkey, fish, milk and lean beef. You can additionally use appropriate supplements, but most of the protein compounds must come from food.
Carbohydrates
Your diet should contain the most carbohydrates. Their share in the total caloric content is about 60 percent. This is due to the fact that carbohydrates are the main energy source for the body. It is important to remember that carbohydrates are slow and fast. You should target the slow ones and limit your intake of simple ones (sugar) as much as possible.
The most optimal time to consume simple carbohydrates is after the training period. For about an hour after completing the training, you need to consume about 50-60 grams of carbohydrates (mostly simple) and protein compounds (25-30 grams).
Fats
During the mass-gaining period, it makes no sense for you to seriously limit yourself in food, but there are some nuances here. First of all, this applies to sweets and fatty foods. However, fats cannot be excluded from the diet, since they are also necessary for the body. The proportion of this nutrient in your diet should be between 10 and 15 percent.
Popular dietary mistakes in bodybuilding
- Avoiding fat intake. While gaining weight, you should consume a lot of calories and even if there is no fat in the diet, without exercise, you will get fat. Carbohydrates and protein compounds are used by the body only in the amount that it needs. Excess nutrients will inevitably be converted into body fat. If most builders know about this feature of carbohydrates, then with regard to proteins, there is an opinion that there are not many of them. However, the body has the ability to assimilate only a certain amount of nutrients at a time. With regard to protein compounds, this figure is approximately 40 grams. Anything in excess of this value will be converted to fat.
- Fats are dangerous to the body. This statement is only partially true. There are some types of fats that can actually hurt. However, there are those that are simply necessary for athletes. These are fatty acids found in vegetable oil and fish. You must remember that virtually all anabolic hormones require fat to be produced. Your diet should definitely contain no more than 15 percent of healthy fats.
- Excessive intake of carbohydrates. Protein compounds are essential for the creation of new muscle tissue, and carbohydrates provide the energy necessary for this process. Every day, you need to consume 4 to 5 grams of carbohydrates for every kilogram of your weight. This is quite enough not to create an energy deficit in the body.
- Lovers don't need protein sports blends. Athletes who do not plan to compete and train for themselves often feel that they should not use protein supplements. But your muscles must grow, and this requires material, which are protein compounds. If you do not consume about 2 grams of protein for every kilogram of your weight throughout the day, then why train? After all, your muscles will not be able to grow. It is possible that you are consuming the required amount of nutrients through food. But as the muscles grow, the demands of the body will also increase and it is worth remembering about protein supplements.
- Three meals a day are enough. A completely wrong approach to organizing your meals. You simply cannot eat the required amount of food in three meals. Even if we assume that this turns out to be an achievable goal, another problem will appear - the absorption of nutrients in the digestive system will sharply decrease. Thus, you just need to eat at least five times a day.
- Chicken should be preferred over other varieties. You should use a variety of sources of protein compounds. This will allow you to get a full complement of amines, which is not achievable with chicken alone. For example, beef fillet contains not much more fat in comparison with chicken breast.
For all about nutritional mistakes in natural bodybuilding, see this story:
