Bodybuilders and other athletes need a constant source of energy to load their muscles and protein to build and repair their muscles. Breakfast is very important for stocking your body with nutrients that promote muscle building but discourage excess fat storage. Complex carbohydrates are the better choice for bodybuilders who want to remain lean and have sustained energy until the next meal.
Building Muscle
Building muscle requires loading your muscle tissue to the point of fatigue, which slightly tears the fibers and forces them into repair mode. During the process of repair, the muscle fibers become larger, which enables them to lift greater weight. Over time, the cumulative effect produces a defined look. If you don't challenge your muscles, they lose their strength and become smaller, a dynamic called atrophy. Daily workouts require plenty of energy, and breakfast is an important time of day to get that energy.
Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates are foods that have longer-chain sugars that take more time to break into glucose, which is the simplest sugar the body uses for energy. As such, complex carbs have a low-glycemic index, which is the measure of how quickly sugars are reduced into glucose or blood sugar. Complex carbohydrate metabolism releases glucose slowly into your bloodstream and doesn't cause a spike in insulin. Good examples of complex carbs include oatmeal, bran, whole-grain cereals and breads, yams, potatoes and beans, according to "Contemporary Nutrition: Functional Approach," by Gordon Wardlaw,
Simple Carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates, such as sugary foods and refined flour products such as doughnuts and muffins and even fruits are metabolized quickly and initially raise your blood-sugar levels. In response to too much blood sugar, your body secrets insulin, which reduces glucose levels and promotes fat storage. Insulin spikes are usually followed by tiredness and lethargy or energy crashes because of the quick removal of glucose from your bloodstream.
Bodybuilder Breakfast
During the night, your body enters a fasting state because it hasn't gotten any nutrients for many hours. As such, eating complex carbohydrates in the morning replenishes your depleted glycogen stores and very little is turned to fat, according to "Metabolic Regulation: A Human Perspective," by Keith Frayn. Good breakfast choices for bodybuilders include oatmeal, all-bran cereal, whole-grain bread with butter and hash-brown potatoes. Fruits contain fructose sugar, which is considered a simple carbohydrate, but some varieties have low-glycemic indexes, such as cantaloupe, most berries and bananas that aren't overly ripe. Dried fruit has a high-glycemic value and should be avoided by bodybuilders, unless eaten directly before or after a workout.
Other Good Breakfast Foods
In addition to complex carbohydrates, bodybuilders need protein for breakfast. Good sources of low-fat protein include cottage cheese, scrambled egg whites and some varieties of nuts. Bodybuilders frequently take protein and creatine powdered supplements in the morning, as well.
References
- "Contemporary Nutrition: Functional Approach"; Gordon M. Wardlaw; 2009
- "Metabolic Regulation: A Human Perspective"; Keith N. Frayn; 2010
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