Eating the right foods at the right time is essential in maximizing your fitness and athletic performance. You must also eat a sufficient amount of calories to fuel your daily activities in addition to your workouts. According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, highly active male strength-training athletes need to eat about 23 calories per pound of body weight, and female strength-training athletes must eat around 20 calories per pound of body weight.
Preservation of Muscle
The National Strength and Conditioning Association says that an intake of 2.7g of carbohydrates per pound of body weight is sufficient for strength and power athletes. Eating enough carbohydrates prevents the breakdown of muscle protein as an energy source for your body. Drinking a carbohydrate liquid before exercise reduces glycogen loss from your muscles and your liver. This is especially important if you do more than one exercise session per day. According to a 2010 article by Steven Bird, published by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, you need to eat a mixture of carbohydrates and amino acids immediately after your resistance training. A carbohydrate and amino acid mixture post-workout enhances protein synthesis and improves exercise performance.
Increased Protein Synthesis
Protein consumption, especially leucine, a branched chain amino acid, increases the rate of muscle protein synthesis. Steven Bird says that eating a leucine-rich carbohydrate and amino acid meal or shake after exercise increases muscle protein synthesis by 145 percent compared to strength training without a post-exercise meal, which increased muscle protein synthesis by only 41 percent. An increase in muscle protein synthesis increases muscular strength and muscular mass. The National Strength and Conditioning Association says that strength-training athletes need about 1g of protein per pound of body weight, of which 65 percent of that protein must come from meat, poultry, fish, dairy products and eggs.
Enhanced Testosterone Response
Strength-training athletes need to consume between 20 and 30 percent of their daily caloric intake from fat. According to Bird, a low-fat diet decreases your basal testosterone levels and decreases your anabolic or tissue building hormone levels. Of your fat intake, less than 10 percent should come from saturated fats, 10 to 15 percent from monounsaturated and 10 to 15 from polyunsaturated fats. Sources of polyunsaturated fats include soy, sunflower, corn and safflower oils. Eat olives and peanuts for monounsaturated fat. Saturated fats are found in most animal and coconut products. Ensure you have a sufficient amount of fat in your diet to improve your testosterone response to exercise. Testosterone increases protein synthesis, which increases muscular strength and muscular mass. Testosterone also enhances the rate and force of muscular contraction.
References
- “Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning”; Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W. Earle; 2000
- “Strength and Conditioning Journal”; Strength Nutrition: Maximizing Your Anabolic Potential; Stephen Bird, PhD; May 2010
- “Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research”; Is Testosterone Influencing Explosive Performance; Marco Cardinale et al; February 2006
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