Male Bodybuilder Nutrition

There are three aspects to creating the perfect physique as a body builder, diet, exercise and rest. No one is more aware of the necessity for a healthy diet than a body builder. Most body builders use the ratio formula of 40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% fat in their diet to help them get those perfectly sculptured abs that we all desire to have. Whether you’re a professional body builder or an amateur body builder you want to look good and exercise is one part of that component that gets your body in shape.

The other component is diet and nutrition. One of the most important aspects of diet to a body builder is the proper intake of protein which is needed to help the body gain muscle mass. Many body builders supplement their daily protein intake with whey supplements mixed in a glass of milk, eat protein bars or drink protein shakes. Consuming protein after a workout does help in recovery time so a source of protein that is convenient and easy to digest like whey is a good addition to the body builder’s diet.

For most people there is enough protein in a healthy well rounded diet thought to supply enough protein even without the supplements. A diet rich in fish, green vegetables, eggs, milk, poultry, red meat, beans and rice will give anyone a good daily supply of protein.

Carbohydrates are another source that is needed to supply your body with energy. The liver breaks down carbohydrates into glucose (blood sugar) and this energy source is used for cells, tissues and organs. There are two kinds of carbohydrates- simple such as fruit, milk products and straight sugar and complex carbohydrates found in foods such as whole grain bread, cereal, starchy vegetables and legumes.

Finally a body builders diet need to contain 20% fat because fat is necessary to maintain proper health. Fat provides energy and body builders burn a lot of energy exercising. Omega 3 is one form of good fat that is found in fish and has many healthy side benefits such as lowering your chance of a heart attack.

Body builders will eat five to six small meals a day and they will consume protein before and after a workout to maximize the effects of protein in their diet and in their workout. Eating smaller meals throughout the day increases the metabolism which means more fat is burned. After three or four hours of no food the body will switch to a catabolic state where the body losses muscle and gains fat.

Body builders also have to make sure that every meal they eat is a good balance of the carbs, protein and fat ratio if they want to maintain their desired results. A good method to determine if your servings are correct is to use Bill Phillip’s method to create meals. Just count a portion of carbohydrates as the amount of food that is the same size as your clenched fist and the protein portion should be the amount of food that is the size of your open palm.

Calories should be cycled so your metabolism doesn’t become stagnant. If your building muscle mass you should have five days of high calories and two days of low calories. If your body sculpting you should alternate between two weeks of low calories (1200 calories) and two weeks of high calories (2500 calories) The calories intake assumes that your exercising in your normal workout routine.

As you can see the relationship between food and exercise is a complex and ever changing one for a professional body builder but the more you work on your body the more aware you will become of what works for you and what doesn’t. Ultimately the goal is to be healthy and look good from the inside out.