Female bodybuilders pay close attention to their diet and training regimen to develop their muscular physiques. Male and female bodybuilders approach their diet in similar ways. Both build their diets around whole, natural foods to maximize nutrient intake and minimize additives from processed foods.
Features
A female bodybuilder usually eats five or six meals over the course of the day. These mini meals make nutrients always available to growing muscles and help to provide adequate calories for energy and muscle growth. While women sometimes starve themselves in hopes of dropping weight and fat, a female bodybuilder knows that eating too few calories actually hinders muscle growth.
A woman bodybuilder's diet changes depending on the stage of her training. An off-season diet may allow more indulgences than the cutting phase prior to competition. When in a building stage, a female bodybuilder will create a calorie surplus--taking in more calories than are burned--to foster muscle growth. Approximately 250 to 500 more calories per day elicits growth of about ½ lb. of muscle per week, says Melina Jampolis, M.D., on CNN. In the cutting phase, fat loss dominates the diet plan.
Protein
A woman seeking to maintain and build muscle needs between 1.6g and 2g of protein per kilogram of body weight daily--depending on her level of activity--says the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Female bodybuilders should definitely aim toward the high end of that range. Complete proteins containing all the essential amino acids not produced by the body are the best choices, as they help with muscle synthesis. Ingesting a higher amount of protein puts you at risk for overeating saturated fat, so the best choices for protein include lean varieties.
Considerations
Even though a female bodybuilder takes in more protein, she does not completely shun all carbohydrates. Carbohydrate are essential to any bodybuilder's diet because they provide energy for your workouts and replace glycogen in the muscles, champion bodybuilder Mike Francois told "Muscle and Fitness Magazine" in 2005. The timing of meals is also key to the success of a female bodybuilder. Ingesting a protein-rich meal or snack before, during and immediately after training helps make the most of effort at the gym. Whey protein shakes or bars are usually good choices for these times as they are more convenient than a meal of chicken breast, brown rice and spinach.
Fats
While saturated fats should be avoided, healthy unsaturated fats help a female bodybuilder develop muscle. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are found in fish, nuts, seeds and plant oils. Including a small serving of fats with each mini meal supports hormone production essential to muscle growth. In addition, women need some fat to keep menstruation regular, skin supple and hair healthy and soft, says the American Heart Association.
Types of Foods
The best sources of protein for a female body builder include very lean beef, fish, poultry, bison, egg whites and whey protein. Healthy carbohydrates should also be featured in each mini meal and come from vegetables, fruits or whole grains such as quinoa, oats or barley. Unsaturated fats come from fatty fish, avocados, olives, walnuts and olive or safflower oil. The calcium in low-fat or non-fat dairy is also important in a female body builders' diet. Choose products such as Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and skim milk.
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