A
bodybuilder is advised to eat 6-8 meals a day (3-4 of these being main meals, and
the rest snacks); to ensure you continually keep all the nutrients you need to build
muscle. Monitoring your body weight is hugely important and nutrition is one of
the most important factors for this. One of the strongest pieces of advice given
is to drink or eat 60 to 90 minutes after excising.
Protein
Protein
The
primary concern for bodybuilders, and in particular those that follow the vegan
diet, is protein. It’s suggested that bodybuilders need to ensure they get one
gram (one and a half for vegans) of protein per pound of body weight, so the
larger you get, the more you’ll need.
The
World Health Organization has established that the minimum amount of protein
for human adults is approximately 5% of the daily intake, but for bodybuilders,
this needs to be much higher. In fact, protein should take up approximately 30% of your calories (with fat being 30%
and carbohydrates being 40%).
Fat
Fat is
extremely important to a bodybuilders diet, but it’s also one of the main things
that are overlooked. In fact, it’s suggested that fat should take up 20-30% of
your daily calories. You just need to ensure that you’re eating the right fat;
fast food and processed food isn’t something anyone that desires to be fit and
healthy wants to consume a lot of, and vegan bodybuilders are no different.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are tremendously
important for fleshing out the calories, especially as they are a great aid to
exercise. The body actually needs carbohydrates to function.
Specifically, recommended
carbohydrate for building muscle are:
- Cereal: High calorie breakfast cereals with at least 2g of fibre is great source of energy, that can be eaten at any time.
- Bagels: A medium sized bagel has 40-50g of carbohydrates, which are incredibly simple to prepare.
- Bran Muffins: Bran muffins contain a great low glycemic, slow burning fibre which is perfect for bodybuilding.
- Mashed Potatoes: Mash contains a strong insulinogenic carbohydrate. At 42g of carbohydrates per portion, it’s a great post workout snack.
- Pasta: A condensed source of carbohydrates, which is a great way for bumping up your intake.
- Quinoa: This is an excellent carbohydrate source which is full of protein and fibre, meaning you don’t have to worry about combining it with the right things to get your full range of amino acids.
- Beans: Green beans are a great source of carbohydrates which is low in calories so if you are building lean muscle mass, they are a great contribution to your diet.
- Barley: With its rich nut-like flavour, barley is great for soups and as a replacement for rice.
Fruit
& vegetables
Fruit
and vegetables contain fibre, photochemical, vitamins and minerals which aid
your metabolism and are great for your overall health. They also have an
anticatabolic effect – which means they contain the ability to maintain muscle
and bone.
Water
Water
Water
is essential for every single metabolism process, including protein synthesis.
All athletes need to ensure they are drinking lots of water, and due to the
intensive nature of bodybuilding, it is certainly no exception. In fact, it’s suggested
that bodybuilders drink 128 ounces pints (3.8 litres) of water in a 24-hour
period.