Improving Performance with Nutrition
You can only increase strength, endurance and muscle size by following a consistent training program and a proper nutritional plan. Training programs of pro bodybuilders and athletes are divided into several phases or stages with different performance objectives tied with specific nutritional requirements for each phase. The bulk of muscle development takes place during the off-season phase wherein a bodybuilder eats protein-packed small meals throughout a day.
After this phase, bodybuilders go through several phases that involve changing the amount of carbohydrate-rich foods, lean proteins and supplements that support the training program at each stage. Understanding what is involved in each of these phases can help you create an effective training program that gets the results you need.
Off-Season Phase – As stated above, athletes in this phase are mainly concerned with building up muscles as much as possible. Luis Burke, author of the book “Practical Sports Nutrition”, explains that high amounts of protein with healthy carbohydrates are essential to a bodybuilder during off season. Bodybuilders schedule their eating habits to monitor their protein intake and may even schedule their meals based on their training sessions for better results.
Hypertrophy – The main goal during this phase is to increase strength while maintaining weight. Athletes typically follow a strict diet eating every 2 to 3 hours. The diet consists of foods that support muscle growth and healthy carbohydrates for energy upkeep.
Competition Prep phase – The phase’s main objective is to lose weight gradually and burn body fats without burning muscles built up during the previous phases. This phase starts 6 to 16 weeks prior to a competition event. Bodybuilders in competition prep eat a low fat and high protein planned around workout sessions.
Cutting – The cutting phase takes place a couple of weeks or days before a competition. This involves a higher degree of calorie restriction than competition prep to burn fats rapidly. Most bodybuilders depend on supplements for their nutritional needs as they reduce their calorie intake. Circuit training sessions are often done during this phase coupled with an increase in resting time to help the body recover.
Post Competition – many bodybuilders resort to binge eating immediately after the competition since they’ve been on a near starvation diet for up to 6 months prior to competition. This can be a health hazard for many, especially for those that end up gaining a lot of weight in a very short period of time. Bodybuilders who want to avoid weight gain during this stage can ease themselves into a healthier eating program so that they can maintain some of the results they worked so hard for and not compromise their health in the process.
Maintaining a steady nutrition program is difficult with the different phases that most bodybuilders go through. However, sound nutritional principles and working with a nutritionist or dietitian throughout training can help you increase your chances of long-term success.
Related posts:
- How Competitive Bodybuilders Structure Eating Plans You can only increase strength, endurance and muscle size by following a consistent training program and a proper nutritional plan. Training programs of pro bodybuilders and athletes are divided into several phases or stages with different performance objectives tied with specific nutritional requirements for each phase. The bulk of muscle development takes place during the off-season phase wherein a bodybuilder eats protein-packed small meals throughout a day....
- How Competitive Bodybuilders Structure Eating Plans Increasing muscle size, strength and endurance is the result of a consistent workout regimen and a sound nutrition program. Almost all professional bodybuilders and athletes go through 'phases' during their training programs to ensure they are meeting their performance goals and eating just enough to feed their muscles. It's important to note that most of the muscle gaining takes place in the off season, a time when eating large amounts of protein and eating small meals throughout the day is essential for success....
- How to Eat in Phases for Competitive Bodybuilding You can only increase strength, endurance and muscle size by following a consistent training program and a proper nutritional plan. Training programs of pro bodybuilders and athletes are divided into several phases or stages with different performance objectives tied with specific nutritional requirements for each phase. The bulk of muscle development takes place during the off-season phase wherein a bodybuilder eats protein-packed small meals throughout a day....
- Eating in Phases for Improved Muscle Strength and Endurance Muscle strength, size, and endurance development result from a proper nutrition program and a regular workout regimen. The training programs of professional bodybuilders and athletes are usually segmented into different phases, with each phase having a different workout goal and nutritional diet. Most muscle gains take place during the off season phase. This is a time when an athlete should eat large amounts of protein spread throughout small meals in the course of a day....
- Nutrition Basics for Beginning Bodybuilders Every successful bodybuilder understands that nutrition is a key component of any training program. Following correct nutritional practices will provide you with a stable amount of energy needed for daily activities and for each training session. Having an excellent nutrition base and enough rest are vital for ongoing bodybuilding success. Not following a sound nutritional plan will just limit your potential muscle gains and may put to waste all your effort and time invested on training....
Written by Bernard A. Norris on December 10th, 2009 with
no comments.
Read more articles on sports nutrition.
- [+] Digg: Feature this article
- [+] Del.icio.us: Bookmark this article
- [+] Furl: Bookmark this article