One of the most important parts of a successful bodybuilder's routine is the nutrition he or she takes in each day. Without the proper fuel, any weightlifting efforts will be unsuccessful at best and injury-causing at worst. Besides vitamins and minerals and other supplements like protein, another important consideration for bodybuilders is the number of calories they consume on a daily basis.
Calories
A calorie is a unit of energy. On most packaged foods, the nutritional label tells a person how much energy he or she will get from eating or drinking the item. Each person needs a different number of calories to get through the day, because each person burns calories at different rates. In addition, different types of calories such as fat, protein, and carbs burn at different rates, so the composition of the food you eat also affects how the energy is used. The human body burns calories through different metabolic processes. Proteins get turned into amino acids, fats into fatty acids and glycerol, and carbs into glucose and other sugars.
Fats, Proteins, and Carbs
Not all foods provide an equal amount of calories. One g of fat contains nine calories, 1 g of protein contains four calories, and 1 g of carbohydrates contains four calories. While carbs and fat are important to bodybuilders, protein is extremely important. This is because proteins --- and the amino acids proteins become when they are metabolized --- help muscles grow and become stronger. According to Bodybuilding.com, adult bodybuilders need to consume 0.9 g of protein per pound of body weight per day. A bodybuilder's daily caloric intake should consist of 21 percent protein, 15 percent fat and 64 percent carbs.
Caloric Requirements
Using the above daily requirement of protein, we know that an adult male bodybuilder who weighs 200 lbs. requires 720 calories of protein per day. Additionally, using that same information, he would need 513 calories of fat, so 57 g of fat; and 2,187 calories of carbohydrates, so 547 g of carbs per day. This means he should eat 3,420 calories per day.
Fat Gains and Losses
For every 3,500 calories accumulated that don't get burned, 1 lb. of fat is gained. Conversely, to burn 1 lb. of fat, a person must burn 3,500 calories more than he or she consumes. This can be done by creating a calorie deficit through diet or through exercise. Before a competition, bodybuilders reduce caloric intake to lose fat so that they look "ripped."
References
- "ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2007
- "Bodybuilding Anatomy"; Nick Evans; 2007
- Bodybuilding.com: Nutrient Ratio and Caloric Needs
- Bodybuilding.com: Are All Calories Created Equal?
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