Nutrition for bodybuilders

It is a common problem among amateur bodybuilders that nutrition cannot meet the needs of training and recovery. Although dietary nutrition is restricted by economic conditions, many athletes still lack understanding of the functions of various nutritional supplements and what foods to eat after training. How to absorb nutrients more scientifically and economically under the current economic conditions to meet the requirements of training is knowledge that every amateur bodybuilder should and must master.

1. Biological laws of nutritional timing

The biological law of nutritional timing means that there is a biological timer in the human brain, which controls the biological rhythm of the human body and forms the laws of human metabolism and chemical reaction time. People can formulate a corresponding diet system based on this biological rhythm, that is, provide nutrients in time during the peak period when the human body needs certain nutrients most, so that they can produce the best results.

1. Protein. Protein mainly plays a repair role in restoring muscle fibers that have been damaged during high-intensity training. Some athletes don't know when to take in protein and often drink milk, yogurt, etc. while training, which causes waste and damages the body. During training, energy mainly comes from fat metabolism. When training exceeds 3 hours and the glycogen in the body is depleted, using the protein food stored in the liver will only increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract and even cause adverse consequences. Generally speaking, protein demand reaches its peak within 90 minutes after training, and protein supplementation is most effective at this time. Foods rich in protein include: lean meat, eggs, fish, milk and beans.

2. Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are stored in the liver and muscles in the form of glycogen, called liver glycogen and muscle glycogen. When the body needs energy, glycogen is converted into glucose and dissolved in the blood to provide energy. After intense training and a whole night of consumption, the energy is basically exhausted between 5 and 8 a.m. Replenishing carbohydrates at this time can increase the storage of liver glycogen early and prepare to provide energy for training. Foods rich in carbohydrates include: rice, wheat noodles, potatoes, vegetables and fruits.

3. Vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals are the most basic nutrients for metabolism in the human body. They mainly play a catalytic role so that other nutrients can be absorbed and utilized by the body faster and more fully.

Vitamins are divided into two types: water-soluble and fat-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins are vitamin C, vitamin B complex, etc. They generally continue to function in the body for 2-3 hours, and then their secretions are excreted through the kidneys. Therefore, supplementing with water-soluble vitamins once every 3 hours can meet the needs of the body. Fat-soluble vitamins are vitamins E, A, and D. They last 12-24 hours in the body, so supplementing once a day is enough. Because only relying on vitamins extracted from food is farIt cannot meet the needs of the body, so vitamin pills must be taken on time.

The chronobiological laws of several major minerals are as follows:

Name Peak period to be supplemented

Phosphorus 8-9 a.m.

Calcium before going to bed at night

Na noon or afternoon

Potassium 7-8 pm

2. Reasonable allocation of nutrition before and after training

Bodybuilding training makes muscles thicker through "supercompensation" caused by "overload". To achieve "overload", there must be sufficient energy source, and to achieve "super compensation", there must be abundant repair materials. The energy source is mainly carbohydrates, and the repair material is protein. Although they have the same production capacity of 4.1 kcal/g, their energy supply sequence is different. First, fat provides energy, then carbohydrates, and finally protein. Then, the arrangement before and after training should be: in the period before training, while maintaining glycogen storage in the body, gradually increase carbohydrates until about 90 minutes before training. After training, the main focus is on repair, and the increase in protein should be gradually reduced until the next training, as shown in the following table:

Name Before training After training

Carbohydrates increase or decrease

Protein decreases and increases

World bodybuilding expert Jove De said: "For bodybuilders, it is better to eat more protein by mistake than eat less by mistake." However, our current economic conditions absolutely do not allow for eating more protein by mistake. , but should be taken scientifically. For example: If the daily nutrition cost is 8 yuan, then 2 yuan should be used before training and 6 yuan after training. Because carbohydrates are far cheaper than protein, this can relatively save a part of carbohydrates and proteins.

3. The number of meals per day and the full utilization of nutrition

It is well known that eating small meals frequently is good for human health, especially for bodybuilders. If you eat too much in one meal, it will increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract and hinder the absorption of nutrients. For bodybuilders, a reasonable number of meals per day should be 5-6 meals. Based on years of practice, the author has developed a nutritional recipe suitable for amateur bodybuilders.

Number of meals, meal time, meal content

First meal: 7:00 am 1 cup of milk, 2-3 eggs, a piece of bread, a kind of fruit

Second meal 9:30 am 2 eggs, a kind of fruit

The third meal is 12:00 noon. Rice or pasta, vegetables, an animal protein

Meal 4 2:00 pm0 A piece of bread, potatoes and fruit

The fifth meal: 6:00 pm rice, potatoes or pasta, meat or eggs or fish, vegetables

The sixth meal: 8:00 pm, a glass of milk or 1-2 eggs, a glass of orange water

Everyone’s training level and absorption capacity are different, so the muscle growth rate is also different. Therefore, it is best to formulate your own diet plan according to the specific situation and economic conditions. It should be pointed out that the intensity and density of training should also change with changes in nutrition to maintain a balance of "in" and "out".

In order to make full use of nutrients, you should try to eat raw or semi-raw foods, such as vegetables, eggs, milk, etc. Do not fry or steam food for a long time. Try not to peel some skinned foods, but hygiene must be ensured.

In short, in order to improve the training level of amateur bodybuilders as soon as possible, in addition to scientific training, they should also follow scientific dietary methods. Find a more economical and reasonable way to absorb nutrients and minimize the contradiction between economy, nutrition and training.