The Right Diet for Bodybuilding

For bodybuilders dieting is simple; you need to ensure that you get a balanced healthy diet and increase your intake of protein. Protein should be consumed throughout the day (every 2-3 hours in an ideal world) and you also need to make sure you get all of the amino acids (particularly glutamine). The reason for this is that specific amino acids are used to perform specific roles in the body and if you don’t have one available then that job simply won’t be carried out. Unfortunately very few protein sources contain all of the amino acids – even protein shakes with whole eggs being the only exception (because technically the white and the yolk are two different sources) so for this reason you need to vary your protein intake and eat lots of different meats on top of your protein shake.


At the same time you also need to consider the quality of the protein you eat. By quality is meant how lean it is – as in how much fat there is; and its ‘biological value’ – which describes how readily available the amino acids are for the body to use. You can find multiple tables online, but as a basic rule white meats are better than red, protein shakes are very good, and anything fried or made up of cast off meat is a no, no. In other words: steamed chicken = good, burger = bad. As this is only a brief introduction to diet we won’t go into a lot more detail here, other than to say that you also need all your other food groups and to explain why.


The temptation with bodybuilders is to eat only protein so that they build muscle, and to leave out carbs entirely so that they don’t get stored as fat. If you know your science and how the human body works however then you should realise that this would be rather foolish as it’s where you start getting your energy after one minute fourty three seconds. That’s a short workout if you don’t have any carbs, so try to eat a sensible amount of good carbs (complex carbs) such as banana, whole wheat, pasta etc (for those who didn’t know, sugar is actually a carb but a ‘simple carb’ as are most sweets and puddings).


Similarly many bodybuilders and dieters think that it’s a good idea to eradicate fat from their diet. Again this is a big mistake as fat is not only important to keep your skin and hair healthy (you don’t want to be a flaky bodybuilder… that’s just not cool) but also is a crucial element in protein synthesis. In other words you will get more out of your protein intake if you include fat in your diet. Use omega 3 fish oils etc.


A bodybuilder also needs to make sure they get all of their vitamins, minerals and fibre so it’s important to eat big meals with mixed foods. Why’s this important? Well minerals and vitamins are involved in a lot of things that can help your bodybuilding progress – for example calcium strengthens not only bones but also helps increase the power of contractions. Vitamins’ most well known purpose however is to help strengthen the immune system, and this too has benefits for bodybuilders – most notably as it will mean you don’t miss quite so many workouts due to illness (which can really put you back a bit). Fibre meanwhile will help improve your digestion, helping you to get more from your foods, and your circulatory system, meaning your body delivers the nutrients and oxygen in your blood to the muscles more quickly.


So then really all a bodybuilder should do to alter their diet is just tip the scales a little. Eat less fat and fewer simple carbs, but don’t cut them out completely. Likewise eat a whole lot more protein while making sure you get all your other vitamins, minerals and fibre.


If you’re struggling to do this there are a few changes you can make to your diet that will instantly help you lose your sweet tooth and start craving healthier foods. These little changes won’t affect what you eat per se, but will take fat and simple carbs out of your diet in little ways. For example – take the sugar and sweetener out of your tea and coffee. You’ll drink it regularly enough that this will start to change your pallet to appreciate less sweet drinks. Swap soft drinks for fruit juices as they count as a portion of fruit. Stop buttering your bread. Eat a bowl of fruit in the morning. Replace your puddings with whole grain cereal and yogurt. By making these little changes on top of your newly increased protein intake you can change you body into a clean and efficient protein factory and you’ll find that eating healthily becomes second nature.


Quick Tip: Eating little and often is a great way to avoid feeling bloated and gaining unnecessary weight, to ensure the body always has a good supply of nutrients, carbs and amino acids, and is closer to how we would have eaten in the wild. Switch to five smaller meals and you will feel healthier and reap the benefits.