subject: Diet Tips on how to Build Muscle [print this page] When dieting to build muscle and lose fat, there are some guidelines you need to follow when it comes to your carbohydrate, protein, and fat consumption.
Protein: Your diet plan should consist of a high protein intake. Protein is essential to building muscle.Muscle fibers are torn and broken down when exercising and lifting weights. Your muscles build when they rest and repair themselves. Protein is required to facilitate repairs of muscle fibers, thus stimulating muscle growth.
For moderate to significant muscle gains, your protein intake should be .7 grams to 1.0 grams of protein for every pound of body weight. The more your intense your training is, the more protein you should consume. If you are trying to gain weight by putting on muscle mass, you can consume 1.5 grams of protein for every pound you weigh, but I wouldn't recommend going over that.It is best if you try to spread your protein consumption throughout your entire day. You should try to get some protein in you immediately after your workout. It's vital that you at least get up to 25 grams of protein in you within 45 minutes after your workout.Each of your meals should consist of 25 to 50 grams of protein. Eating a high protein snack about an hour before bed time is beneficial by helping your muscles grow as the rest. Your protein source should come from,
chicken
fish
nuts
skim milk
soy milk
egg whites
fat free yogurt
lean meats
Whey protein
Carbohydrates: fuel muscles and the central nervous system during physical activities. Carbohydrates are essential for your body, by providing your muscles with energy.
Your daily nutritional intake of carbohydrates should be around 50 to 70 percent. When it comes to dieting for muscle tone, it is important to keep track of what kind of carbs you are consuming. Carbohydrates are a vital element for stimulating muscle growth. Carbs are your main sources of energy your muscles will need to endure the strenuous workouts you are performing to meet your goals. Without carbs to fuel your muscles, your body will turn to an alternate source of energy. Your body will start to feed off of muscle fibers, which will lead to muscle loss.
It is best to eat a good portion of carbohydrates a few hours before your workout and immediately after. Most of your carbohydrates should be consumed mostly during the first half of the day.Its good to eat some complex carbohydrates after your workout. Something high in potassium that will increase recovery time and help regulate water balance in the body, which is important for keeping your muscles that are dehydrated from cramping after a strenuous workout.
Try not to eat to much carbohydrates towards the end of the day. Since you will be inactive while you sleep, you will not burn off the carbs and they will be stored as fat.
Here are some good complex carbs to include in your diet:
Whole wheat pasta
whole wheat bread
sweat potatoes
brown rice
vegetables
cereal
nuts and seeds
oats
grains
apples
oranges
yams
Eating the right carbohydrates are vital for living a healthy life and achieving your optimal fitness goals. You should be eating high quality carbohydrates that are full of vitamins and minerals, such as fruits and vegetables, if your are serious about building a ripped physique.
Try to avoid sugar processed carbohydrates, such as candy, soda-pop, and sweets. These sugar based carbohydrates will sap your energy levels and will be stored as fat. Your bodies blood sugar levels are controlled by your carbohydrate intake. To maintain a constant flow of energy, your blood sugars need to remain steady. When you eat something like candy or soda, you can experience a momentary sugar rush, followed by a sudden crash of energy, leaving you feeling like you need a nap. This is caused by a sudden drop in your sugar levels.When your body senses the unusually high levels of sugar, your body reacts by taking the sugar out of your blood to feed your cells. This causes your blood sugar levels to bottom out. This is the cause of the sudden fatigue you experience after a sugar rush.This is not the case with complex carbs which keep your blood sugar levels constant and provide prolonged energy.
Fats: Your fat intake is a essential part of your daily nutrition, regardless of what popular opinion may say. But it's important to differentiate what kind of fats you need. Fats are stored as a secondary source of energy. Fat is best used as a back up energy source for any kind of aerobic exercise when your carb source is depleted. For anaerobic exercises such as plyometrics, sprinting, or weight lifting, fat is not a sufficient source of energy.
Protein and Carbohydrates are 4 calories per gram, while fat contains 9 calories per gram. This is why excess consumption of fat can lead to increase weight gain of fat. So it's best to keep your fat intake around 10% of your daily nutritional value.
Fat can be separated into two primary forms, saturated and unsaturated. Unsaturated fats are necessary as they help you digest and utilize vitamins, such as K, E, D, and A. Without fat your body cannot absorb the essential benefits of these vitamins. These fats can help lower cholesterol and are good for your hair and skin. Saturated fats are best to be avoided as they clog arteries and can raise your cholesterol. If you're trying to develop muscle tone, try to eat foods that have less the less than 5% of your daily value of saturated fat. Make sure to avoid grease and fried food and always bake your meats.
