There are different categories of sports and all require specific dietary needs. In this article, let's take a look at the diet of athletes practicing bodybuilding. 

Sports nutrition: bodybuilding sports

When weight training, the muscular energy pathway used is the anaerobic alactic pathway, meaning that the muscle functions without the presence of oxygen and without the production of lactic acid. This allows for a very high intensity but for a very short time (between three and fifteen seconds), which is useful in strength and power sports. 

Sports nutrition: total energy expenditure

To know your body's nutrient requirements, it is important to be able to determine your total energy expenditure. This is calculated by adding your basal metabolic rate (amount of energy consumed) to your calories that you burn at rest to maintain your vital functions) and the energy expenditure related to physical activity (additional expenditure). To do this, there are calculators. Building muscle mass will increase your total energy expenditure because muscle is more energy intensive than fat.

Other factors influencing total energy expenditure are age, genetics, type and level of training, diet, recovery and your body's physical limitations. 

Sports nutrition: the importance of nutrition for bodybuilding athletes

The athlete wishing to increase his or her muscle mass cannot do so solely through sports. The diet must be adapted to give your muscle mass the best chance to develop and your fat mass to melt. For this, there are a few basics to master. 

Sports nutrition: nutrients 

• Protein is inseparable from bodybuilding sports. Indeed, it is, among other things, the building blocks of muscles. Weight training weakens muscle mass, which is why protein requirements are increased. Moreover, increasing the consumption of this macro nutrient allows the gain of mass and limits the destruction of the muscular fibers during the effort (anti catabolic power). Proteins are made up of amino acids, some of which are called "essential" because the body cannot make them. It is therefore important to provide them through the diet. Bodybuilding athletes need 20% of their daily protein intake. Ideally, these should be 50% animal and 50% vegetable. If too little protein is provided, the athlete risks muscle wasting. In order to optimize your intake, consider consuming complete proteins, i.e. those that contain all the amino acids essential. These are found in animal proteins such as meat, eggs and milk. The only plant proteins that contain all these amino acids are soy and spirulina. The other vegetable proteins must be combined to cover the needs. For bodybuilding athletes, the recommendations are 2 grams per kilo of body weight per day. On the other hand, protein consumption should not be exclusive or in excess. It should be spread out over the day and leave room for carbohydrates and fats. 

• Carbohydrates on the other hand provide energy. However, in order to optimize your sports performance, choose foods with an index glycemic such as whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables and oilseeds. To be sure you're getting quality carbohydrates, avoid processed foods. 

• Lipids play, among other things, a role in the constitution of cell membranes and in the transport of proteins in the blood. They are therefore essential for bodybuilding athletes. They should not be less than 10% of your daily intake but be sure not to exceed 20% of your intake. The ideal is to consume about 1 gram per kilo of body weight per day. If your diet is too low in fat, it will slow down muscle development and lower your testosterone levels, and if you eat too much fat, gastric emptying is slowed down. So remember not to consume too much, and above all, avoid taking it just before the effort, at the risk of seeing your performance decrease. Choose good fats

Sports nutrition: the diet of the bodybuilding athlete

On a daily basis, remember two important points: don't skip meals and break up your intake into several small meals spread throughout the day instead of three richer meals. 

It is important to eat well before doing a weight training sport because by going on an empty stomach, you risk hypoglycemiaor at least a decrease in energy. But be careful, it must be done at least one hour before training and not be composed of any nutrient. Focus on low glycemic index carbohydrates, low-fat and digestible proteins and avoid over-consuming fat. This could be, for example, wholemeal bread with tuna, or turkey with a bowl of soup. Or pasta or brown rice with vegetables and chicken. Be careful not to eat too much because your digestion will mobilize the blood and you will lack energy. 

After exercise, your body needs to rebuild its muscle. In fact, weight training tends to create micro muscle injuries. Depending on the duration of the training, your body will also need to replenish its glycogen reserves. For this, it is recommended to bring protein and possibly carbohydrates in the 30 minutes following the effort. This can be done in solid form, via a snack or a small meal, or in the form of a Whey type shake. A simple consumption of protein is not enough because even if the glycogen reserves are not exhausted, carbohydrates stimulate the production of insulin, promoting the supply of nutrients to the muscles. 

Before you go to bed, you can still consume slow-absorbing proteins like casein (from milk) to fuel your muscles overnight. These proteins can be accompanied by low glycemic index carbohydrates. 

Another point, very important is that of hydration. Remember to hydrate before, during (a few sips every 10 minutes) and after the effort. Your muscles being composed of 75% water, a lack of hydration can strongly affect your sports performance. Moreover, the consumption of proteins generates waste in the body that it is important to eliminate via the kidneys and urine. 

As you have seen in this article, the diet of the bodybuilding athlete is not limited to protein. Other nutrients are also important and their quality plays a role in sports performance. Keep yourself sufficiently hydrated and consume daily low glycemic index carbohydrates, quality proteins by alternating animal and vegetable sources and good fats (unsaturated lipids). Without this balance, you will not be able to build muscle mass and avoid injury.