Find out what secrets are hidden in the diets of professional bodybuilders and why they devote 90% of their time to nutrition in bodybuilding. The nutritional debate continues. However, quite often the question arises not only of their ratio and caloric content of the diet, but also the importance of nutrient sources. Simply put, today we will try to find out if a calorie is equal to a calorie in bodybuilding.
Calorie studies of protein compounds
To find the answer to this question, the results of experiments comparing the amount of protein compounds consumed by humans are most often used. This is quite important when considering the growth of muscle tissue. In the course of numerous studies with an equivalent calorie diet, active weight gain was observed with a higher protein intake.
There is also evidence that protein compounds have the ability to eliminate hunger when compared to other nutrients. However, it should be remembered that in this case, most often the conversation is about comparing low-carb diet programs with high-carb ones. A low-carb diet involves a high intake of protein compounds, which cannot but affect muscle growth. But such comparisons are meaningless, since for this one should use those nutrition programs that assume the consumption of approximately the same amount of these nutrients.
Experiments with strict calorie control
It should be noted that such experiments are carried out relatively rarely. To control the energy value of the diet of the subjects, they should be isolated. Most often, such experiments are carried out in hospitals and their cost is quite high.
The results of such studies show an insignificant change in body weight. Also, most often, scientists argue that it is the caloric intake of the subjects that has the greatest influence on this. More recently, an experiment was carried out, the purpose of which was to find out the relationship between insulin sensitivity and the rate of lipolysis. But as a result, it is very difficult to say for sure that a certain dietary nutrition program is superior in effectiveness to others.
In addition, a very important fact is the use of ordinary people in experiments. As you know, the metabolism of athletes has significant differences and this reduces the value of all these experiences for athletes.
Very few experiments have focused on comparing nutrient sources. You can recall the experience in which the effects on the body of sucrose and starch were compared. During the study, the caloric content of the diet was monitored and there was no significant difference in the result. The excess of calories has also been poorly studied, and what is even worse for athletes, practically all these experiments are not accompanied by physical activity of the subjects.
Experiments are now most popular in which scientists investigate the relationship of a nutritional program with insulin sensitivity. It turned out that weight loss in this case is mainly associated with metabolism, and the ability of the body of a particular person to adapt to it. There is no conclusive evidence yet that nutritional composition matters in lipolysis.
Experiments without strict calorie control
When doing this kind of research, scientists simply give the subjects recommendations about their upcoming diet, say, cut their carbohydrate intake in half. Often these recommendations are of great importance in these experiments, as they provide an opportunity to understand the reason why the nutrition program works. For example, in a study of the effect of low fat intake on body weight, subjects were required to consume less than 30 percent fat per day. As a result, this caused weight loss, but the reason for this lies in a simple decrease in the energy value of the diet.
Similar results can be seen in the study of low-carb diets. After receiving recommendations about the need to reduce carbohydrates in the diet, the subjects begin to eat less food, often without even noticing it. This will certainly cause weight loss.
However, the reason for this lies not in a decrease in carbohydrates, but in a lower calorie content of food consumed. Although this should not completely exclude the importance of reducing the amount of carbohydrates consumed.
Calorie content of different foods in bodybuilding
After analyzing a large number of studies, certain conclusions can be drawn:
- If you consume enough protein compounds, it will certainly be better for you than a nutrient deficiency.
- You can control the energy content of your eating program with fats and carbohydrates while consuming enough protein.
- There may be some exceptions associated with the characteristics of a particular organism.
If a person consumes protein compounds, then the diet chosen by him will not be of fundamental importance. The only obstacle to losing weight may still be the need to control calories. This is primarily due to hunger, which is very difficult to control.
For obvious reasons, it is much easier to get, for example, 2500 calories from oil than from eating vegetables. In cases where a person can eat any food, this fact comes out on top in terms of its importance. However, this applies only to those cases where the calorie intake is not controlled. Otherwise, the source of energy will no longer be of decisive importance.
It should also be remembered that nutrient sources can affect other physiological factors that affect body composition.
About the athlete's diet and the calorie content of the diet, see this video from Yuri Spasokukotsky:
