Bodybuilders should consume healthy fats, lean proteins and complex carbohydrates to improve workout quality. Healthy fats and lean proteins help a training athlete maintain lean muscle mass, and complex carbohydrates provide energy for intense muscle-building sessions in the gym. Eating foods with little nutritional value can cause you to gain body fat and slow muscle gains.
Sugary Foods
Sugary foods like soda and candy provide you with empty calories. Sweets are high in calories and contain little nutritional value, promoting weight gain. The high amount of sugar in sweets also creates an insulin spike. As your insulin levels rise, your body moves into fat gaining mode, packing on excess pounds, which cover up your hard-earned muscle gains.
Alcohol
An article on Bodybuilding.com notes drinking alcohol can dramatically decrease testosterone levels. Low testosterone levels create an environment where it's difficult to grow quality muscle mass. You have to work much harder in the weight room if you want to drink alcohol on a consistent basis and gain muscle mass. Alcohol is also a diuretic, which causes you to become dehydrated. Since your muscles are composed primarily of water, drinking alcohol can have an adverse effect on your performance in the weight room.
Fatty Foods
Fatty foods like doughnuts, pizza and potato chips provide little energy for your bodybuilding workouts. These foods are high in calories and contain artery-clogging saturated fats. Eating fatty foods raises the risk of contracting heart disease, makes you feel sluggish for your workouts and causes you to gain weight at a fast pace. Even if you are trying to pack on as much mass as possible, avoid eating fatty foods.
Tips
Replace fatty foods with healthy fats like olive oil, natural peanut butter and flax seed oil. Taking in healthy fats boosts testosterone levels, helping you to pack on muscle mass quickly. If you crave sweets, reach for a piece of fruit instead of a candy bar. Fruit is high in healthy fiber, which helps you feel full. Eat complex carbohydrates like rolled oats and wheat bran to keep your insulin levels stable. Consult a physician before making any dietary changes to pack on muscle mass.
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