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“If you learn how to eat right, you can double the benefits of your
training, crafting that body you want in half the time.” Men’s Fitness
magazine.
That’s quite a statement! And it’s what makes the difference between
achieving professional results and wasting your time.
So why is it that people don’t pay enough attention to the food they eat?
Well, one of the main reasons is that when you read the fitness magazines,
page after page is full of information about nutrition supplements that make
big claims and promises that are hard to ignore.
The “evidence” behind these claims certainly makes a compelling case for the
various powders and capsules.
Some of them almost make it appear that food is of little importance.
Take branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) as an example.
These are three essential amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) and
they make about one-third of our muscles. During exercise, BCAAs are broken
down (or metabolized) within the muscles and are used by the body to supply
energy.
They are particularly important during periods of sustained exercise (25
minutes or more) when the body uses BCAAs as its main source of energy.
So taking BCAA supplements seems to make sense. Or does it?
The problem is that the synthetic BCAAs contained in supplements are not as
easily absorbed by the body as the BCAAs found naturally in foods such as
eggs, red meat and whey protein powder.
This means that only a small proportion of the BCAAs contained in the
supplements is actually used to create energy; the rest is totally wasted.
The same is true for very many of the hyped up supplements that the
magazines and fitness “gurus” want you to buy.
And there is one reason for this, and one reason only: they are making a
clean fortune from them.
Many of the magazines are in fact owned by supplement companies and those
that aren’t generate a lot of their income from supplement company adverts –
so there are clearly vested interests.
But the purpose of this article is not to bash the big supplement companies
– it is to provide information on the value of good nutrition and to help
you get real results.
We will be focusing on aspects of nutrition that are vital to developing
your full potential and getting the best results ever from your training.
To start, we will discuss the basics of metabolism and how the body uses
nutrition.
Metabolism is a complex science and without a scientific background most of
us are unable to understand it fully. However, as a strength trainer or
athlete it is useful to have some knowledge of the subject in order to
appreciate the importance of good nutrition.
Metabolism is the term used to describe all of the biochemical reactions and
processes that take place in the body. In broad terms, these can be grouped
into two main process pathways: anabolism and catabolism.
Anabolism is the construction of complex molecules from smaller units to
create new cellular materials including enzymes, proteins, cells and
tissues. In other words it provides the body’s growth, maintenance and
repair functions.
Catabolism works in the opposite direction and is the breakdown of complex
molecules into smaller units and the release of energy to fuel anabolism.
Where does the energy come from?
Energy is produced in every cell of the body as a result of the catabolism
of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
Energy is released when a chemical bond is broken within the substance
adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The ATP molecule, found in every cell in the
body, consists of a carbon “backbone” to which three phosphate groups are
attached.
When one phosphate group breaks off energy is released and the molecule is
converted to adenosine diphosphate (ADP). A new phosphate group immediately
attaches to the ADP molecule, turning it back into ATP and this process
repeats itself continually.
You can think of ATP as a fully charged battery, which can provide instant
energy. But only a small amount of ATP is stored in the muscles for
immediate use and when you begin to exercise the body must manufacture more
ATP by mobilizing its reserves of glycogen, in the first instance.
A small quantity of glycogen is stored in the muscles and in the liver, and
is capable of providing sufficient energy for most activities. However, when
exercise is carried out over prolonged periods, glycogen supplies can become
exhausted and additional fuel is required.
Stored fat can provide this fuel, but only when sufficient oxygen is present
within the body to metabolize it.
Proteins can also be used as energy for exercise. However, this involves the
breakdown of muscle tissue into amino acids for energy production. The body
resorts to this only when glycogen supplies are low.
A diet low in carbohydrate reduces the amount of stored glycogen. This means
that protein is more likely to be mobilized to create additional energy,
leading to the loss of muscle and lean tissue.
What are Basal Metabolic Rate and Resting Metabolic Rate?
The Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR is the amount of energy used by the body for
the vital functions while at rest and when the digestive system is inactive.
It is normally expressed as the number of calories required daily.
A true reading of BMR is difficult to ascertain because it requires the body
to have fasted for approximately twelve hours prior to measurement and to be
completely at rest.
Resting Metabolic Rate or RMR is similar to BMR but is measured under
slightly less stringent conditions.
Both are influenced by age, sex, height and even climatic conditions and
although they differ in scientific definition, they are generally regarded
as interchangeable terms.
Nutrition and Metabolism
Good nutrition plays a vital role in maintaining metabolism at optimum
levels. The body needs a wide range of nutrients to function optimally and
even a slight deficiency of one vitamin or mineral can slow down metabolism
and cause chaos throughout the body.
Maintaining a fully functioning metabolism is therefore critical for the
athlete or strength trainer.
Adhering to the principles of the food pyramid is a great start in achieving
the correct balance.
Now we're going to move on to the building blocks of nutrition and the
importance of the food pyramid to your bodybuilding and training.
A balanced diet of carbohydrates, protein and fat is required to deliver the
nutrition you need for energy, effective muscle building and general good
health. These are known as the macronutrients.
Vitamins and minerals (micronutrients) almost complete the picture.
The final element is water – essential to every process and function of the
body.
The food pyramid is the basis for a good balanced diet for everyone as well
as being the foundation for an effective sports nutrition plan.
The pyramid is made up of six main building blocks, or groups of food:
1. Grains (bread, cereals, pasta, rice)
For optimum fitness, this group should account for at least 60% of your
total calorie consumption each day.
2. Vegetables
Vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals and a healthy diet should
include a minimum of 2 1/2 to 3 cups a day.
3. Fruit
Fruits are vital to health and like vegetables, are crammed with essential
vitamins and minerals. The daily diet should include between 1 1/2 and 2
cups a day.
4. Dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese)
Milk and diary products, particularly low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese are
important elements in the daily diet and 3 cups per day are recommended.
5. Meat and Beans (meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, nuts)
Meat and beans are rich in protein which is essential for muscle building
and repair. It is also vital for healthy bones, cartilage, skin and blood as
well as the development of enzymes, hormones and vitamins in the body.
Depending on your overall calorie intake, 5 to 6 1/2 ounce equivalents are
required daily.
6. Oils
Oils are important for good health. Unlike solid fats, most oils are high in
monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, and low in saturated fats. The
daily requirement of between 5 and 7 teaspoons is easily obtained from a
wide variety of foods.
Because the needs of individuals vary, the exact amount required of each
food type varies depending on factors such as age, sex and your level of
activity.
The food pyramid aims to simplify the complex science of nutrition to make
it possible for everyone to design a healthy diet.
But it can still be a challenge to get the balance right and to make your
diet interesting and right for your lifestyle, particularly if you are an
athlete or training regularly.
Now we will focus on protein and hopefully dispel some of the myths that
have been built up around it.
So what does protein do?
Protein is essential for muscle building and repair. It is also vital for
healthy bones, cartilage, skin and blood as well as the development of
enzymes, hormones and vitamins in the body.
When you exercise, muscle fibers are placed under stress and this causes
micro tears. That’s why your muscles can ache a day or two after an exercise
session.
The body immediately sets out to repair the damage using nutrients including
amino acids, which are made available by the metabolism (or breakdown) of
protein. The muscle proteins created are myosin and actin and during the
repair process these build up in the fibers to create stronger muscles.
The importance of protein in this process is evident and it might seem
reasonable to assume that eating additional protein will result in more
effective muscle development.
However, this is not true and later in this article we will look at the
reasons why.
So how much protein is the right amount?
Adults who undertake limited exercise are advised to consume 0.8 grams of
protein for each kilogram of bodyweight. For an adult weighing 80 kilograms
(176 lbs) this would work out at 64 grams (2.3 oz) of protein daily.
For higher levels of activity, the daily protein requirement increases.
In the case of a strength trainer, to ensure good muscle growth the protein
requirement effectively doubles to 1.6 grams of protein for each kilogram of
bodyweight. So for an 80 kilogram (176 lbs) adult the amount would be 128
grams (4.5 oz) of protein a day.
Aerobic exercise is even more demanding of protein, due to the body’s need
for additional energy. Although the body uses carbohydrates for energy
first, when supplies from this source are exhausted, it will utilize
components from certain proteins to supply additional energy. The components
it uses are called branched-chain amino acids (BCAA).
To allow for aerobic sessions the recommended protein requirement increases
to some 1.8 grams per kilogram which equates to a total of 144 grams (5.1
oz) for our subject weighing 80 kilograms (176 lbs).
In preparation for competition, bodybuilders decrease their calorie
consumption to reduce body fat levels. At this stage it is important to
maintain a high protein intake to avoid loss of muscle along with the fat.
So pre-competition, protein levels should be within the range of 1.8 grams
to 2.0 grams per kilogram of bodyweight or 144 grams (5.1 oz) to 160 grams
(5.6 oz) for a 80 kilogram (176 lb) person.
Protein is vital in building and maintaining good muscularity. Although
athletes and strength trainers must consume more protein than those who take
little or no exercise, there is no benefit in exceeding the guidelines
above.
In fact, high protein diets are detrimental to the body for a number of
reasons.
Firstly, they are usually very low in roughage which slows down digestive
transit and causes constipation which contributes to a feeling of general
sluggishness.
A second problem is that the high protein diet often comprises a high
proportion of meat and dairy products which are loaded with saturated fats
and cholesterol, both of which have serious implications for overall health
and cardiac health in particular.
Thirdly, when excess protein is present in the system, it is broken down by
the body with some being converted into urea which is then excreted in the
urine. A large amount of nitrogen is created by this metabolic process which
is passed through the kidneys, causing stress to these organs and can lead
to long term health problems.
Furthermore, any remaining protein will be converted into glucose and if the
body does not need the glucose immediately it will be stored as body fat.
Finally, the presence of high protein levels causes calcium depletion and
this can be problematic in later life, with women in particular being
vulnerable to brittle bones (osteoporosis).
So given these adverse effects, there is clearly no benefit in eating more
protein than the body needs.
Following the daily guidelines for your bodyweight, sex, age and level of
activity will ensure that you get the optimal amount for your personal
requirements to build and maintain muscle strength.
But getting the right amount of protein and making your diet interesting is
not always easy.
We are now going to look at carbohydrates and reveal the secrets of
how they can turbo-charge your training.
Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of energy and that’s why they
are essential for athletes and strength trainers alike.
During digestion, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose or converted to
glycogen.
Glucose enters the blood stream as blood sugar to provide food to the brain
and to the nervous system to keep you mentally alert.
Glycogen is the body’s fuel and is stored both in the muscles and in the
liver.
When the muscles need energy, glycogen is broken down to release energy in
the form of glucose.
However, when glycogen levels are depleted because of prolonged exercise,
the body needs more fuel and will begin to use protein as an energy source.
This diverts the valuable protein away from its primary function of muscle
repair and maintenance, which is detrimental to muscle development.
Fat is a further energy source, but it is the least available to the body
and is dependent on the presence of carbohydrate to trigger its metabolism.
Without sufficient carbohydrate in the body, fat cannot be burned
efficiently and remains stored.
In summary, sufficient carbohydrate in the diet ensures that protein is
preserved to carry out its primary function of muscle repair and building
and that fat can be mobilized effectively into energy when additional fuel
is required.
The main sources of carbohydrate.
Carbohydrates fall into two distinct categories: simple and complex.
Simple carbohydrates contain simple sugars such as fructose and glucose
which are commonly found in fruit, some vegetables, honey and refined sugars
as well as dairy products (particularly low-fat options).
These simple carbohydrate foods provide a quick release of energy to the
body, which is particularly important post-exercise.
Complex carbohydrates, commonly known as starches, occur primarily in cereal
and grain products.
Complex carbohydrates act as slow release fuels for the body and are filling
and satisfying to eat. They also contain soluble and insoluble fiber which
are essential for healthy digestion and elimination.
To maximize the benefit of grains, at least half of all grain foods you
choose should be wholegrain instead of refined. These provide more roughage
and are richer in vitamins and minerals than their more processed
counterparts.
For strength training, a good rule of thumb is to derive around 70% of
overall calorie intake from carbohydrate sources. Therefore if your overall
calorie allowance is 2,500, you should consume 1,750 calories in the form of
carbohydrate.
But don’t carbohydrates make you fat?
The good name of carbohydrates has been sullied over the years by misguided
beliefs that they are fattening and many fad diets have profited
magnificently from perpetuating this myth.
Yes, it is true that carbohydrates are converted to glucose (sugar) within
the body and yes, it is also true that if you don’t use up the glucose, any
surplus will be converted into fat and stored.
However, this will happen only if you eat more calories than you require.
But whether your additional calories come from high carb foods such as
potatoes or bread or from carrots or salads is not important – it’s the
total number of calories you eat that count.
Carbohydrates are not the enemy and maintaining a high carbohydrate diet is
essential for everyone, especially strength trainers and athletes.
With that said, let's turn to the facts about fats.
Fat is a very necessary part of the daily diet and plays an important role
in maintaining tissue health and facilitating the absorption of the fat
soluble vitamins; A, D, E and K.
Fat is stored throughout the body and it can be used to provide energy.
However, during exercise, glycogen is the initial source of energy and is
more readily available.
So when you begin an exercise session, your body calls upon its stores of
glycogen for fuel. It is only when glycogen supplies are exhausted that fat
may be mobilized as a fuel source, but only when oxygen is present.
Regular exercise and aerobic exercise in particular improves the circulatory
system, enhancing the transportation of oxygen around the body which
facilitates the breakdown of fat for use as energy.
So for short bursts of aerobic exercise and most strength training sessions,
the body’s fuel of choice will be glycogen and not fat.
What are the types of fat in food?
There are three main types of fat in food: saturated, polyunsaturated and
monounsaturated and it is important to understand a little about each of
these.
Saturated fats are usually hard or solid fats (when at room temperature) and
are found mainly in meat and dairy products.
Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are usually in the form of oils at
room temperature and are derived mainly from plant sources and oily fish.
Some margarine products are high in poly or monounsaturated fats and are
solid at room temperature because they have undergone a process called
hydrogenation. This changes their chemical structure and produces trans
fats, which are linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
How much fat should I eat?
Fat is high in calories, with each gram of fat equating to 9 calories which
is more than twice the calorie value of a gram of protein or carbohydrate
(at 4 calories per gram).
The amount of fat in the average adult diet should be within the range 20%
to 35% of the total calorie intake.
However, for strength training and bodybuilding, the lower limit of 20% is
recommended to maintain leanness and definition.
This means that if your daily calorie requirement is 2,500, then the amount
of fat in your daily diet should be 55.6 grams (equivalent to 500 calories).
All fats are not equal and most of your intake should be poly or
monounsaturated fats, as opposed to saturated and trans fats.
Maintaining a low fat diet is not difficult to do if you follow these simple
rules:
- stick to low-fat options where you can;
- choose the leanest cuts of meat;
- trim off visible fat; and
- keep processed foods to a minimum.
Alright, now we are going to look at why keeping well hydrated is critical and
why sports drinks are not all they are cracked up to be.
Water plays a vital role in all aspects of the metabolic process and without
it you would survive for only a few days.
The body is made up of more than 60% water and this level must be maintained
for optimal health.
We lose water continually via urination, respiration and by sweating. To
avoid dehydration, water reserves must be constantly topped up by drinking a
minimum of 8 cups of water a day.
When you exercise you need to drink even more because of the water lost by
sweating. The actual amount lost will depend on the type of exercise you do,
your bodyweight and the air temperature but you can lose 2 pints or more for
each hour of exercise and this must be replaced.
How do you know if your are dehydrated?
There are a number of indications for dehydration and you should remain
vigilant for these.
Dark colored urine with a strong odor is one of the most obvious signs.
Other warning signs are dry throat and mouth, dry cough, dizziness, extreme
tiredness and loss of appetite.
Symptoms of severe dehydration are more dramatic and include pain when
urinating, muscle cramps and spasms, headaches, nausea and even delirium.
When is the best time to drink?
Drinking sufficient water at regular intervals throughout the day will
ensure that the body remains hydrated and functioning properly.
At exercise time, it is advisable to drink 2 cups of water two hours before
your session.
Immediately before exercise drink a cup of water, and sip between 2 to 3
cups during each hour of your session.
After an exercise session you also need to drink to replace the fluid lost
through sweat. To accurately assess your needs, weigh yourself before
exercise and again on completion. You will need to drink one pint of water
for each pound of weight that you have lost.
Are sports drinks better for me when I am exercising?
Most sports drinks contain a mixture of carbohydrates and electrolytes
(minerals) dissolved in water and they are often fruit flavored and pleasant
to drink.
When you exercise for longer periods (in excess of an hour) then sports
drinks are beneficial because the carbohydrate provides the body with
readily available energy to boost performance.
Otherwise, for shorter periods of exercise there is no real benefit over
plain water, despite the promotional claims of the manufacturers of these
drinks.
By now you will have a better appreciation of how important good nutrition
is to your fitness and training. Why not let plan:one tailor-make your meal
plans and double the effectiveness of your training program?
Ok, now lets take a brief look at “micro-nutrients” – the vitamins and
minerals.
Vitamins fall into two main categories: the fat soluble (A, D, E and K) and
the water soluble (B and C).
The fat soluble vitamins are absorbed into the bloodstream and stored in the
liver. They are not required to be replenished on a daily basis.
However, those that are water soluble do need to be topped up regularly as
the body cannot store them.
Each vitamin serves a vital function within the body and must be present in
the correct amounts for optimum health.
Minerals too play a vital role in maintaining good health and fitness. As
with vitamins, the minerals we need on a daily basis can all be obtained
from a well balanced diet, without the need for supplements.
Minerals are divided into 2 broad categories – macro and micro (or trace).
Macro-minerals include: calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium
and sodium.
The micro or trace minerals include: chromium, copper, fluoride, iodine,
iron, manganese
The official recommended daily amounts (RDA) for both vitamins and minerals
are based on the needs of an average adult. Athletes and strength trainers
will have a higher requirement, but a well balanced, higher caloric intake
should compensate for this.
However, a general multi-vitamin and mineral tablet or capsule can be taken
to without ill-effect.
Don’t I need extra antioxidants?
Everyone has heard of the term antioxidants and knows that they are
important for health. But what are they and what do they do?
Simply put, antioxidants are vitamins or minerals that help prevent damage
to the heart, arteries and other tissues. They do this by neutralizing the
harmful free radicals that are created as a by-product of metabolism.
During exercise the rise in body temperature and increase in respiration
levels increases the rate of free radical production and more antioxidants
are needed to keep these in check.
Antioxidants are found in vitamins C, E and beta-carotene (a provitamin
found carrots and other fruits and veg) and in the minerals copper,
manganese, selenium and zinc.
The daily requirements of all of these nutrients are found in a good,
balanced diet and there is little evidence to support the need for
supplementation. However, as noted earlier, a general purpose multi-vitamin
and mineral supplement will make good any shortfall.
Ensuring that your diet is perfectly balanced and contains all of these
minerals and vitamins is a complex process. If you are serious about your
health and fitness, plan:one ensures that every single nutrient is present
in your diet every day.
Let's turn our attention to the Glycemic Index and see how it can play
an important role in selecting what to eat.
The concept of the Glycemic Index (GI) was first developed from research
into the control of diabetes carried out at the University of Toronto in the
early 1980s. Using the initial research as a springboard, work on this
subject has been developed since then to refine the GI system, which has
application in the quest for good health for everyone.
GI is a method of comparing the effects of the carbohydrates in the food you
eat on blood glucose levels.
It is based on the rate at which carbohydrates break down to release glucose
into the bloodstream. Foods that break down rapidly into glucose are said to
have a high GI and conversely foods that break down slowly and release
glucose gradually have a low GI.
The index ranges from 0 to 100, with glucose representing the upper limit of
100.
All foods can be divided into the ranges low (0 – 55), medium (56 – 69), or
high (70 -100).
What is GL?
GL or Glycemic Load is an additional measurement which gives a fuller
picture than does the glycemic index alone.
A GI value tells you only how rapidly a particular carbohydrate turns into
sugar but the GL indicates how much of that carbohydrate is in a serving of
a particular food. Therefore the GL of a particular food will vary depending
on portion size.
The GL of is calculated based on the quantity (in grams) of the carbohydrate
content within the serving, multiplied by its GI and then divided by 100.
A GL of under 10 is low, 11 to 19 is medium and 20 or more is high.
To illustrate, watermelon has a (high) GI of 72 and a carbohydrate content
of 5%. Therefore the GL calculation of a 100g serving of watermelon is 5 x
72 / 100 = 3.6 (low).
The GL of a 120g serving of banana with a GI of 52 (low) and a carbohydrate
content of 20% would be 24 x 52 / 100 = 12.48 (medium).
Taking account of both the GI and GL is beneficial: the GL helps you select
portion sizes; while GI helps you differentiate between good and bad
carbohydrate choices.
What is the connection with Insulin?
The hormone insulin plays a vital role in our metabolic system. It is
produced in the pancreas and its main function is to distribute glucose
throughout the cells of the body and to facilitate storage of excess
glucose, in the form of glycogen, in the liver and muscles.
When low GI foods are eaten, a steady stream of glucose is released into the
bloodstream and the body produces a steady flow of insulin to distribute it
effectively.
The problems arise with high GI foods. When these are eaten, blood glucose
levels surge and the steady flow of insulin is unable to cope. To
compensate, the pancreas goes into panic mode, quickly producing a torrent
of insulin to deal with it.
In a bid to regain equilibrium, the glucose is rushed to the fat stores
instead of being distributed to the cells.
Over time, this can damage the metabolic system, leading to obesity and
diabetes.
Eating a low GI diet plays a major role in promoting health and preventing
these insulin related problems.
What are the health benefits of a low GI diet?
There are numerous benefits to choosing to follow a diet rich in low GI
foods, particular for those involved in strength training, sports and
athletics.
Key benefits include:
- increases endurance and blood sugar stability;
- regulates cholesterol levels for heart health;
- increased dietary fiber promotes digestive tract health and encourages
weight loss;
- reduces the risk of developing diabetes;
- boosts the immune system, which is inhibited by high sugar consumption;
- guards against the risk of breast cancer;
- reduces levels of homocysteine which is linked to heart problems and
Alzheimer’s disease; and
- healthier skin due to the reduction in sugar intake.
In closing, we'll take the information you have learned and apply it to
how it can assist you to get into great competition shape.
Whether you are aiming to compete in fitness model or bodybuilding
competitions or simply want to get into great shape, you need a plan of
action for your diet.
Nutritional science has evolved dramatically over the last fifteen to twenty
years and practices which were once common have been replaced by a more
informed approach over this period.
Traditionally, strength trainers and bodybuilders tended to alternate
between two extreme phases: bulking up and cutting.
In the bulking up phase the emphasis was on building bodyweight and muscle
mass by eating a very high calorie diet. Often the diet was less well
balanced than it should have been due to the very large amounts of food
required to make up the calorie quota. There was a tendency to eat more
fatty foods because they were more convenient than eating bulkier,
carbohydrate rich foods.
Then to prepare for competition, a dramatic switch to a very low calorie
diet was made in a bid to rapidly lose weight and get into competition
shape. Often this was left very late and involved practically starvation
level diets.
This extreme yo-yo form of dieting plays havoc with the metabolic system and
has serious implications for muscle integrity and long-term health.
Nowadays, with improved nutritional guidelines, the objective for most
serious strength trainers and bodybuilders is to remain as close as possible
to competition shape at all times.
Even so, there is still a requirement for pre-competition preparation
including diet and exercise refinements in order to achieve the optimum
results.
The main difference though is that now the preparation is carried out over a
longer period of time and in a more controlled manner.
In general preparation for competition should span a period of up to three
months, which allows time to make gradual changes and fine-tune both your
diet and exercise program. The process is known as tapering and can produce
extremely impressive results in terms of muscle definition, fat loss and
performance ability.
Success in bodybuilding competition depends on well cut muscles and low
levels of body fat.
To reduce the levels of body fat, a two pronged approach works best: reduce
daily calorie intake and increase levels of aerobic exercise.
As an illustration, if you reduce calories by 250 a day and use a further
250 calories in additional aerobic exercise, you will effectively “save” 500
calories a day or 3,500 calories in a week. This is the equivalent of one
pound of bodyweight and is well within safe weight loss limits of one to 2
pounds a week.
Maintaining muscle integrity is vital in the run up to competition and the
protein element of the diet is therefore particularly important and must be
carefully monitored. It should be maintained at the upper limits of at least
1.8 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of bodyweight during the tapering phase.
There should also be a slight decrease in carbohydrate and fat consumption
to compensate for the higher protein intake.
You also need to make adjustment to the types of food you eat at certain
times of the day. In particular, before an aerobic exercise session, you
need to curtail the amount of carbohydrates eaten in order to increase the
amount of fat burned during the session.
This flies in the face of your normal regimen, where you are advised to
stock up on carbs a few hours before exercise.
Water retention is a major problem for bodybuilders and it is a common
mistake to think that reducing water intake is the way to avoid it. In fact
precisely the opposite is true.
You should drink as much as you can and in this way the body flushes out any
surplus supplies. But, if you cut down on the amount you drink the body
panics and holds onto every drop of water and it is this that causes
bloating.
In the week immediately before the competition a more extreme program can be
undertaken to really get cut and lean. But there are limits and these should
be observed to prevent damage being done. For a limited period, calorie
intake can be reduced down to as low as 33 per kilogram of bodyweight for
men (30 for women) while continuing with the aerobic program.
This will turbo charge your final efforts to perfect your competition shape
without posing any danger to your health.
On competition day, remember to eat and drink although you may prefer to
stick to liquid meal replacements until after the competition.
For weightlifters and powerlifters, the emphasis is on strength instead of
cutting and in the run up to competition building powerful muscles is best
achieved on a high carbohydrate diet supplemented with creatine.
As is the case for bodybuilders, a three month lead time to prepare for
competition is the surefire way of achieving the best results.
To lose weight in the run up to the competition, additional aerobic exercise
combined with a slightly lower calorie intake will help to burn up fat
stores within safe weight loss limits of one to 2 pounds a week.
If a last minute weight reduction is still necessary, an extremely low
calorie diet (as low as 20 calories per kilogram of bodyweight) can be
followed but only for a maximum of one week.
Dieting to this extreme for longer periods can have serious health
consequences and will undoubtedly impair competition performance.
Getting this equation just right is a major challenge but extremely
important if you want to achieve your best shape. plan:one contains specific
modules for bulking up, cutting and tapering and with a click of the mouse
your plan is perfected to match your individual needs.
We hope you have enjoyed reading this e-course and that you have learned
some useful information to help you reach your maximum potential.
If you haven’t already done so, why not have a look at what has got
bodybuilders and fitness trainers so excited?
plan:one
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