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Is a Ham Bad to Eat While Bodybuilding?

Jun 14, 2011 | By Brian Willett
Is a Ham Bad to Eat While Bodybuilding?
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Although you might think that bodybuilding success depends more on what you do in the gym than what you do in the kitchen, nutrition does play a role in bodybuilding. Eating the right foods will help you make the most of your workouts, as they can promote muscle recovery and growth and help prevent fat gains, which will compromise your muscular definition. Ham is a food that can be beneficial for bodybuilding.

Calorie Content

Ham is not very high in calories, as it is primarily composed of protein, with few carbohydrates and little fat. One 2-oz. serving of ham has 60 calories, which is comparable to grilled chicken breast; a 2-oz. serving of that meat has 65 calories. Because ham is low in calories, it can be included in mass-gaining or fat-loss bodybuilding plans. When gaining mass, you may wish to find a higher-calorie meat, such as salmon, sirloin or lamb, all of which bodybuilder Doug Lawrenson lists among the best bodybuilding foods.

Protein Content

Protein is usually the primary concern for bodybuilders, as it helps your body build muscle tissue. According to nutrition researcher Dr. John Berardi, bodybuilders may get optimal results from consuming 2 g of protein per kg of body weight each day, so high-protein foods such as ham are beneficial. Ham has 10 g of protein per 2-oz. serving. This is just less than half of what you would find in a scoop of protein powder, which has 120 calories and 24 g of protein.

Carbohydrate Content

Carbohydrates are important in bodybuilding, whether you are dieting or gaining mass. Research from the February 2000 issue of the "Journal of Applied Physiology" indicates that consuming carbohydrates and protein together can stimulate muscle protein synthesis, which drives muscle growth. Ham is low in carbohydrates, with just 2 g per 2-oz. serving. But ham is often consumed with bread, which is rich in carbohydrates, so ham can still be part of an effective muscle-building meal.

Fat Content

Ham is low in fat, which is beneficial for dieting phases of bodybuilding, because low-fat content keeps calorie content low. But fat is not to be avoided altogether, as some kinds can keep you healthy. The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in olive oil, soybeans and fish such as salmon, may help control diabetes, cholesterol and heart disease. Ham is not a primary source of omega-3 fatty acids, so you should include protein and fat sources in your diet other than ham.

Sodium Content

Ham is high in sodium, as a 2-oz. serving provides 580 mg, or 24 percent of the daily recommended intake. Sodium can be detrimental if you are preparing for a bodybuilding show, as it can cause water retention, which would impede maximum muscle definition. But sodium also plays an important role, because it facilitates the transmission of nerve impulses that control muscle contractions. The sodium in ham can be helpful during training, but you may wish to eliminate ham from your diet in the days before your bodybuilding contests to avoid water retention.

References

Article reviewed by Amy Richards Last updated on: Jun 14, 2011

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