Without nutrition that is different from ordinary fitness exercises, it is difficult to build muscles that are like cast iron, because muscle development is based on special nutrients. Sports nutritionists believe that bodybuilders and their enthusiasts It is necessary to understand the latest nutritional knowledge related to bodybuilding and to update nutritional concepts in a timely manner.

1. Need to take a longer nap than usual

In addition to sleeping at night, if you exercise in the morning, it is best to take a nap. Not just to rest, but to give growth hormone enough time to be produced. In the past, people only paid attention to the protein needed to repair damage, but did not pay attention to the fact that the human body needs growth hormone that can increase the synthesis of this protein. It is now known that growth hormone production is not only accelerated during exercise but is also active during sleep. Therefore, people who engage in bodybuilding exercises in the morning need more nap time than ordinary people to facilitate the production of growth hormone during sleep.

2. Need to supplement high-calorie diet before going to bed

For general fitness athletes, it is not recommended to eat a high-calorie diet before going to bed, because excess calories are converted into fat during sleep, which can easily lead to obesity or hyperlipidemia. This is not the case for bodybuilders. Lunch and dinner before nap and before going to bed should take in enough nutrients such as meat, fish, eggs, cheese, iron-rich lean meat, broccoli, etc. This type of highly nutritious diet before going to bed is mainly to allow damaged muscles to have sufficient raw materials to use growth hormone to synthesize muscle protein during sleep. Otherwise, damaged muscle cells will not be repaired as quickly as possible, which will affect exercise performance.

3. Eat immediately after half an hour of training

Experiments show that two hours of intense exercise a day requires 1.5 times more protein per kilogram of body weight than a person who does not exercise much. However, these require a large increase in protein and other nutrients, and it is not always too late to supplement them. It is known from experiments that the secretion of hormones that promote protein synthesis into the blood reaches its peak 2 hours after exercise. However, if you eat when hormone levels reach their peak, it will significantly affect the synthesis and utilization of nutrients. rootAccording to research on glycogen storage in muscles, it is best to eat within 30 minutes after exercise.

4. Fat is the “hard” nutrition for endurance sports

It is generally believed that glycogen is the protagonist of energy for athletes. Therefore, it is generally recommended to eat cereals, potatoes, citrus fruits, etc. 3 hours before exercise so that energy can be stored in the liver in the form of glycogen for later use.

The latest view is that in terms of exerting basic physical strength and endurance, storing fat in muscles is more important than storing glycogen. Experiments show that the ratio of sugar, fat, and protein consumed by a person training at maximum intensity is: 47:49:3 for male athletes; 33:61:2 for female athletes. When both men and women perform heavy exercise, they consume the most fat rather than sugar. Women, with the help of estrogen, can easily convert fat into energy. Therefore, under the same conditions, female athletes with high fat metabolism are more capable of endurance sports.

In addition, people have a unique mechanism for fat metabolism when engaging in heavy exercise. The fat consumed by ordinary people turns into fat globules in the blood and is absorbed by the heart, muscles and adipose tissue. This is because the insulin in their blood reaches the peak first, and after the glycogen is consumed the earliest, the fat will be consumed when it is too late (or not needed) to be used. Is stored in adipose tissue. Bodybuilders are different. Their insulin levels are often temporarily suppressed, so that the fat in the blood can be absorbed and stored by the muscles as quickly as possible, and participate in metabolism first, instead of being stored in adipose tissue first. For bodybuilders, fat is first and foremost a high-quality energy source, not a burden on the body.

So this can also explain from another perspective why most of the strongest athletes in competitive sports are Westerners, because Easterners mainly eat carbohydrates, while Westerners mainly eat fat. Because athletes who eat cereals as a staple food lack the "hard" nutrition that is urgently needed for vigorous exercise - fat.

Bodybuilders are committed to developing muscles. They must not only pay attention to scientific training methods, but also provide the energy needed for muscle cell growth and repair. Therefore, continuing the old nutrition and sleep patterns will undoubtedly affect the rapid improvement of sports performance.

Although we amateurs will not completely imitate the diet and nutritional structure of bodybuilders, some basic principles are still worth learning from, especially those who want to gain muscle.