Protein, composed of amino acids, is the basic building block of life. Every cell in the human body is constructed of the amino acids that make up protein, according to Nancy Clark, in her book "Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook." The simplest way to help ensure that any weight gained during the hypertrophy, or growth, phase of an exercise program is to increase the amount of protein in your diet.
This may even include adding enough protein that the amount of carbohydrates in your diet is drastically reduced.
Step 1
Increase the amount of animal products you consume. Like human cells, animal cells are composed of protein. Whether you eat meat, eggs or dairy products, your body will digest the nutrients by breaking the protein down into amino acids, which will then be used to re-build your body's protein levels.
Step 2
Reduce the amount of simple carbohydrates that you eat. Simple sugar carbs are empty calories in your diet, displacing more useful protein calories that could be used for reconstruction of muscle tissue. Your body can survive without carbohydrates, according to Dan Benardot in his book "Nutrition for Serious Athletes." Through the process of gluconeogenesis, the body can turn excess protein and fat into the same energy-producing glycogen that carbohydrates provide.
Step 3
Consume dietary fats. According to the late Dr. Robert Atkins of Atkins Diet fame, the most recent research that he conducted and reviewed demonstrated that America's decades-old war on dietary fat was mostly for naught. According to Atkins, the consumption of fat is necessary for the body's ability to maintain health.
Step 4
Make sure you eat fibrous vegetables for the complex carbs they offer. While simple carbs are largely unnecessary, the fiber in fresh vegetables such as celery, peppers and cucumbers can help maintain the regularity of the body's waste system, preventing constipation that can result from a diet high in fat and protein content. This is critical to the maintenance of long-term health, by preventing the kidneys from over-working.
Step 5
Lift weights and perform resistance exercises while you are on your high-protein diet. Simply eating plenty of protein, without getting adequate exercise at the same time, will result in you getting fat, not fit.
Step 6
Eat a lot. It is difficult to eat enough calories per day to put weight on without exerting actual effort to do so. According to strength coach Mark Rippetoe, in "Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Techniques," it may be necessary for a male in his 20s or early 30s to consume as many as 5,000 or more calories per day of a high-protein diet in order to gain muscle mass. Considering that the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance is 2,000 calories per day, achieving a 5,000-calorie-per-day target requires planning your meals and forcing yourself to eat on a schedule.
References
- "Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook"; Nancy Clark; 2008
- "Nutrition for Serious Athletes"; Dan Benardot; 1999
- "Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training"; Mark Rippetoe; 2007
Member Comments