Pre-Workout:
Make
sure to consume your pre-workout meal 30 to 60 minutes before your
routine. This will ensure that you are properly fueled up and you don't
go hungry during your training session. It should be noted here that
your pre-workout meal should not be a heavy meal; it will not do you any
good. On the other hand, eating only the recommended pre-workout food
will give you the necessary energy that may even last on the
post-workout recovery period.
Pre-workout meals should be balanced
with the precise amounts of nutrients of protein and fast and slow
digesting carbohydrates. Take note that you should consume energy from
carbs that can be immediately used during an extensive routine. Examples
of these include: starchy carbohydrates such as white rice, and bread.
Protein should also be fast-digesting and they include: egg whites and
whey protein isolate.
Post-Workout:
Catabolism
is the process wherein a state of muscle-wasting occurs. This is the
reverse of anabolism and is usually observed after an extensive workout.
Additionally, right after your routine, glycogen is depleted from the
muscle cells. Glycogen is the stored form of sugar in the muscles and it
fuels the muscle during contraction, such as when you are doing your
exercises. This is where you need again the fast-digesting carbs to
affect also your insulin levels.
In order to refill the glycogen
post-workout and push the anabolic process back again, you need to
affect your glycogen stores. Thus, a combination of fast-digesting carbs
plus fast-digesting proteins such as whey protein isolate is required
to get them immediately recruited back to the muscle cells and avoid the
catabolic process.
It has also been shown that muscle-building
results when you consume the fast-digesting high protein and high simple
carbohydrate diet post-workout because this is the time your muscles
are demanding for nutrients.
It is also advisable that liquid food
such as protein shake is more advantageous than whole-food meal. Whole
foods take a lot of time to get digested and assimilated, unlike liquid
foods.
The Supplements You Need:
Foods are
the best choice for choosing your required nutritional needs. However,
there are some factors to be considered such as the rate at which food
can be digested and the nutrient profile of the food. For these reasons,
supplements can play a part in a bodybuilding diet to encourage muscle
growth a recovery.
Sugar:
This may seem
strange to include in a bodybuilding diet where one is working to
transform their physique but research has proven it be incredibly
useful. It ensures that your glycogen is not depleted from the muscle
cells post-workout. Sugars like dextrose and maltodextrin also spike
your insulin levels that aids in pushing the nutrients from other
sources back to your muscle cells. Consume 30g of sugar in the form of
snakes or gummie bears post workout.
Glutamine:
It
reduces catabolism and boosts the release of growth hormone and muscle
cell volume. Though it is found abundantly in the body, glutamine is
depleted during exercise. Part of the reason that it should be
supplemented is because it is the predominant amino acid in the skeletal
muscle.
Whey Protein Isolate (WPI):
Whey
Protein is essential to any bodybuilding diet. It can provide a steady
supply of amino acids once it enters the blood stream. WPI is absorbed
immediately and can enhance lean mass gains, growth hormone release and
body fat reduction.
Caffeine:
It helps
prevent muscle soreness post-workout and can increase muscle intensity
and strength. Caffeine also helps to mobilize fat cells to the blood. It
should be taken pre-workout.
Creatine:
It
increases phosphocreatine used in generating the energy ATP. Studies
have shown that creatine increases insulin-like growth factor. Creatine
also takes water into muscle cells to enhance protein synthesis. Put
simply, it increases energy in the muscle and encourages a faster
recovery.
