What Is Food Made Of?
The foods we eat every day consist of different proportions of the three macronutrients protein, carbohydrates and fat, and micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals & trace elements – many of them are essential, i.e. vital because our body cannot produce them itself.
Carbohydrates Give Us Energy
Carbohydrates are an essential source of energy for athletes, such as muscle contraction or brain activity. One gram of carbohydrates provides 4.1 Kcal. Our brain needs a certain amount of carbohydrates every day. Care should be taken to ensure that sufficient carbohydrates are made available. If this is not the case, the body will convert protein into carbohydrates and provide them for energy production, leading to muscle loss.
It is essential to avoid so-called “bad” carbohydrates such as sweets, sugary drinks, fast food and white flour products. Preferred sources of carbohydrates for bodybuilders are oatmeal, rice, potatoes, whole-wheat pasta, fruits and vegetables.
Protein Makes Our Muscles Grow
One gram of protein provides 4.1 Kcal. Translated, the word protein means nothing else than protein. Every day we take in this essential nutrient in our food through animal and vegetable protein sources. Protein-rich foods include low-fat dairy products like curd cheese, milk and cottage cheese, lean meats, eggs, protein powder (if needed), and legumes like peas and beans.
Protein is involved in all cell growth in the body. Protein is made up of amino acids, essential and non-essential amino acids. The body itself can produce the non-essential amino acids. The remaining eight amino acids have to be taken in through our diet. If the daily protein requirement is not adequately covered by food, athletes can use protein powder to supplement them as needed.
Also Read: THE BEST SOURCES OF PROTEIN FOR VEGANS AND VEGETARIANS
The Most Important Foods For A Bodybuilder:
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is nature’s absolute powerhouse that is cheap to buy and brings with it enormous energy and good fats. Oatmeal is used in bodybuilding and many other sports, such as weight lifting, cycling, wrestling, and climbing. Oatmeal is usually consumed in the morning in muesli or shakes together with a protein powder. These are available in 2 forms, on the one hand in “delicate” and the other hand in “robust”. Both conditions are almost identical in terms of nutritional values - so it is purely a matter of taste which variety you choose.
For athletes who want oatmeal in a protein drink they wish to consume, there are so-called instant flakes, as these dissolve entirely in water or milk. They bind the water, which means that after you have eaten oat flakes, they stay longer in the stomach than other foods, so you feel hungry later than usual. That is why oatmeal is also suitable for a diet. The oatmeal – maybe soon be found in your nutrition plan.
Meat
Meat has a good helping of protein. Bodybuilders mostly use chicken, turkey, or turkey. One hundred grams of meat usually provides around 20 grams of protein. Precisely what real athletes need. Meat also contains vitamin C, vitamin B1 + B6 + B12, zinc, selenium and iron. Meat contains all eight essential amino acids, precisely those that the body itself cannot produce. In addition to fish and dairy products, meat is the most popular source of protein for bodybuilders and strength athletes.
Beef is particularly popular with strength athletes and bodybuilders. In addition to the high protein value, minerals and vitamins, beef contains creatine. Let’s first look at protein levels. As with the other meats, 100 grams of beef fillet contains around 20 grams of protein. So nothing unusual, but beef contains many times more vitamin B12 and zinc and iron. The protein contained in meat is considered very high quality and can be converted quickly into protein, suitable for building muscle.
Rice
Rice is a staple food and not just for athletes! It provides complex carbohydrates in conjunction with proteins and very little fat. In addition, rice is very cheap to buy and easy to prepare. Rice is a low GI (glycemic index) source of carbohydrates. In addition to vitamins B1 + B2 + B6, rice also provides niacin, vitamin E, magnesium, minerals and potassium. Due to its low glycemic index, rice is also a valuable source of carbohydrates in a diet.
Eggs
As the name suggests, eggs contain a lot of protein. A medium-sized egg provides around 7 grams of high-quality protein with valuable sulphur- containing amino acids. The egg has a very high biological value of 100 and, in addition to protein, also contains vitamins, minerals and lecithin. Eggs are very cheap to buy and easy to prepare. You can also take a boiled egg with you as a small snack when you have nothing else to eat. If you don’t like eggs, you can use high-quality powder instead if necessary.
Fish In
In addition to meat, fish is an essential source of protein in our diet. But fish provides not only high-quality protein but also valuable fatty acids. There are three types of fats: saturated fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Fish is one of the polyunsaturated fatty acids essential for life because our body cannot produce the polyunsaturated fatty acids itself.
Care should be taken to ensure that sufficient fish and thus enough polyunsaturated fatty acids are consumed. Athletes who do not like to eat fish usually use fish oil capsules (salmon oil capsules) as an alternative. These also contain omega-3 fatty acids.
Vegetables
We hear again and again from many athletes: “To get big and massive, I only need two things, carbohydrates and protein!”. But is that the right, healthy way to achieve a dream figure? We tend not to believe! Vegetables consist of a high proportion of water, which has a positive effect on our water balance.
Vegetables also contain many types of vitamins and minerals and are low in calories. Iron, magnesium and potassium are included in most types of vegetables, as well as vitamin C. When buying vegetables, care should be taken to keep the storage and preparation time very short because the longer the vegetables are stored, the more vital substances are lost.
Fruit
Like vegetables, at least one serving of fruit should be eaten daily to supply the body with vitamins. Fruit is significant for a healthy diet and contains little protein and fat but high-quality fructose, i.e. carbohydrates. It provides carbohydrates to the body and can be consumed raw.
Milk & Dairy Products
Milk and dairy products contain a lot of protein and a large amount of calcium. They also contain essential amino acids and are a high-quality source of protein. Milk is particularly suitable for making milk or protein shakes. Bodybuilders prefer low-fat dairy products like cottage cheese, low-fat curd cheese, yogurt, and low-fat drinking milk.
Oils and fats
Fats are vital for our body. Many beginners often make the mistake of reducing their fat intake to a minimum or altogether avoiding fats and oils – a mistake! Therefore, sufficient fat should be consumed through the daily diet. Bodybuilders prefer to take fish oil capsules that contain omega-3 fatty acids when needed.
Likewise, many athletes add 5-10ml of oil (linseed oil or sunflower oil) to their protein shakes. If possible, you should avoid too much animal fat.
Water
The source of life – and not only essential for athletes. You should drink around three litres of water a day and more if you are physically active. Humans can survive up to 60 days without solid food – but only a few days without water. Water serves as a solvent and as a means of transport for all metabolic processes in the body.
Conclusion – Discipline In Nutrition For Maximum Muscle Growth
In bodybuilding, in particular, there is no getting around good nutrition. While exercise is one side of the coin, diet is undoubtedly the other. If you are striving for the best possible success in terms of muscle building, you should take our top 10 foods for bodybuilders to heart and break down the macronutrients as follows:
Protein / egg white = 2 – 2.5g per kg of body weight
Fat = 0.7 – 1g per kg of body weight
Carbohydrates = 4g per kg of body weight
The best thing to do is to distribute the amount calculated for yourself over five meals per day at intervals of approx. 3 hours. After only a few weeks, with appropriate muscle building training and the necessary discipline, you will be able to notice positive changes in strength, muscle building and regeneration. Now at the latest, it will become apparent to every bodybuilder what the right food choice can do.
Also Read: FITNESS FOODS- THE BEST FOODS TO USE IN BODY BUILDING
