BODYBUILDING;TOP FOOD ITEMS

RECOMMENDED FOOD ITEMS FOR  BODYBUILDERS

 protein is not necessarily the most important food source for muscle building. Actually, when bodybuilding, your primary consideration should be taking in adequate energy, or enough calories. Research has shown that consuming an additional 2270 to 3630 calories a week (approximately 500 extra calories a day), along with appropriate weight training, will result in one pound of muscle gain.

Muscles rely on glycogen (the energy they use for fuel) to perform work. When bodybuilders replace carbohydrate with protein in their diet, they have lower muscle stores of glycogen. For that reason, a high protein/low carbohydrate diet cannot provide enough glycogen for our muscles, so they may feel weak, tired, and fatigue quickly. 

In addition, our bodies need to convert any excess protein we eat in order to burn it as energy or to store it as fat. Protein conversion helps us get rid of the nitrogen contained in amino acids (the building blocks of protein), which we eliminate through urination; however, it can also contribute to dehydration, muscle cramping, and excess stress on liver and kidneys.

As a result, it's important for a bodybuilder to take in enough carbohydrates. Carbs are used to fuel the muscles you'll use to help build lean body mass. Lots of extra protein by itself will not add muscular bulk — carbohydrates actually spare protein so that it can be used to repair muscle tissue, which is how we build muscular strength and size.

How much protein do bodybuilders need? First figure out how many calories you need. If you're not taking in enough calories, you can't build muscle tissue efficiently. That's because your body will be burning most of your calories, not using them to repair muscle tissue. For example, take a 180 pound guy — if he's moderately active, he probably needs about 2700 calories a day (plus or minus a few) to maintain his weight. Besides his moderate daily activity level, he could burn about 500 calories during an hour of heavy weightlifting. If he wants to add one pound of muscle weight per week, he needs approximately 500 extra calories per day plus about 500 more to make up for the energy deficit from intense weightlifting. This makes his grand total to be around 3700 calories a day.

So how can we translate this number to his protein needs? The RDA for protein has been established at 0.8 grams/kg of body weight for adults. This is not enough to build muscle mass for intense athletes. Although it's difficult to pinpoint a specific number because you have to take into account many variables, research has determined an acceptable range: even at the very high end, the top protein intake needs to be 1.5 - 2.0 g/kg of body weight. For our 180 lb. (divided by 2.2 = 82 kg) lifter, this would be 122 - 164 grams of protein per day. Since protein has 4 calories per gram, then this amount of protein would comprise 13 - 18 percent of his daily caloric intake of 3700 calories; the usual recommendation is about 12 - 15 percent. As you can see, a huge excess of protein is not needed.

               TOP FOOD ITEMS

1)      Egg Whites:

Bodybuilders need rich quantity of quality proteins because muscles growth is entirely dependent upon proteins.Egg white is considered one of the best bodybuilding foods as its protein to fat ratio is 60:1. Thus, egg white gives you pure proteins in natural form.

2)      Chicken:

White meat is also major source of excellent protein e.g. turkey and chicken. So, if you want to develop muscle mass you should use chicken or turkey breast as staple food in your daily dietary intake. Moreover, it contains high amount of unsaturated fats that are good for muscle growth.

3)      Fish:

Although fatty acids are not among best bodybuilding foods but there are certain essential fatty acids absence of which leads to inflammation and other problems. Omega 3 is an example of such essential fatty acids and its rich source is fish. That is why it is recommended to bodybuilders to take fish as bodybuilding food. You can use sardines, trout, tuna, and salmon fish.

4)      Legumes and Beans:

People have misconception that best bodybuilding foods are lean meats, low carbs, and egg whites only. In fact there are many other food items apart from  lean meats that boost up your metabolism and speeds up muscle building process. Legumes and beans are an example of such food. They are rich source of protein and fiber. Fibers boost up your metabolic system and helps body to get rid of useless materials which if not exposed properly become source of many diseases.

5)      Red Meat:

Red meat is also good option for bodybuilders. It is rich source of proteins, zinc, iron, and B vitamins all these play significant role in muscle growth. However, red meat should be taken once or twice a week. Making it regular part of your diet will increase total calorie count of body that is not good for your muscles growth.

6)      Low Glycemic Carbs:

Do not limit carbs food in your diet. In fact intake of low glycemic foods such as fruits and vegetables after workout sustains the muscles mass. Try to opt for low glycemic carbs rather than high glycemic carbs such as potatoes and simple sugars.

7)      Water:

Water makes 70% of our body and plays significant role in maintenance of normal physiological functions. In case of bodybuilders intake of approximately 10 liters/ day water is recommended.

8)      Whey protein:

Whey protein is also considered one of the best bodybuilding foods.Intake of whey protein supplements increase muscle growth, sustains muscle mass and helps a lot in fulfilling body protein requirements. These supplements are rich source of branched chain amino acids that are vital component in development of muscles.
Composition: Whey protein is a mixture of the following:

.

• Beta-lactoglobulin
• Alpha-lactalbumin
• Bovine serum albumin
• Immunoglobins

There are three primary types of whey protein : whey protein concentrate (WPC), whey protein isolate (WPI), and whey protein hydrolysate (WPH):

• Whey protein concentrate - WPC contains low levels of fat and low levels of carbohydrates (lactose).
  
  The percentage of protein in WPC depends on how concentrated it is. Lower end concentrates tend to have 30% protein and higher end up to 90%.
• Whey protein isolate - WPIs are further processed to remove all the fat and lactose. WPI is usually at least 90% protein.
• Whey protein hydrolysate - WPH is considered to be the "predigested" form of whey protein as it has already undergone partial hydrolysis - a process necessary for the body to absorb protein.
  
  WPH doesn't require as much digestion as the other two forms of whey protein. In addition, it is commonly used in medical protein supplements and infant formulas because of it's improved digestibility and reduced allergen potential.

9)      Almonds:

Almonds are rich source of vitamins and fibers. It contains more amounts of vitamin E then present in bodybuilding food supplements. They act as catalyst in several metabolic reactions. Almonds regular intake boost up functioning of all body systems which is good for bodybuilders.

10)   Vinegar:

Intake of quality diet is not enough if it is not properly assimilated by body. Research says that vinegar acts as a nutritional trial that store more energy in muscles rather than storing in abdomen as excess fats.

11)   Chocolate milk:

Milk  itself is a balanced diet but when it is combined with chocolate it became an excellent beverage. It is used after workouts to restore energy level in body. Moreover, chocolate milk is rich source of casein and whey proteins both are important for muscle growth.

Above mentioned are the best bodybuilding foods, when used in recommend amount fast up bodybuilding process and helps in increasing muscle mass.