A bulking diet intends to help you add muscle mass to your body. You might follow a bulking diet during the off-season if you are a body builder. You might also follow such a diet to add weight for a sport, such as football. A bulking diet can make you fat if you do not plan carefully. Choosing the right kind of foods and emphasizing a healthy macronutrient ratio can help you add bulk through muscle rather than just add fat.
Calories
In order to add any weight to your body, you must eat more calories than you burn. In a review published in the 2004 issue of "Sports Medicine," C.P. Lambert recommends consuming about 15 percent more calories than you need to maintain your body weight during a bulking, or muscle-building, phase of body building. Often, this amounts to about 500 calories more per day than you burn. But if you tend to gain fat easily, you might keep this to just 250 calories more per day.
Nutrition
When you try to add muscle, you may overload on protein, but you also need carbohydrates to provide your body with energy. A macronutrient ratio that consists of approximately 50 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein and 20 percent fat supports muscle growth. Carbohydrates also help load your body with glycogen, or energy, which encourages muscle growth. Healthy fats encourage the production of hormones that support muscle growth.
Considerations
Breaking up your total calorie intake over six separate meals may help reduce the chance that you store much of your calories as fat. Eat some carbohydrates before you go to the gym for a hard workout so that your body burns off that energy rather than your hard-earned lean muscle mass. Without consistent exercise and strength training with heavy weights, a bulking diet may simply load your body with fat.
Food Choices
If you load up your calories and macronutrient ratios with junk and processed foods, your bulking diet may add fat. Most of the time, opt for lean proteins, including chicken breast, flank steak, ground buffalo and white fish. Egg whites and nonfat dairy are other sources of protein that support muscle growth and gain without excessive saturated fat. For your carbohydrates, skip the sugary, white carbohydrates and opt for whole grains, starchy vegetables such as yams or peas and fresh fruits. Fatty choices that are good for your heart and your muscle-gaining goals include nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil and fatty fish.
References
- "Sports Medicine"; Macronutrient Considerations for the Sport of Bodybuilding; C.P. Lambert, et al.; 2004
- CNN; How Should I Eat to Gain Muscle Mass; Melina Jampolis, M.D.; June 2009
- "Flex"; Carbs to Muscle: Seven Ways to Enhance Your Muscle Glycogen Stores Without Increasing Bodyfat; Chris Aceto; June 2005
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