To perform at your best, your body needs the right balance of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats) to meet the demands of what you are doing.
To adequately adapt to the training stimulus and stresses of your current lifestyle, you want to ensure that you are eating plenty of lean protein, quality fats, and nutrient-dense carbohydrates. You also want to cut down on your consumption of EXCESS empty-calorie carbohydrates (junk food) for the best results. Your body will process and then utilize quality food sources more efficiently thus leading to more effective output.
Carbohydrates
There is absolutely nothing wrong with carbohydrates. In fact, carbs are good to go, however, you want to limit specific carbs in the form of simple sugars and starches (unless you are utilizing them through intense and prolonged endurance-type activities). You must eat the RIGHT carbs in order to maximize performance and recovery. This will ensure that you are building lean muscle mass and keeping your body composition in check.
A misnomer is that protein is the main source of food/energy needed to build muscle but the truth, however, is you need higher quantities of carbohydrates than protein to pack on lean muscle mass.
You want to eat QUALITY carbohydrates for sustained energy and performance.
Carbohydrate Loading and Timing
Carbohydrate loading is a technique utilized by endurance athletes to ensure that they are packing in as much glycogen into their muscle tissues and liver to adequately supply the body with long-term energy during extended periods of output. Carb loading is usually performed roughly 24 hours before an event.
The timing of your carb consumption is also key to maintaining quality muscle and keeping your energy levels up to avoid putting on excess body fat. There are two trains of thought in terms of when to eat carbohydrates.
# 1. When Intermittent Fasting (IF)
It would help if you aimed to consume the bulk of your carbohydrates after your training sessions and during your afternoon and evening meals (or scheduled feeding window depending upon your routine). This will provide your body with enough fuel to recover and rebuild muscle tissue following a hard training session. Eating the majority of your carbohydrates later on in the day will ensure that you aren’t bogged down by the digestion process and will allow your body to store up enough energy to facilitate recovery.
# 2. Cutting excess body fat
You should aim to eat the majority of your carbohydrates earlier in the day to sustain your energy levels and support physical activity. You will then want to limit your carb consumption later in the evening. The idea here is to consume only enough carbs to support activity and aid in recovery. Cut down the number of carbs you eat throughout the day only if you are trying to cut down excess body weight in the form of fat.
Quality Carb Consumption
Ensure that you are putting nutrient-dense carbohydrates into your body for the best results. When cutting down your intake of carbs in the form of high-glycemic starches and grains, it is important to increase your intake of lean protein, quality fats, and fruits and vegetables to ensure that you are getting in enough calories to sustain daily activity needs and recovery.
If you want to perform at your best throughout training and you desire to reach the highest levels possible, you must eat foods that provide your body with the necessary nutrients for optimum health and performance. You must eat carbohydrates! Carbs help to promote recovery, sustain performance, and build lean muscle tissue. If you do not eat enough QUALITY carbohydrates each day you will go into an energy deficit. This deficit will prevent muscle building from taking place through adequate protein synthesis and will hamper your ability to recover.
The Optimal Readiness training system is rigorous for even the most conditioned athletes. This training requires energy to get through the day-to-day training sessions and support adequate recovery. You have to eat properly and sensibly.
Protein
Protein is an important macronutrient responsible for building and repairing muscle tissue through the process of protein synthesis. Amino Acids, the smallest molecular components that makeup protein or the building blocks of protein, aid in the muscle’s ability to generate force and power. Protein consumption is a critical part of being a strong, healthy, and capable human being. Without an adequate supply of this macronutrient, your body will not be able to adequately recover from exercise due to the lack of essential amino acids within the muscle tissue needed to repair and become stronger.
BCAAs
The Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) valine, isoleucine, and leucine are essential amino acids that make up roughly a third of the protein in muscle tissue throughout the body. These amino acids have an anabolic effect on muscle tissue, in which they activate key enzymes needed for building muscle post-exercise. They are excellent for assisting in protein sparing, meaning they easily break down and save other amino acids needed to preserve muscle tissue during exercise.
Consumption
Consumption of protein is ultimately dependent upon the individual and their needs and aspirations. For most individuals, an average of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight is sufficient to adequately supply the body with the protein needed to meet the demands of exercise and activity.
For athletes who engage in more rigorous and structured training routines, 1.2 to 1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight is sufficient to support the process of protein synthesis needed for recovery, strength, and muscle-building adaptations. Those in the powerlifting and bodybuilding arenas need higher amounts of protein at roughly 2 grams per kilogram of body weight to meet the demands of their sport where hypertrophy is the goal.
Timing
Eating high-quality protein in conjunction with a higher glycemic carbohydrate 45 minutes after training has been proven to increase the absorption rate in post-exercise trials. The optimal ratio for the post-training meal is 1 gram of protein to 4 grams of carbohydrates (preferably a faster-burning carb). The mixture of protein and high glycemic carbohydrates accelerates the movement of amino acids into muscle cells due to post-exercise insulin concentrations leading to faster muscle repair and hypertrophy.
For those subscribing to Intermittent Fasting (IF), training closer to your feeding window is a solid approach to reaping the benefits of fasting while taking advantage of the golden post-training window (45 minutes) for accelerated protein synthesis.
Healthy Fats
Ensure that your diet consists of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These are the quality fats that you should be consuming because they are good for your heart, your cholesterol, and your health. Fat is an essential macronutrient that helps your body and facilitates athletic performance. Restricting your fat intake to lose body fat will only hamper your progress and pose significant problems.
Low-fat diets lead to lower serum testosterone levels in men, disrupt the menstrual cycle in women, and also slow down your metabolism.
The slowing down of your metabolism negatively impacts your fat-burning potential. Good fats also help to regulate your body’s hormones and organ functions, maintain energy levels, and protect your vital organs. You need a healthy amount of lean proteins, good fats, and nutrient-dense carbohydrates in order to maintain a healthy body, improve performance, and keep your energy levels up to a level required for success throughout training.
If you follow the Optimal Readiness training system and the sound nutritional guidance provided, you will become leaner and more fit as a result. You will build the lean muscle mass you want, shred the excess body fat you don't want, and achieve that functionally strong, ripped, and athletic look. Be patient, however, as this desired outcome takes time and will happen through consistent effort and discipline over the long haul.
List of Quality Macronutrients
Below is a list of high-quality macronutrients. This is not an exhaustive list but is a great start in providing you with the necessary knowledge of how to make the proper food choices for a healthy lifestyle. The quality macronutrients below should comprise most of your diet to improve health and performance.
Select from the list of items provided below under each macronutrient to create healthy and balanced meal plans and snack options.
MACRONUTRIENTS
PROTEIN | FAT | CARBS | FRUITS & VEG |
Eggs or Egg Whites Tuna Fish Salmon Skinless Chicken Breast Turkey Breast Whey Protein Supplement Bars or Powders Top Round Steak Lean Ground Beef Flounder Buffalo Mahi Mahi Halibut Yellow Tail Cottage Cheese Pork Tenderloin Wild Swordfish Lobster Cod Low Fat Milk Greek Yogurt |
Macadamia Nuts
Olive Oil / Olives
Peanuts / Peanut ButtAvocadoer
Almonds / Almond Butter
Cashews
Cheese
Yogurt
Sunflower Seeds
Hazelnuts
Pecans
Sesame Oil
Peanut Oil
Canola Oil
Flaxseed
Walnuts
| Oatmeal Brown Rice Rice Pilaf Whole Grain Bread Whole Grain Pasta Beans Legumes Buckwheat Wild Rice Whole Grain Tortillas Whole Grain Pitas Whole Grain Bagels White Bread and Pasta Quinoa | Blueberries Apple Pears Grapes Banana Orange Raspberries Grapefruit Pineapple Peach Cantaloupe Blackberries Mango Kiwi Watermelon Broccoli Spinach Carrots Cauliflower Bell Peppers Onion Asparagus Sweet Potato Yams Green Beans Black Beans Potatoes Squash Zucchini Tomato Brussels Sprouts |
RECOMMENDED DAILY INTAKE
MACRONUTRIENT | STRENGTH | ENDURANCE |
FATS | 20-30% of daily caloric intake | 30-40% of daily caloric intake |
PROTEIN | 1.6-1.8 Grams per Kilogram of body weight | 1.2-1.4 Grams per Kilogram of body weight |
CARBS | 5-7 Grams per Kilogram of body weight | 7-10 Grams per Kilogram of body weight |
COMMENTS:
1 Kilogram (kg) = 2.2 Pounds (lbs). The above chart information is according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine. 2010.
Comentarios