Male Bodybuilder Diet

A well rounded healthy diet is as essential to the success of a body builder’s workout as the actual workout itself. Body builders should plan on eating five to six smaller meals a day instead of three larger meals. Junk food and diets that call for a body builder to get their carbohydrate intake from junk food are not healthy and they are not contributing anything to a healthy workout gain. A good rule of thumb for body builders is a diet ratio that is 40% protein, 40% carbohydrates and 20% fat.

Protein supplies the major structural component of body tissue and it is essential for tissue growth and repair. A good rule to follow is one gram of protein per one pound of body weight. Proteins in plant and animal sources are composed of the same basic units called amino acids. A good source for amino acids in a body builder’s diet includes meat, fish, poultry and eggs. These food items contain all nine essential acids called complete proteins which are needed for a healthy diet.

Vegetable proteins found in beans and grains are incomplete proteins and don’t give you all of the essential amino acids needed in your healthy diet. Some foods that are rich in protein that should be included in a body builder’s diet include eggs, which contain the highest value of protein of any food, milk, chicken and red meat.

Even the best diets can fall short of supplying the needed protein for body builders so protein bars and shakes are a good supplement to meet your 40% diet intake of protein. A good whey protein supplement will give 30 grams of protein if mixed with milk and it doesn’t need to contain additive and sugar to do a good job providing extra protein in your diet.

Am example of a good breakfast that emphases the protein aspect of your diet would include a six egg omelet with cheese, a glass of milk and a cup of oatmeal. Milk and protein drinks can be altered throughout the five to six meals a day in insure the bodybuilder is getting an adequate amount of protein for a successful diet. Vegetables that should also be included in a protein diet include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, celery root, mushrooms, peppers, onion and cucumber.

Carbohydrates increase your energy and increase your glycogen stores in your muscle cells. Carbohydrates are broken down into a simple sugar known as glucose which is the body’s main energy source. Carbohydrates such as starch and sugar are the most readily available resource for food energy.

A high performance diet is going to emphasize a complex carbohydrate diet with foods such as bread, cereal, rice, beans, pasta and vegetables in it. Fruit is mostly water and contains fructose a simple sugar so the sugar and calorie content to be found is relatively low.

A third part of a body builder’s diet includes a 20% fat intake which provides the body’s only source for skin growth and maintenance and protects the body’s organs and regulates the body’s temperature. There are two sources of fatty acids, saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats are generally solid at room temperature and come from animal sources. Unsaturated fats are generally liquid at room temperature and come from plant sources. Some good unsaturated fat food sources include olive oil, flax seed oil, cottage cheese, and peanut oil.

Finally water is an essential aspect of any diet and for the other facets of a body builder’s diet to be successful it is essential. Water moves the nutrients throughout the body, helps digestion and circulation and helps rid the body of waste matter. Water makes of 70% of the body mass and in order to maintain good health it is recommended that body builders and every one for that matter, consume at least one gallon of water a day for maximum health.