Teen bodybuilders can achieve desired results by training hard in the gym and focusing on proper nutrition away from the weights. Training makes up only half of the story. Without providing the proper nutrients to your body you cannot achieve muscle growth. Follow a few simple diet tips to maximize your muscle gains naturally with nutrition.
Frequent Meals
Eating five to eight smaller meals throughout the day creates a trickle effect of nutrients to muscles that builds mass and burns fat, according to "Optimum Anabolics." When short on time, simply eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, then add two or three protein shakes during the day.
Clean Foods
Teenagers can eat more junk food than adults without putting on a lot of body fat. You do not need to keep your diet that "clean" to stay lean at your age, so enjoy it while it lasts. However, if predisposed to fat storage or training for extreme leanness, you should eat clean foods such as lean proteins, low-glycemic or slow-digesting carbohydrates and healthy fats, according to "Xtreme Lean."
Healthy Fats
Do not underestimate the power of healthy fats. According to "Xtreme Lean," if you do not take in at least 25 to 30 percent of your diet as healthy fat, your muscle building hormone levels--testosterone and growth hormone--may suffer. Choose fats such as olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds and flaxseed oil to support muscle growth.
Carbohydrates
Choosing low-glycemic carbohydrates can help you to stay lean because they do not promote as much body fat storage as refined carbs, according to "The Abs Diet." Examples of low-glycemic choices include oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes and fresh fruits and vegetables. To cut body fat, drop carbs slightly, and to accelerate mass gains, add more carbs to your diet.
Protein
Taking in 1 g of protein per pound of your body weight should provide plenty of amino acids--the building blocks of muscle--for bodybuilding, according to "Optimum Anabolics." You should try to get 20 to 30 g of protein at each meal. Choose lean, high-quality sources such as fish, turkey, chicken and whey protein.
Pre-Workout Meal
Have a pre-workout meal one to two hours before your training sessions. According to "Xtreme Lean," this meal should include both high-quality protein and some low-glycemic carbohydrates. You want fast-digesting protein like whey and slow-digesting carbs like fruit in order to sustain your energy during your workouts.
Post-Workout Shake
Drink a post-workout protein shake immediately after your training. "Optimum Anabolics" recommends 30 to 50 g of whey protein, 100 g or more of carbohydrates and 15 to 30 g of healthy fats from flaxseed oil or medium chain triglycerides.
Bedtime Protein
Drink one last protein shake before bed to improve muscle recovery while you sleep. Your pre-bedtime protein blend should contain some casein, a slow-digesting protein that provides amino acids to muscles for up to eight hours, according to "Natural Anabolics." If your protein does not contain casein, eat a half cup to a cup of cottage cheese before retiring.
Hydration
Drink eight 12- to 16-oz. glasses of water every day as recommended by "Optimum Anabolics." While this seems daunting, you need only to drink one or two glasses of water at each meal, drink a full glass upon waking and sip from a water bottle as needed all day long and during your workouts.
References
- "Optimum Anabolics"; Jeff Anderson; 2004
- "Natural Anabolics"; Jerry Brainum; 2006
- "Xtreme Lean"; Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman; 2005
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