The Best Fitness Diet For Muscle Building and Performance

Your body needs proper nourishment in order to strengthen and recover effectively from exercise, so eating healthful, real foods contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support performance and recovery.

Frozen blueberries make an excellent post-workout snack because they’re low in calories and can easily be blended into a protein smoothie to restore muscle glycogen stores after workouts.

Carbohydrates

Carbs play an integral part in optimising exercise performance and energy balance, providing immediate fuel for both body and mind during exercise as well as aiding muscle glycogen storage, an invaluable source of energy for long duration or high intensity workouts.

Carbs can be eaten as solid foods (energy bars, cereal bars, soft bakes or white bread with jam), carbohydrates chews or gels and liquids like sports drinks. The ideal options would be ones low in fat that provide essential vitamins, minerals and fibre content while remaining easily digested on your stomach.

Consume carbohydrates 60-90 minutes prior to any workout session, depending on its length and intensity. Carb loading may also prove helpful, particularly for endurance athletes preparing for long events – it helps replenish glycogen stores in liver and muscles and increase performance, but must be done cautiously to prevent excess weight gain and digestive issues.

Protein

Exercisers require higher protein intakes than non-exercisers in order to support muscle building and recovery, the current recommended daily allowance (RDA) being 0.8 grams of protein per kg of bodyweight for adults. Ideal protein sources would include lean meats, fish, eggs, beans, nuts and dairy.

Fitness professionals commonly ingest fast proteins like whey isolate before and immediately after resistance training to maximize muscle protein synthesis and decrease muscle tissue breakdown. But research suggests that drinking protein shakes immediately post exercise may not be the optimal strategy.

After exercising, it is recommended to consume a protein-rich meal like a hard-boiled egg, piece of chicken or handful of nuts to prevent muscle loss and promote recovery and promote positive nitrogen balance – this is particularly important for those training at higher intensities and volumes.

Fats

Fat is an essential source of calories during physical activity. Specifically used during low and moderate intensity workouts, fat also assists with endurance building and muscle strengthening. Some healthy options for fat consumption are plant-based oils (olive, canola and sunflower); nuts such as almonds, pistachios and peanuts; as well as salmon and tuna for example.

Consume complex carbs before exercise to boost energy. Such foods include bread, cereal, granola, oatmeal and fruit. Athletes should also consume moderate amounts of healthy fats through avocados, seeds and nuts as well as fish like salmon and tuna, along with remaining away from saturated and trans fats by getting most of your lipids from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated sources – around 20% of total calorie consumption should include this form of nutrition.

Water

Water is the go-to drink to quench thirst and replace fluid lost during exercise, with fresh fruit and vegetables also providing important sources of hydration. Aiming for 16 fluid ounces (2 cups of water) prior to exercising as well as regularly sipping fluid during a workout is recommended to stay properly hydrated and perform at your best.

Fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups and oatmeal all provide ample amounts of hydration. Be wary of drinks containing additional sugar or caffeine as these substances act as diuretics that cause fluid loss through urine.

Athletes may wish to monitor their sweat rate to gauge how much fluid should be consumed during an athletic training session or competition. They may prefer sports drinks as an additional source of fluids and electrolytes with more calories than pure water alone.