Bodybuilding is quite popular in our time, but many do not even realize how difficult this sport is. This is due to the fact that it is unacceptable to be limited only to dragging the “iron”, because here other points are very important: nutrition, compliance with the regime, mental factors and the like. In this article, we will describe in detail what nutrition should be for gaining mass, and what kind of mass it will be explained below.
The goal of weight gain is to increase the athlete’s body weight with a predominant percentage of lean muscle mass. That is, with a set of 10 kg, building up 6-7 kg of muscle and only 3-4 kg of fat will be ideal. After gaining the desired mass, the athlete proceeds to the second stage - drying, which consists in burning fat up to 3-6%. Drying is a rather complicated process, because the bodybuilder has to give up fast carbohydrates (sweet), fatty foods and favorite drinks. However, this is the moment when the goal justifies the cost of it. But back to nutrition. So, nutrition for mass gain is quite universal, suitable for most athletes (there may be some features in ecto- and endomorphs). Here are the basic principles of this process.
- One of the most important conditions for weight gain is fractional nutrition - 5-6 times a day. This allows you to not load your digestive system and at the same time allows the flow of nutrients into the blood throughout the day. Servings should be small, high in protein and carbohydrates.
- Carbohydrates - this is the most important part in the diet of your diet, because it is they that supply the body with energy. About 70% of the total amount eaten should be high-calorie foods. However, you should be aware that you need to eat more slow carbohydrates (various cereals), rather than fast (sweets), which are rapidly processed by the body into body fat. Do not forget about fruits and vegetables rich in valuable fiber, but they should account for up to 30%.
- In addition to lowering your intake of fast carbohydrates, you will also need to eat less fat. Saturated fats (fatty meat, mayonnaise, sausage and the like) will be especially “dangerous”. But you can’t remove them from the diet at all, because then the metabolism may be disturbed. Useful will be the use of fish (even oily) and fish oil. Fast carbohydrates can also be beneficial. The most optimal time for their use will be the end of the workout, when the protein-carbohydrate window opens.
- Do not forget about drinking regimen. When gaining muscle mass, when there are many metabolic reactions in the body, water is an important part, because it is necessary for all the reactions to pass. Drink 2.5-3 liters per day of PURE water (tea, drinks and sparkling water do not count).
- Approximate proportionality may look like this:
- carbohydrate content - 50-60%;
- protein content - 30-35%;
- fat content - 10-20%.
This is how proper nutrition for weight gain should look. However, be aware that there is no perfect relationship, because every person is unique. If you have seriously decided to do bodybuilding, then it is better to consult a professional trainer who will help you deal with this point. Sports nutrition, including proteins, gainers, amino acids, and creatine, can help build muscle mass. The funny fact is that 20-30 years ago, when the sports nutrition industry was not yet developed, bodybuilders used baby food to gain mass. Why? Everything is very simple. Based on the purpose, it was quite high quality and at the same time had 30-35% protein and 65-70% carbohydrates, which turned it into an excellent gainer. What you can not come up with in pursuit of a beautiful body! Well, we have described the basics of what nutrition should look like for mass gain. And having studied hard for half a year, you will pick up food "for yourself". Good luck