Muscle Building Diet
February 6, 2010
If you want to flaunt your six or eight pack abs, your muscle building workouts should be complemented with an appropriate muscle building diet plan. To build muscles, you should supply your body the necessary nutrients needed for building the muscles.
Amount of nutrients
Compared to a normal diet a muscle building diet should provide more calories. The amount of extra calories needed for bodybuilding will depend on the level of your physical activity and your metabolic rate. You might add extra 300 to 500 calories to your regular diet. If the extra calorie intake is not helping you to put on weight, you should add some more calories to your diet, until you start gaining weight. Although a muscle building diet is primarily a high protein diet, the exact ratio of the nutrients in a meal might vary. Usually 20 to 50 percent of calories needed by bodybuilders should be supplied by proteins. Carbohydrates should provide them 30 to 60 percent of the total calories, and 20 to 30 percent of regular calorie requirement should be met from fat intake. To build muscles, people with significant amount of body fat should consume excess protein and moderate amount of carbohydrate. The ratio of protein, carbohydrate and fats in the meals of an underweight person should be approximately 40:30:30. The daily calorie intake should be about 18 to 20 times your body weight.
Foods to eat
Certain foods are more suited for bodybuilding. Lean meat, chicken and fish should be included in your meals. Goat meat could be more beneficial than your regular steaks. Goat meat contains more protein and fewer calories. You can have two whole eggs and four egg whites each day. Tuna is a favorite fish of bodybuilders. To provide your body sufficient nourishment, include fresh fruits and vegetables in your meals. Drink three glasses of skim milk throughout the day. Try to meet most of your carbohydrate requirement from whole grain products such as whole wheat bread and brown rice and starchy vegetables such as potatoes. Bok choy, persimmon and buckwheat are nutritious foods that could help in bodybuilding. Protein supplements such as whey protein should be included in the muscle building diet.
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