Welcome to Muscle Fitness

Nutrition Information

An adequate calorie intake is an essential part of building lean muscle mass, in combination with a muscle strengthening program, as a large number of calories are needed to fuel tough workouts and tissue building. While getting enough calories is important, it is essential that they are the right sort of calories. Let us take a look at these:

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the main energy source for strength training; they are stored as glycogen in the muscles, and are the fuel used to supply energy for short, intense bursts of power. The harder and longer you work out, the more glycogen the muscles require. It is for this reason that when you are doing strength training, your body needs an adequate input of carbohydrates.  There are two major types of ‘carbs’ in foods: simple and complex. The simple carbs are found in refined sugars that are used to make sweets. But they are also to be found in more nutritious foods, such as fruit and milk.

 

It is far healthier to get your simple sugars from these sources than from sweets, and such, because they contain vitamins, fiber and other important nutrients which sweets do not. Complex carbs are also known as starches, and can be found in grain products, such as bread, crackers, pasta and rice. Just as with simple carbs, you will find refined complex carbs in things like white flour and white rice. These have been processed and therefore have lost nutrients and fiber. You should eat unrefined grain products, like whole-wheat bread, seed loaf, and brown rice, as these are rich in fiber which encourages the digestive system to work properly and they help you feel full, so you are less likely to overeat.

Protein
Protein makes up the basic building blocks of muscle tissue, and strength trainers need to consume more of it than non-athletes. Protein sources include meat, eggs, nuts, grains, legumes, and dairy products like milk and cheese. Generally, men need to consume more protein than women because their bodies have more muscle mass. Because the body is continually breaking down protein from tissues, if enough is not consumed through nutrition the muscles will begin to waste, as more vital processes in the body (e.g. respiration, blood cells) will recycle the muscle protein for their own needs.

Fat
After you've met your carbohydrate and protein needs there is room for fat. Fat is an essential nutrient; however, you require a small amount of it to remain healthy. Less than 30% of your total daily calories should come from unsaturated fat.

Water
Besides the required 8 glasses of water a day, when you exercise you need to replace fluids lost through sweating. Ensure that you drink water before, during and after a workout.

Supplements
Most supplements that are supposed to help build muscle don't work. But some, such as creatine, fluid and electrolyte replenishers, carbohydrate supplements, and liquid meal replacers may offer some benefits to strength-training athletes.

Creatine
Creatine, when combined with a good diet, has the potential to produce slightly more power during workouts. Research has also found that loading creatine into the muscles may help speed up muscle gain. Creatine supplements can be purchased, but research has shown that the best dietary source of creatine is meat.