Perfect Bodybuilding Diet

As a bodybuilder, your nutrition should help you gain lean muscle and minimize body fat. Some basic principles should be followed when you consider your diet, so that it becomes a healthy habit. Bodybuilders like to talk about clean eating. Avoid eating junk or processed food, simple carbs and food high in salt or saturated fats. Eat foods to provide carbs for energy, protein for recovery and micronutrients for health.

Combinations

It is rare for any food to contain only one type of nutrient. According to the American Council on Exercise, you need to think about the combinations of foods you eat for your nutrition to be optimally efficient. It advises that you combine different food types in your diet to aid digestion. Eat carbohydrates with your protein, and fats with your proteins, for example.

Features

A bodybuilder's diet features high-quality protein. Lean red meat such as beef, fish and lentils are examples of protein sources. Former Mr. Universe Dave Draper advises that you emphasize protein in your diet over carbs. A study published in the "Sports Medicine Journal" in 2004, titled "Macronutrient Considerations for the Sport of Bodybuilding," found that a bodybuilder's diet should be made up of approximately 30 percent protein.

Effects

Eat a bodybuilder's diet to gain lean muscle mass, reduce body-fat percentage and increase energy. If you favor the nutritious and healthy food eaten by a bodybuilder, you will maintain stable blood sugar, increase your basal metabolism and avoid the likelihood that you will become fatigued and store excess fat on your body.

Timing

Competitive bodybuilders plan their meals ahead of time and eat according to when they train. Aim to eat a snack made up of some carbs before your workout to provide you with energy and avoid a slump in blood sugar during or after your workout. Your post-workout meal should contain protein to start the process of muscle recovery.

Warning

When you plan your nutrition to build muscle, you should not neglect to hydrate your body and consume the micronutrients your body needs to stay healthy. Eating clean means you should drink at least two liters of water daily and eat fresh fruits and vegetables to provide essential vitamins and minerals. Certain fats are also essential for your organs to function properly. Fish is a source of omega-3 and omega-6 fats, so you should include fish such as mackerel or tuna in your diet.