As compared to any other athlete, a bodybuilder needs a proper nutrition and a healthy diet more strictly. In order to fulfil the energy requirements, a bodybuilder must maintain a balanced diet of nutrient-rich foods and enough calories, along with fluids to stay hydrated.
A serious bodybuilder with a thorough workout routine and a proper nutrition plan can even avoid consumption of performance supplements. However, this post is going to provide you some balanced diet tips that are definitely going to assist you in the long run.
Balanced Diet Plan For Bodybuilding
1. Calories And Dietary Composition:
As far as muscle building is concerned, every dietician recommends consumption of calories as the key factor. The amount of calorie intake varies from one person to another, depending upon age, size, physical activity and gender. A bodybuilder needs 1000 to 1500 calories over and above the calorie intake of an average person to carry on with his training.
A research study of Columbia University revealed that calorie consumption of 500 per day escorted by proper weight training is bound to contribute to 1 pound of muscle gain. The dietary composition, on the other hand, is quite the same as the other athletes. The diet comprises of ten to fifteen percent protein, less than thirty percent of healthy fat and forty five to sixty five percent carbohydrates.
2. Carbohydrates:
The carbohydrates occupy a major part of a bodybuilder’s diet since they are the preferred source of energy for muscle building. They are stored in muscles in the form of glycogen and get depleted while working out.
If they are not replenished immediately, they get exhausted quickly and lead to fatigue muscles. Healthy carbohydrates are responsible for building lean muscles and increasing size and strength. It can be found in whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
3. Protein:
There is a tendency of the bodybuilders to consume more protein in order to build muscle mass, but experts say you need to increase your calorie intake and train harder to achieve your goals. Though protein helps in repairing muscle fibres, but consumption of 1.7 grams per kilogram of body weight is enough.
If you are consuming protein more than 20 percent of the total caloric diet then you are simply inviting dehydration, kidney failure and muscle cramps. Healthy proteins include lean ground beef, legumes, fish, beans, quinoa, eggs, low fat dairy products and soy. The unhealthy proteins are bacon, fatty steak, cream and deep fried meat.
4. Fluids:
For a chiselled physique many bodybuilders voluntarily increase the water loss and this leads to damaged organs and dehydration. At times dehydration can even be life threatening. For this reason you must always keep yourself hydrated with water or sports beverages before, during and after your training sessions.
5. Avoid Ergogenic Aids:
The ergogenic aids are the food supplements that help to improve your endurance, strength and performance. These aids include glutamine, creatine, steroids, DHEA, ephedrine and human growth hormone which are not under the direct supervision of the food and drug administration department and are often escorted by serious side effects. These ergogenic aids can be extremely dangerous if consumed in large doses over a prolonged time period.
