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The Nutrition in Body Building

The high levels of muscle growth and repair achived by body builders requires a specialized diet.
Generally speaking,body builders require more calories than the average person of the same height, body builders need a higher amount of calories above thier "maintenance level" in order to increase muscle mass. A sub-maintenance level of food energy is combined with cardiovascular excercise to lose body fats in preparation for a contest. The ratios of food energy from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats vary depending on the goals of the body builder.

Carbohydrates play an important role for body builders seek out slow-digesting carbohydrates, which release energy in a more stable fashion than high-glycemic carbohydrates cause a sharp insulin response, which places the body in a state where it is likely to store additional food energy as fat rather than muscle, and which can waste energy that should be directed towards muscle growth. However, bodybuilders frequently do ingest some quickly-digesting sugars (often in form of pure dextrose or maltodextrine) after a workout. This may help to replenish glycogen stores within the muscle, and to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Protein is probably one of the most important parts of the diet for the builder to consider.Functional proteins such as motor proteint which include myosin, kinesin, and dynein generate the forces exerted by contracting muscles.

Current advice says that bodybuilders should consume 25-30% of protein per total calorie intake to further thier goal of mentaining and improving thier body composition. This is a widely debated topic, with many arguing that 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight is ideal, some suggesting that less is sufficient, and others recommending 1.5, 2, or more. It is believed that protein needs to be consumed frequently throughout tha day, especially during/ after a workout, and before sleep. There is also some debate concerning the best type of protein to take.

Chicken, beef, pork, fish, eggs and dairy foods are high in protein, as are some nuts, seeds, beans and lentils. Casein or whey are often used to supplement the diet with additional protein. Whey protein is the type of protein contained in many popular brands of protein supplements, and is preffered by many body builders because of its high Biological Value (BV) and quick absorption rates. Body builders usually require higher quality protein with a high BV rather than relying on protein such as soy, which is often avoided due to to its astrogenic properties.

Still, some nutrition experts believe that soy, flax seeds, and many other plants that contain the weak estrogen-like compounds or phytoestrogens can be used beneficially as phytoestrogens compete with this hormone for receptors sites in the male body and can block its actions.

This can also include some inhibition of pituitary functions while stimulating the P450 system (the system that eliminates chemicals, hormones, drugs and metabolic waste product from the body) in the liver tumor actively process an excrete excess estrogen. Body builders usually split there food intake for the day into 5 - 7 meals of roughly equal nutitional content and attempt to eat at regular intervals.

This process used to be considered a mechanism for increasing basal metabolic rate when compared to less frquent meals with the same energy content, but short-term research on non-body building subjects suggests that this may not the case.