How to Eat to Increase Muscle Size and Improve Performance

A beginner bodybuilder would be wise to follow sound nutritional practices for long-term success. Eating right will give you ample energy that will help you last each workout session. The only path to long-term muscle and strength gain is through adequate rest and eating sufficient amounts of calories daily. Not eating the right foods at the right time will just decrease your potential growth and render all your hard work useless.

Catherine Ratzin Jackson, author of the book "Nutrition for the Recreational Athlete", explains that eating habits of bodybuilders aren't usually based on correct nutritional principles. She adds that bodybuilders are accustomed to get advice from magazine tips and nutrition store 'experts'. These sources are sometimes biased and do not provide detailed information on nutrition; topics such as calorie intake, protein requirements and foods for weight loss are often discussed hastily. Below are concise nutritional guidelines essential for bodybuilding success:

1. Avoid sudden weight loss. Do not be impatient about losing weight as sudden weight loss destroys lean body tissues in the process thereby constraining muscular development. Starving yourself with a low-calorie diet to lose weight quickly deprives your body of essential nutrients and electrolytes needed for proper bodily functions. Moreover, you will not achieve your desired body weight by having a low-fat and high-protein diet.

2. Use calculations to determine your protein requirements. Protein is essential for building strength, but you won't be able to achieve any results with your bodybuilding routine if you're eating too much or too little protein; the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of protein is 0.8g/ kg per day for sedentary individuals, and 1.0-1.5 g/kg for athletes. You will need to start reading the nutrition labels of different foods to make sure you are getting enough protein in the diet.

3. Get used to eating organic. The best foods we can eat are still unprocessed, natural foods. Eating foods from plant and animal sources that are loaded with nutrients is the often-neglected key to bodybuilding success. Our bodies cannot efficiently digest meal replacements and supplements. Better stick to real food so that your body will get all the nutrients it needs to develop.

4. Exercise caution in taking supplements. It is now widely acceptable to use supplements for performance enhancement. Supplements are a great help to any athlete but they do cause some negative side effects, especially if abused. Supplements are designed to be added, or supplement, our nutrition program. Supplements are by no means created to replace proper diet and exercise.

5. Watch what you eat before and after a workout. Muscle builds up significantly before and after you exercise. What you eat at this time will surely influence this process either positively or negatively. Always monitor what you eat at this time by keeping a written record.