A Scientific Approach To Pre/Post Exercise Nutrition To Maximize The Training Effect

When implemented properly and consistently, strategic pre- and post-workout supplementation can greatly increase the effectiveness of your training. Without optimum nutritional strategies, the body’s response to training can only be considered a compromise at best.

From this perspective, training and diet cannot be considered as separate factors. The food and supplements that you take, and the work that you faithfully perform in the gym, are both part of your training. On the day of competition it will not be the athlete who trained harder who wins, it will be the athlete who trained smarter.

Introduction

Exercise causes acute changes in the metabolic environment of muscle tissue. First there is a significant increase in blood flow to working muscles. There is also a sharp increase in catecholamines (e.g. noradrenalin, adrenalin). These changes favor catabolism during exercise, and anabolism immediately after exercise. Because these changes are acute, some lasting only a few hours, the pre and post exercise meals are critical to optimizing the anabolic effect of exercise. This article will discuss pre- and post-exercise nutritional strategies based on current research in this area.

Before

Pre-workout nutritional strategies are based on providing alternative energy substrates (mainly carbohydrate) to preserve energy stores, and taking advantage of increased blood flow to muscle tissue.

Carbohydrates

High intensity exercise places great demand on glycogen stores. Glycogen is the sugar stored in the liver and muscles. Because high intensity exercise burns energy at such a high rate, the body is unable to supply sufficient oxygen to be able to use fat for fuel. Instead, it must use sugar both stored in the muscle and brought in from the blood.

Consuming simple sugars right before training can reduce the amount of glycogen used during exercise. This can prolong performance. More importantly, higher blood sugar and insulin levels appear to create a hormonal milieu favorable to anabolism (growth).

During exercise, cortisol accelerates lipolysis, ketogenesis, and proteolysis (protein breakdown). This happens in order to provide additional fuel substrates for continued exercise. The effects of cortisol may also be necessary to provide an amino acid pool from which the muscle can rebuild new contractile proteins if there are insufficient amino acids delivered from the blood. This ensures that some degree of adaptation can occur regardless of the availability of dietary protein. Over time however, if this process is not balanced with additional dietary protein, the net effect will be only maintenance or even a decrease in functional muscle tissue, as is evident during periods of starvation or prolonged dieting. Fortunately, there is only a non-significant rise in cortisol levels when carbohydrates were consumed during exercise. (Tarpenning, 1998) The net effect is a more rapid increase in the cross sectional area of the muscle fibers with the greatest effect seen in type-II fibers.

This may be a less expensive option for those who were thinking of using phosphatidylserine. In this case, carbohydrate administration appears to down regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, probably through insulin or perhaps through the presence of carbohydrate itself. This would, in effect, greatly reduce the body’s catabolic response to exercise stress. All good news for bodybuilders.

Protein

Another pre-workout strategy involves taking advantage of increased blood flow to working muscles. Because the availability of amino acids is often the limiting factor for protein synthesis, a pre-workout protein meal will enhance the delivery of amino acids to muscle tissue. Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of a pre-workout protein drink.

Amino Acids

Delivery of amino acids has been shown to be significantly greater during the exercise bout when consumed pre-workout than after exercise (Tipton, 2001). There is also a significant difference in amino acid delivery in the 1st hour after exercise, with the pre-exercise protein drink providing a significant advantage. Net amino acid uptake across the muscle is twice as high with a pre-workout protein drink as compared to consuming it after. Phenylalanine disappearance rate, an indicator of muscle protein synthesis from blood amino acids, was significantly higher when amino acids were taken pre-workout.

These results indicate that the response of net muscle protein synthesis to consumption of a protein solution immediately before resistance exercise is greater than that when the solution is consumed after exercise, primarily because of an increase in muscle protein synthesis as a result of increased delivery of amino acids to the leg.

After

During exercise muscles use metabolic fuels at an accelerated rate. In order for physical work to be continuous, the body mobilizes stored fuels to make fatty acids, glucose, and amino acids available for oxidation. This is a catabolic process and cannot occur simultaneous to anabolic processes such as glycogen formation and protein synthesis.

In order for the body to recover from exercise, the catabolic environment must be quickly changed to an anabolic environment. The food that you eat after training affects the hormonal milieu in your body in order for this to take place. With the rapid introduction of carbohydrate, protein, and fat into the system post exercise, the body is able to begin reparations on damaged tissue and replenish fuel reserves.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are important for performance and perhaps more importantly for glycogen recovery. Studies have shown an increased ability of muscle tissue to take up serum glucose immediately following strenuous exercise (Goodyear 1998). This is due to what is called, “non-insulin dependant glucose uptake”. After a meal, muscle cells transport glucose across the cell membrane in response to the hormone insulin. Insulin binds with its receptors at the cell surface causing a cascade of events that ends with proteins, called glucose transporters, being translocated to the cell surface. Once at the cell surface, these glucose transporters allow glucose to pass through the membrane where they can be phosphorylated and eventually stored as glycogen. Membrane transport of glucose will exhibit saturation kinetics similar to the effect of increasing substrate concentration on the activity of enzymes. The number of glucose transporters limits the rate of glucose entry into your muscle cells. Once all available glucose transporters are associated with a glucose molecule, the rate of glucose entry will go no higher.

There are at least 5 different classes of glucose transporter proteins. They are designated GLUT1, GLUT2, GLUT3, GLUT4, and GLUT5. Each class of GLUT protein differs in its kinetic parameters and is found in specific tissues. GLUT-4 is the primary isoform regulated by insulin, and sensitive to muscle contraction.

Muscle contractions, much like insulin, cause a separate set of GLUT-4 proteins to be temporarily translocated to the surface of the muscle cell (Sherman 1996). This greatly increases the rate at which muscle tissue can take in glucose from the blood after a bout of exercise. The effects of exercise on glucose uptake last for a few hours into the post exercise period. If the post exercise meal is lacking in carbohydrates, the replenishment of glycogen is delayed.

If carbohydrates are lacking in the diet, exercise will cause a glucose deficit and glycogen stores will continue to fall without being replenished to pre exercise levels.

Simple vs. Complex

There has been some controversy about which type of carbohydrate is best for post exercise glycogen replenishment. Some argue that simple sugars such as dextrose are best after exercise. Others say that drinks with glucose polymers are best. Still others say that there is no need to buy fancy sports drinks and that simply eating a meal high in carbohydrates such as pasta or rice is sufficient. Studies have shown no difference between different types of carbohydrates eaten post exercise and the rate of glycogen replenishment as long as sufficient quantities of carbohydrate are consumed (Burke 1997). Even when the post exercise meal contains other macronutrients such as proteins and fats, the rate of glycogen replenishment is not hindered, given there is sufficient carbohydrate in the meal as well. These studies tell us that the rate-limiting step in glycogen replenishment after exercise is not in digestion or the glycemic index of a given source of carbohydrate. Over a 24-hour period it is the total amount of carbohydrate consumed that is important. The rate-limiting step in glucose uptake during exercise is determined by the rate of phosphorylation once glucose has entered the muscle cell (Halseth 1998). Glycogen synthase activity is also a possible rate-limiting step (Halseth 1998).

These processes are not readily influenced by the composition of the “post exercise” meal, but rather by the extent to which glycogen was depleted during exercise as well as the amount of carbohydrate and fat consistently included in the diet.

Recommendation

It is recommended that at least 0.7 – 1.0 gram of carbohydrate per kilogram body weight be consumed immediately after exercise and then again 1-2 hours later. If you experience gastric upset try increasing the amount of water you consume with the carbs. Try to shoot for a total of 7-10 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight over a 24-hour period 3 for maximum glycogen storage. This may well be in excess of caloric needs but it is important to shoot for this intake if glycogen storage is your primary goal.

Protein

Protein is another critical nutrient post-exercise. Protein is essential to post exercise anabolism. Protein provides amino acids that are used to rebuild damaged tissues as well as provide enzymes and carrier proteins necessary for adaptation to exercise.

Without protein, which supplies essential amino acids for endogenous protein synthesis, the body’s ability to adapt to exercise is greatly diminished.

The Research

Studies have shown a 12 to 14 day period after the onset of an unaccustomed exercise program, in which nitrogen balance, the ratio of protein intake to protein loss, is negative (Butterfield 1987). Any study looking at protein needs and exercise must take this into account. Nitrogen balance during this period appears to be insensitive to total caloric intake, but can be improved with a high protein intake if adequate calories are supplied (Gontzea 1975). Even though additional protein intake will prevent nitrogen balance from becoming negative, it will still fall despite high protein intake during the first two weeks of exercise.

Muscle specific messenger RNA (mRNA) produced subsequent to training has a half-life of only 4-5 hours. It is so short because mRNA has no “quality control” mechanism built into the coding. By keeping the half-life short, any errors in the sequence won’t be able to produce enough defective proteins to do irreparable damage to the cell or organism. This also allows tight control of protein metabolism.

Importance Of Timing

The timing of protein intake is important. If the anabolic stimulus from exercise is to be maximized, a steady flow of amino acids must bathe the muscle while mRNA content is high. It should be no surprise that the optimum time for protein intake after your workout is relatively brief compared to frequency of training a particular muscle. Muscle protein synthetic rate (MPS) is elevated in humans by up to 50% at about 4 hours following a bout of heavy resistance training, and by 109% at 24 hours following training. A study done by Macdougall (MacDougall et al 1995) further examined the time course for elevated muscle protein synthesis by examining its rate at 36 hrs following a bout of heavy resistance training. Six healthy young men performed 12 sets of 6- to 12-RM elbow flexion exercises with one arm while the opposite arm served as a control. MPS was calculated from the in vivo rate of incorporation of L-[1,2-13C2] leucine into biceps brachii of both arms over 11 hours. At an average time of 36 hours post-exercise, MPS in the exercised arm had returned to within 14% of the control arm value, the difference being nonsignificant.

The following conclusions can be drawn from this study, following a bout of heavy resistance training, muscle protein synthetic rate increases rapidly, is more than double at 24 hours, and then declines rapidly so that at 36 hours it has almost returned to baseline.

Recommendations

Current recommendations for total protein intake for athletes is between 1.6-1.8 grams per kilogram body weight, depending on who you read, however, it is not uncommon for bodybuilders to consume in excess of 2 grams per kg of body weight with no ill effects. It should be remembered that the body does not have the capacity to effectively store amino acids. Protein should be eaten at least every 3-4 hours. The evening meal should contain slowly digesting protein that will allow a steady release of amino acids into your system well into the night. Dinner is a perfect time for steak or other meat dishes.

Fat

Little is known about the effects of fat in the “post-exercise” meal. Total fat intake is probably more important for a bodybuilder than just considering the post-workout meal. Essential fatty acids in sufficient quantities have the ability to alter physiology. Fatty acids such as omega-3s’ and omega-6s’, when consumed in differing ratios in a consistent and deliberate manner, can alter the composition of cell membranes which alters the production of prostaglandins in working muscles and thereby can modify everything from glucose transport to protein synthesis (Hayashi 1999). These effects are seen after at least 5 days of consuming of these fats in moderate to high doses. Eating them immediately after training and at no other time will most likely not have any dramatic effect.

Some forms of fat may delay gastric emptying which theoretically could slow the rate at which nutrients become available to tissues. We can only speculate whether this would have any “long term” effect on gains. Most research indicates that glycogen replenishment is delayed but not reduced when gastric emptying is prolonged.

There is some indication that cholesterol may be an important nutrient immediately after high intensity resistance exercise. Total cholesterol has been shown to be significantly lowered for at least 90 hours following a single bout of resistance exercise (Smith 1994). Serum cholesterol may be needed for incorporation into damaged cell membranes after resistance exercise. I’m not implying that you should eat a high cholesterol meal right after training.

Taken together, research is still lacking where the optimal levels and composition of post-exercise fats are concerned.

Fluids

I couldn’t really write an article about pre- and post exercise nutrition without at least mentioning fluid replacement. Hydration is extremely important on the cellular level. Muscle growth is inhibited by dehydration. In bodybuilding we tend not to focus on fluid replacement because, unlike runners or cyclists, most bodybuilders do not become dehydrated after a single workout. The rate at which you become dehydrated from training depends on how much you sweat (Gisolfi 1990). Some people sweat a lot when lifting and others don’t sweat a drop.

A good rule of thumb is to drink 1 ml for every calorie that you need. So, if you eat 3,500 calories a day, try to drink 3 liters. If you exercise in hot or humid climates add 2 cups of water for every pound you lose while exercising.

It’s about synergy

As mentioned earlier, macronutrient intake modulates post-exercise protein synthesis in ways that are just beginning to be understood. Yes, protein is required to supply essential amino acids for protein synthesis, but what is the mechanism by which protein is controlling this process? Also, are carbohydrates and fats needed only for fuel replacement, or do they play an “interactive” role in post exercise protein synthesis? Recent research has shed light on these questions.

Research

Researchers from the Division of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Illinois examined the effect of post exercise meal composition on protein synthesis. To do this, they looked specifically at the activity of specific proteins known to regulate protein synthesis at the translational level. Initiation of translation (the binding of mRNA to the ribosomal pre-initiation complex) requires group 4 eukaryotic initiation factors (eIFs). These initiation factors interact with the mRNA in such a way that makes translation (the construction of new proteins from the mRNA strand) possible. Two eIFs, called eIF4A and eIF4B, act in concert to unwind the mRNA strand. Another one called eIF4E binds to what is called the “cap region” and is important for controlling which mRNA strands are translated and also for stabilization of the mRNA strand.

Finally, eIF4G is a large polypeptide that acts as a scaffold or framework around which all of these initiation factors and the mRNA and ribosome can be kept in place and proper orientation for translation.

The researchers in this study looked at the association of the mRNA cap binding protein eukaryotic initiation factor-4-E (eIF4E) with the translational inhibitor 4E-eukaryotic initiation factor binding protein-1 (4E-BP1) in the acute modulation of skeletal muscle protein synthesis during recovery from exercise. Fasting male rats were run on a treadmill for 2 h at 26 m/min and were fed immediately after exercise with saline, a carbohydrate-only meal, or a nutritionally complete meal using Ensure Powder (54.5% carbohydrate, 14% protein, and 31.5% fat). Exercised animals and non-exercised controls were studied 1 h post-exercise.

Protein Synthesis

Muscle protein synthesis decreased 26% after exercise and was associated with a fourfold increase in the amount of eIF4E present in the inactive eIF4E.4E-BP1 complex and a concomitant 71% decrease in the association of eIF4E with eIF4G. Refeeding the complete meal, but not the carbohydrate meal, increased muscle protein synthesis equal to controls, despite similar plasma concentrations of insulin. Additionally, eIF4E.4E-BP1 association was inversely related and eIF4E.eIF4G association was positively correlated to muscle protein synthesis.

This study demonstrates that recovery of muscle protein synthesis after exercise is related to the availability of eIF4E for 48S ribosomal complex formation, and post-exercise meal composition influences recovery via modulation of translation initiation.

Results

The results of this study tell us a few things:

#1 |  Insulin

Insulin (via carbohydrate intake) alone is not enough to prevent 4E-BP1 from sequestering eIF4E. EIF4E must be free to bind to eIF4G in order for protein synthesis (i.e. recovery from training and net muscle growth) to begin. Insulin as well as amino acids must be present at the same time as indicated by the results from the group that were fed a mixed nutrient meal. So although feeding of the carbohydrate meal resulted in elevated blood glucose and elevated insulin levels, carbohydrates alone are not sufficient to allow protein synthesis to begin.

#2 |  Cortisol Levels

The only group that experienced a significant drop in cortisol levels was the mixed meal group. The carbohydrate-only group showed that neither blood glucose nor insulin had any effect on reducing cortisol levels. In contrast, the mixed meal group showed cortisol levels even below those in the control group who did no exercise and were also fed the same meal. It would have been nice for the authors of this experiment to explore the effect of the fat content in the “mixed meal”. From the results we saw that cortisol was lower in the mixed meal group. We can only speculate whether this was due to the protein, the fat, or some combination of protein, fat and carbs. Further research in this area should take into consideration all components of the post exercise meal.

One other issue that might be addressed in humans is the time frame during which re-alimentation is critical to “long term” adaptation to exercise.

In Closing…

Pre- and post-exercise nutrition is critical if one wants to maximize the anabolic effects of exercise. The pre-exercise meal should be high in a quickly digestible protein. This will ensure high delivery of amino acids to the muscle tissue. Carbohydrates can also be taken in to minimize glycogen loss and suppress catabolic hormones. Fat should be avoided pre-exercise unless the exercise is for endurance. The post exercise meal should consist of carbohydrate, protein and perhaps a small amount of essential fats, in a form that is easily and quickly digestible. There are many meal replacement products that fit the bill. Just pick the one you like the most. Don’t worry about sugar content because right after a workout, fat storage is not a big issue. A liquid meal is the most practical method of post-exercise feeding although it is probably not essential.

The ratio of macronutrients depends somewhat on the nature of the training session. An emphasis on high glycemic carbs, complete readily digestible proteins such as whey, egg, or high quality casein, and essential fats such as fish or flax oil will meet the criteria for an effective post exercise meal.

How Long After a Training Session, Do Muscles Continue to Grow?

Muscle hypertrophy, it sounds like an avoidable disorder, but it's exactly what you want to achieve when you implement resistance training into your workouts. Hypertrophy is the increase in mass and girth of your existing muscle cells. It is a complex process activated by catalysts including: resistance of force, intensity, duration and frequency of workouts and the recovery period after workouts. During and after training sessions your muscles undergo the beginnings of growth but must also have time for recuperation, otherwise you experience muscle weakening from overuse.

Growth prompting changes to your muscle tissue is triggered during your workout within two to four hours and continues for up to 24 hours. The length of time muscle growth sustains depends on the training session intensity, duration and trauma caused to the muscle cells.

Essentially, during your workout the muscle cell organelles are subject to slight tears, which activate surrounding muscle cells outside of the muscle fiber. The satellite cells begin to proliferate, or grow and divide, to repair the injury site. Muscle fibers fuse as part of the healing process and then form new myofibrils, or threads of the muscle fiber. Myofibrils increase in density and permit the initially injured muscle fiber to allow in more protein for building muscle mass. This process is called muscle protein synthesis.

Muscle protein synthesis plays a crucial part in completing the growth process of muscles from a singular workout session. Specifically, muscle growth only occurs when the rate of muscle protein synthesis exceeds the rate of muscle protein breakdown. At the most basic level, this means your workout has to cause efficient muscle tearing through resistance and force to allow existing muscle cell protein to breakdown rapidly. However, muscles can only repair and grow if new protein is introduced to the body during a sufficient window occurring in this cellular process.

A single intense set of high-weight repetitions can prompt muscle growth but you might never see the results if you do not continue engaging in consistent training. As important as the intensity and frequency of your workouts are, equally is the importance of recovery or recuperation time between workouts. Within two hours of your training session, consume a protein-filled snack to prompt muscle protein synthesis. You should also avoid working the same muscle group two days in a row. A day of rest in between muscle groups is adequate for prompting those biceps to grow from pebbles in to big old rocks.

Skeletal muscle such as that you are trying to bulk is extremely resilient and adaptive but this can lead to mass gaining plateaus. Hitting the muscle bulking slump is easily overcome by traumatizing your muscles in a new and different way. Simply boost your weight but lower your reps or change up your routine. Avoid ceasing your training sessions altogether because this can delay the progress from the efforts you have put in and force you to over-train the next time you attempt to replenish your workout.

If you are new to muscle bulking you will likely see relatively rapid muscle growth results. Keep in mind that proper form, consistent training and nutrition are important components of a comprehensive workout. With time persistent efforts lend to quality gains and increased muscular strength.

Difference Between Natural Protein and Whey Protein

Whey protein, usually used in protein supplementation, is a by-product of the cheese manufacturing process. In simple expressions, whey protein is derived from the residual solids in the liquid left after cheese coagulates from cow's milk. Like the majority animal-based proteins - dairy in this case - whey is a whole protein that contains all nine essential amino acids (these amino acids cannot be biosynthesized by the body and must be acquired from dietary sources). Whey protein, either in its concentrate, isolate, or sometimes in hydrolysate (rarely) form are used as protein bodybuilding supplements, meant to saturate the skeletal muscle cells with amino acids to prevent protein catabolism and help them improve their repair and recovery rate after training.

Natural or dietary proteins can be found in a host of food types. When thinking protein, most people think meat or animal-based products, for good reason: meat is an excellent source of complete proteins, although it also contains relatively high concentrations of fat and cholesterol. This is highly dependent on the type of meat; turkey breast has 17% protein content per weight, but is very low in fat while beef can contain up to 35% protein per weight, but just as much in fat. But meat is hardly the only source of protein available. Some vegetables, particularly legumes such as beans, chick peas, etcetera, contain high levels of proteins and almost no fat, making them favorites of vegetarians and vegans who may need to pay closer attention to their protein intake.

Unfortunately, vegetable proteins are not complete; they do not contain all nine essential amino acids necessary to good health. This is easily countered through protein combining, a practice in which several types of foods will be eaten together to ensure that all amino acids are presents; a good example of that are ubiquitous rice and bean dishes.
Natural protein and Whey protein have different uses, and under no circumstances should supplements, such as whey protein supplement, be used to completely replace dietary protein sources.

Dietary protein sources should meet everyone's - including athletes and bodybuilders - baseline protein needs. Protein obtained through food is highly bioavailable, and contains a host of vitamins, enzymes, dietary fiber and other nutrients absolutely essential to good health that will not be available in supplements, no matter how good. Except in very specific circumstances, no one besides athletes and bodybuilders should need protein supplementation.

Where whey protein supplements actually come into their own is to grow up lean muscle mass. Whey supplements assist bodybuilders and athletes saturate their skeletal muscle cells in order to permit them all the amino acids they require to grow throughout the recovery period after workouts, as well as during sleeping periods. To maximize saturation, experts recommend that protein supplements be taken as close as possible to the training period; opinions differ as to whether before or after is preferable. Whey protein supplements, commonly available as powder to be mixed with water, milk or juice, or in convenient low-carbohydrate bar form are ideal for this function, as they can be consumed at exactly the right time.

To Build Rock-Hard Muscle Fast, Here’s What Not To Do

1. Performing too many isolation exercises

An exercise is only as good as the time it takes you to adapt to it. Provided you use enough load for enough time, all exercises can build muscle. It’s just that some exercises do it better than others. It has to do with what the German strength physiologists call the scale of motor unit recruitment. For example, cam exercises for a given number of reps recruit less motor units than pulley exercises, and pulley exercises recruit less motor units than dumbbell exercises. The more you stick to what we were designed for as animals (lifting rocks, carrying carcasses and generally just fighting against gravity), the better off you are.

What that means is using free weights in preference to machines. A large, muscular physique is built from squats, dips, chins and deadlifts – not triceps kickbacks and cable crossovers.

2. Performing too many machine exercises

Remember this motto: “Seven days training on machines makes one week (weak)!” Again, because of the scale of motor unit recruitment, if you are the type who lines up at the gym for the lat pulldown machine, you are not going to grow as fast as the guy slaving away at the chin-up bar.

3. Believing the bulking-up nonsense

In the so-called Golden Age of Bodybuilding where bodybuilders were known by their first names (e.g., Arnold, Louie and Sergio), bulking up in the off-season and then cutting up was standard practice. Besides the obvious health problems associated with adding excess fat, bulking up is a really bad approach to trying to achieve your physique or athletic fitness goals.

Here are six reasons why:

#1 Anti-Bulking Fact

Bulking-up diet programs won’t produce any more muscle growth than ingesting an ideal amount of nutrients. Sorry, but it’s simply not possible to force additional muscle growth by overfeeding.
#2 Anti-Bulking Fact
Bulking up develops insulin resistance, which makes it harder in the long run to gain muscle. What happens when you bulk up is that carbohydrates will go preferentially to fat stores, not to muscle tissue.
#3 Anti-Bulking Fact
Bulking up will make it harder for you to get leaner because insulin resistance is hard to reverse. The fatter you get, the harder it becomes to get lean. Female bodybuilders learn this fact quickly, as it is considerably harder for women to reach the low body-fat levels required for competition.
#4 Anti-Bulking Fact
The fatter you get, the more aromatase enzyme your body will produce. In the extreme, getting fat could be considered a form of self-castration, as your own testosterone will be converted into the female hormone estrogen and you will suffer many unwanted side effects. If you’re a man and you enjoy wearing a bra, go right ahead and get fatter.
#5 Anti-Bulking Fact
Getting fatter will ramp down the effectiveness of your thyroid hormone production – not a good thing, because thyroid production is essential for fat loss. The fatter your abdominal wall becomes, the less conversion there will be of T4 to T3, the metabolically active form of thyroid.
#6 Anti-Bulking Fact
The lower your percentage of body fat, the better your body becomes at nutrient partitioning. This means individuals with low body fat are more effective at storing the ingested nutrients in the muscle (as muscle tissue or glycogen) or in the liver (as glycogen) and less effective at storing nutrients as body fat. To put it in simpler terms, leaner individuals can eat more nutrients without gaining fat.
#7 Anti-Bulking Fact
The idea that “a calorie is a calorie” is a bunch of bunk. Calories from sweet potatoes are great for building muscle; calories from beer are not. For that matter, getting fat increases the risk of dying from any cause, even terrorist attacks. I’m serious – you’re a bigger target and you can’t get out of danger as fast.

4. Burning too many calories outside the gym

You can’t effectively gain a lot of muscle mass if you play basketball four days a week and in the evening go to bars cutting the carpet till the wee hours, and then run up and down the beach on Sundays. My good friend Angus Cooper was a bronze medalist in hammer throwing at the Commonwealth Games. He used to repeat a poem that came from Al Schoterman, a PICP Level 5 strength coach who was a 1972 Olympian and Jud Logan’s hammer throw coach:

The Phases of Rest

• Never run when you can walk
• Never walk when you can get a ride
• Never stand when you can sit
• Never sit when you can lie down
• Never lie down when you can go to sleep

5. Keeping your reps too low

Using relative-strength protocols are great to build up the nervous system to lift high loads, but they are not the fastest way to hypertrophy. Alternating cycles of 9-12 reps with cycles of 4-8 reps is the quickest way to gain lean muscle mass.

6. Failing to take post-workout shakes

Taking a post-workout shake is critical for mass gaining. In fact, the rate of protein synthesis and possibly muscle growth can double when protein is consumed immediately after a workout. Researchers at the University of Connecticut at Storrs found that a protein/carb shake also helps increase the number of testosterone receptors. For those athletes who are already lean, I’ve found that results are best when you use a formula that contains four carbs to every gram of protein, and you should be taking one gram per pound of bodyweight post-workout. My recommendation is Quadricarb.

Post-workout glutamine supplementation facilitates muscle recovery and can accelerate muscle glycogen resynthesis and glutamine levels, which are critical in creating an anabolic environment and in preventing overtraining. Adding glycine and/or Primal Greens also helps lower cortisol post workout.

7. Failing to stay hydrated

Water is often the most neglected nutrient. Dehydration leads to higher cortisol output; negative repercussions range from increased oxydative stress to the brain, to increased fat storage. As a rule of thumb you should drink 0.6 to 0.7 ounces of water for every pound of bodyweight. In other words, if you weigh 200 pounds, you should drink 120 to 140 ounces of water a day. An easy way to ensure that you are drinking your proper daily quota is to measure your prescribed amount into containers for the day, every morning. By bedtime, all the containers should be empty. When first starting to do this hydration protocol, many individuals realize that they barely drink 40 percent of their water needs by the time they retire for the evening. This exercise in itself is very educational.

From a practical standpoint the best indication that you are staying well hydrated is that your morning urine is clear and odorless. If it has the color of Vermont’s finest maple syrup, start drinking more water.

8. Drinking stimulating drinks all the time

Stimulants by their very nature increase cortisol. That is fine if you are on your way to the gym and are going to use that extra drive to increase loading. But once the workout is over, no more coffee, caffeinated drinks, etc. One of the dumbest things I have seen was at Italy’s best gym in Tuscany: Locals would reach for the coffee machine post workout! No wonder I’d never seen anyone from that town bench or squat over 80 kg all week.

9. Getting insufficient sleep

As in the case of fat loss, sleep deprivation can interfere with muscle mass gains. Lack of sleep lowers androgen levels and growth hormone levels, thus robbing you of some serious growth potential.

10. Consuming insufficient protein

For a 200-pound lean male, 300 grams of protein per day would be the minimum. In fact, I think the rule should be closer to two grams of protein per pound of body weight, assuming the person is lean.For about 70 percent of the population who is not carb tolerant, two grams per pound is good for mass gains; it can make a huge difference. Personally, I couldn’t get above 192 pounds until champion bodybuilder Milos Sarcev convinced me to get two grams of protein per pound of body weight. In a matter of eight weeks’ time I was up to 205 pounds, lean. That being said, if an individual is carb tolerant (i.e., handles carbohydrates very well), that value would drop to 1 to 1.5 grams per pound of body weight. Someone like Christian Thibaudeau, who’s not carb tolerant, should be getting 2 grams per pound. But I’d say 1 to 1.5 grams for a guy like Milos Sarcev, who would be able to wake up and drink a gallon mixture of 50 percent maple syrup and 50 percent dextrose without it affecting his blood sugar. Guys like Milos need to get 70 percent of their calories from carbs.

The bottom line is that carb intake has to be individualized to an extent. Still, most people don’t “deserve” the carbs they eat. The rule for most people is this: You have to earn your carbs! While there are many mistakes that can be made in trying to gain muscle mass, correcting these 10 errors will help you achieve results faster than ever.

Top 5 Shoulder Training Mistakes And We Show You How To Correct Them

Things get more complicated. We’ve previously covered muscles, such as biceps, that simply shorten or lengthen to close or open a hinge joint. That was primary school; this is college – because your shoulder joints offer an advanced degree of mobility. Three distinct delt heads move your arms over 180 degree arcs. This greater complexity leads to heightened risks of errors and injuries.

So take careful notes as we tackle the five most common shoulder training blunders and explain how to shoulder on correctly.

Mistake #1: Overemphasising Front Delts

All delt heads do not work equally, and the one that typically carries the heaviest load is the anterior. Your front delts are not only primary movers during overhead presses, they’re also secondary movers during chest and triceps workouts, helping during presses and dips. If you’re doing front raises in addition to a lot of shoulder, chest and tri compound lifts, you’re likely overworking your front delts.

This is especially true if you train chest and shoulders in the same workout or on consecutive days.

Solutions

• If you hit chest before shoulders in the same workout, consider how much pressing and dipping you’ve already done before working delts. If the total is at least eight sets, do no more than four sets total of shoulder presses and front raises.
• Don’t train chest and shoulders on consecutive days. Ideally, three days should pass between hitting each, so if you do chest on Monday, do delts on Thursday.
• Dumbbell presses or presses behind the neck stress the middle delts more and front delts less, so these are good alternatives to military presses if you believe that your front delts are overtrained or that they’re outgrowing the other heads.
• One cardinal rule of bodybuilding is that you can never be too wide. And so, it’s generally best to emphasize your middle delts more and front delts less on shoulder day, because the middles (most responsible for shoulder width) get little stress during other workouts and your fronts may assist during both your chest and tri sessions.

Mistake #2: Underemphasising Rear Delts

Just as anterior delts tend to get too much emphasis, posterior delts tend to get too little. Rear delts assist during lat exercises, such as rows and pulldowns; but if you’re targeting your lats correctly, it’s unlikely that your rear delts are receiving enough work on back or shoulder day to reach their full potential.

Most bodybuilders relegate rear laterals to last place in their shoulder routines, and then go through the paces for four sets of minimal intensity. It’s no wonder posterior delts are so frequently your shoulders’ weakest links.

Solutions

• Consider training rear delts on back day, when you can emphasize them separately from their front and middle brothers. Perform four to six sets of rear laterals at the end of your back workout.
• If you choose to train posteriors on shoulder day, don’t always perform them last in your routine.

Instead, do rear laterals after presses – but before any side laterals or front raises – or switch up the order from workout to workout.

Mistake #3: Too Fast And Furious

Especially when it comes to side laterals and front raises, trainers tend to go too heavy and use too much momentum. Each delt head is relatively small, and to isolate them, you need to minimise both momentum and assistance from other muscles. You may not want to be seen holding 20-pound dumbbells, but if that’s what it takes to best isolate your medial delts, then those are the weights you should be grabbing.

Solutions

• Do shoulder exercises seated instead of standing to remove your legs from the lifts.
• Choose weights that you can utilize for 8-12 strict reps at a relatively slow pace (1 second up, 2 seconds down). Pause at the bottom of reps to begin each rep from a dead stop and eliminate any swinging momentum.

Mistake #4: Improper Form

This mistake usually runs in concert with #3. The main culprit is emphasising the weight and not focusing on muscle stimulation. Thus, the weight is raised by any means necessary. Other times, trainers simply develop bad habits; some never learn how to do lifts in the manner that best stimulates muscle gains.

Solutions

Correct form is especially important on shoulder day, because of the ball-and-socket joints’ vulnerability to injury.

• When doing side laterals, let your elbows lead the way and raise them until they’re even with your shoulders. In the top position, your hands should be just below the level of your elbows (arms slightly bent) with your pinkies up and thumbs down.
• Throughout each set, focus on the deltoid heads you’re targeting, not on the resistance. Work the muscle, not the weight. After reaching failure in a shoulder exercise, don’t cheat to eke out extra reps. Instead, do a drop set, have a partner help with forced, reps or use the rest-pause technique.

When doing overhead presses, lower your hands to approximately chin level (or below) and raise to just short of lockout.

Mistake #5: Lack Of Exercise Variety

Shoulders may be the only body part you train with just free weights. It’s true that barbells and dumbbells are the most effective training tools, but you can too easily fall into a rut of doing the same three or four free-weight exercises the same way, workout after workout. Variety is also an effective tool.

Solutions

There are a lot of ways to do overhead presses.

Try including a different pressing exercise each shoulder workout. Here are three free-weight presses you likely aren’t doing: underhand presses (press a barbell over-head with a shoulder-width underhand grip); Arnold presses (press dumbbells from underhand at the bottom to overhand at the top); and rack military presses (press each rep from a dead stop off of power-rack supports set at chin level).

• There’s more to training middle delts than just dumbbell side laterals. On occasion, do side laterals with cables or a machine and, regardless of equipment, you can go unilateral. Wide-grip upright rows are another way of targeting your middle delts.
• Likewise, you can perform rear laterals with cables or machines and go unilateral. You can also do wide-grip bent-over rows to focus more on your posterior delts. A Smith machine is an effective tool for wide-grip rows; hold each contraction and flex your rear delts.

Lessons Learnt

• Work your front delts less and middle delts more
• Train rear delts after back or don’t leave them for last in your shoulder routine
• Sit down and slow down to remove momentum from lifts
• Use strict form and avoid cheating, even if only to extend a set beyond failure
• Do a wide variety of shoulder exercises

Why Exercise Without Supplements?

Do you need to take supplements – protein powder, vitamins, minerals – to help you get the most from your workout? The simple answer is YES!
Good nutrition is just as important as exercise for your good health. What’s more, athletic workouts, distance running, and body building all put your body through punishment that you need extra nutrition to repair.

Protein
Hard, vigorous exercise damages your muscles and puts stress on your bones. “No pain, no gain,” the saying goes, but pain is a sign that your body is being tested beyond its normal limits and damage is happening.

In fact, that’s how a workout works: it damages your muscles, and your body repairs the damage, making the muscles stronger. But it needs the right materials to do the job. The single most important nutrient for repairing the damage caused by exercise, the building material for the increased strength and endurance you want from your workout, is protein.

Although you can get protein from foods, such as lean meat and legumes, a quickly-metabolized extra boost from protein powder is something serious body-builders swear by.

Antioxidants
Another way exercise can damage your body is by producing free radicals. Free radicals are a natural, unavoidable by-product of exercise. But they can also cause harm to your immune system, trigger cancer-causing oncogenes, and even accelerate the aging process.

A number of important vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and selenium, counter the production of free radicals. These nutrients are called “antioxidants.” They are an important part of any diet, and can help reduce the risk of cancer and other serious illness.
Antioxidants can also buffer your body against the extra production of free radicals from your workout. Supplements high in antioxidants should be a part of your daily routine.

Minerals
Strenuous exercise increases your body’s demand for minerals, and also increases mineral loss through urine and sweat. It’s important to replace the minerals that your workout costs you. Minerals are essential to many aspects of your health, from metabolism to bone density.

The main minerals that are lost due to hard exercise are copper, magnesium, zinc, and iron. Calcium and chromium, although not lost as readily due to exercise, are essential to repairing any bone damage, such as bone bruises and the stress on the bones of many types of exercise including running and weight-lifting.

General Nutrition
Here’s a good rule of thumb: if your body needs it, your workout program means you need more of it. A good, high-quality multiple vitamin and mineral supplement is even more important when you are engaged in a serious, hard exercise program.

The bottom line is that what you put into your body is at least as important to your health and performance as how hard you work out. So why would you exercise without supplements?

Always check with a nutritionist before changing your diet and exercise. If you don't have a nutritionist yet, use a background check service before you make your decision
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WHAT ARE BCAA (BRANCHED CHAIN AMINO ACIDS) AND HOW ARE THEY HELPFUL ?

BCAA - We’ve all read this acronym somewhere. Yes, that little box behind the big whey box you always pick up. Did you ever wonder what it stands for, and how it worked for you? If you have, we’re to give a brief overview.

BCAAs stand for Branched Chain Amino Acids. Now, there are 9 essential amino acids in a complete proteinsource. These cannot be produced by the body, and need to consumed by the individual through food.Three of them – namely Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine – are especially important for protein synthesis and constitute the bulk of a BCAA product. These can be put to great use by the body if they are taken correctly.
Now, as a responsible reader, you may have wondered why you need BCAAs when you have quality proteinsources in your diet, such as whey, eggs, chicken et al. Those contain all the aminos we need, right? Yes, they do. But all of them, even whey, need to be digested by the body first. BCAAs skip the entire digestion process and are transferred straight to your musculature. It is the equivalent of a direct injection to the bloodstream.
But do you really need them? Let us consider a common scenario. During and right after workouts, the body quickly runs out of its primary source of fuel – glucose and other carbohydrate derivatives – and reaches into your muscle, breaks it down into amino acids in the bloodstream, and uses them instead. This is also common during fasting or during a crash diet. At this point, the body is literally burning through skeletal muscle for menial work - and of course, we don’t want that.
At such stages of glycolytic depletion, if the body already has some amino acids in its bloodstream, it will use these acids instead, and spare the muscle we have built up with so much difficulty. These muscle-saving acids will come from dietary BCAAs.
The reason why the usual protein supplements won’t help here is because they take time to digest, during which skeletal muscle will be lost. BCAAs also push the body into a muscle-building state due to the ready presence of leucine, the most important amino acid in its entire family for muscle synthesis.
In a study conducted by two doctors for J Sports Med Fitness in 2000, it was observed that BCAA supplementation played a significant role in reducing levels of plasma markers associated with muscle tissue damage after intense resistance exercise.
These are especially useful while trying to lose fat mass, as during such a period, it’s rather easy to slip into a catabolic state and begin to lose muscle as well. A single dose of BCAAs will halt this loss. Most professionals use them in the off season. Apart from that, before and after your workout, and in the morning when you first wake up is a good time to consume them as well.
BCAAs come in pill and powder form. The MIH store stocks on several such formulations here:
http://www.madeinhealth.com/aminos-muscle-recovery
A common dosage scheme goes something like 5-10g in the morning and the same amount before and after your workout. This can be tweaked up or down according to your body weight and strength.
Hence, Branched Chain Amino Acids are a great tool in helping you preserve and build muscle. They are a great addition to anyone’s diet.
Train hard, eat right, and stay strong!

To achieve results outside of the gym

Does supplements help you recovering a bodybuilding workout? If you are concerned with bodybuilding and maintaining your body then you have to know that there is much more to do in order to achieve results outside of the gym, after and in between your workouts. Actually, muscles grows only outside of the gym. It's just like destroying your muscles with each workout, to facilitate rebuilding them stronger each time. It is in the recovery from training where you can really achieve results and recently a lot of attention has been focused on post-workout nutrition. This is because the body is most able to absorb nutrients after a good workout.

 

A good post-workout meal can help the body as it trying to recover from the strain of exercise. It increases protein synthesis to create a more anabolic state. By aiding the body's recovery it will lead to better gain while training.

Directly after training there are several things you can do to help the recovery process. Contrasting showers, switching between short bursts of hot and cold water can improve circulation in the trained areas. If you alternate between having the water as hot as you can stand and as cold as you can stand, then repeating it 4-6 times you will increase the size of your vessels during the hot periods and decrease them in the cold sections. This is known as vaso-dilation and vaso-constriction and helps free up circulation.

Ice massages are another way of stimulating muscles immediately after training. If you take a cube of ice and rub it along the muscle belly you have been working on, you will reduce the tightness of the contracted muscle. This will also pump free the waste products within the tissue that have built up in training. Avoid rubbing the ice over your joints.

After training it is important you replenish your body with the nutrients and calories it has lost through exertion. Directly after training try eating fruit, milk and protein supplements to quickly replace what you have lost. After this quick meal, wait an hour then try eating a full meal consisting of carbs and protein.

In between your workout sessions, it is during sleep that our muscles grow the most. With this in mind it is important you get enough sleep to allow for this. Aim for at least 7 hours of sleep each night to give your muscles sufficient time to relax and grow. If you suffer with being unable to sleep there are herbs like camomile you can take to help you. It is advisable not to take these any more than 2-3 times a week.

It is essential to have this time in order to help your body improve and continue to grow long after you have called it a day in the gym.

Bodybuilding Diet Plan For a V-shaped Body

You would like to go on a bodybuilding diet plan to the gain muscle mass that you have always dreamed of. You would like the V-shape formed in your lower abdominal that you see pro bodybuilders and fitness models with. To acquire the body that you see in the popular fitness magazines you should first spotlight on your diet plan. If you ask any one of those people who you see in any of these magazines they will tell you the first thing that you must focus on is your diet. You are completely wasting their time in the gym if you have not created a proper diet that is going to aid you in reaching your goals.

Each bodybuilding diet plan consists of some common but very necessary components. The first thing that you will find in a diet such as this is that you must eat at least 5 to 6 meals a day. You must be eating one meal every 2 to 3 hours throughout the day, this is going to keep your metabolism high and provide your muscles with a constant supply of nutrients that is going to allow your body to produce the muscle that you desire. The old ways of eating three meals a day and being done is not going work at all, it is literally impossible to get all of your nutritional needs in three meals.

An additional item that you must focus on is your protein, carb and fat intakes. You must have specific macro nutritional ratios that are going to fit the goals that you have set out to achieve. Protein is going to be very important in a diet such as this and you should always keep your protein intake to at least 1 to 1.5 grams per pound of body weight.

Furthermore you must calculate the specific number of calories that you must consume daily. This is very important in the muscle building process because you must provide your body with enough fuel to produce the muscle that you want. This is something that is going to vary from person to person, if done wrong you will either add unwanted fat gain or make no muscle gains at all.
One more thing that you must constantly provide your body with is water. You can ask any fitness model or bodybuilder about how important water is in maintaining and building muscle mass. Water plays a much major role in muscle functions, and other bodily functions for that matter.

while approaching a bodybuilding diet plan you must have details about exactly what your body needs. You can't jump into something like this without proper knowledge as you could easily make a costly mistake and render all of your efforts which useless. You need something that is going to provide you with all of the essentials in a journey such as this. The wrong approach could be disastrous, if you want to build muscle that you deserve

Exercises for gaining mass & strength

There's lots of gym exercises, but which of them ought to you do? This is the list of most important gym exercises for gaining mass & strength.

1) Deadlift. Deadlift is the most important gym exercise. It exercises all of your body parts, including legs, back &; arms. Deadlifts are essential for immense back & forearms. they work on your abs much , so with doing deadlifts you can a six-pack.

2) Squats. Squats is the only exercise that works out all muscles in your legs. Squats are essential for muscle growth in other areas , because when you do them, your testosterone levels goes up. High testosterone is important, because the higher the testosterone, the more your muscles will grow. Squats also work on your abs, so in case you want to have six-pack, you must do them.

3) Bench Press. Most bodybuilders think about bench press as most important upper body exercise. it is essential in case you want to have immense chest, shoulders & triceps. This exercise will create brilliant strength in your arms.

4) Pullups. Most of people can't perform even single pullup, so this exercise is a actual challenge for lots of people. in case you want to have "v" type back, this exercise is essential. It will build immense lats, as well it works on your middle back & biceps. in case you want to have immense back & strong upper body, this exercise is a must.

5) Dips. This is the best triceps exercise. Dips works on your chest &; triceps, shoulders. important exercise, because in case you have weak shoulders your body won't be able to strong arms. as pull ups &; bench press, this exercise is important for upper body strength.

 

Best way to recover from muscle fatigue

I am sure you have all experience in the past this feeling where you feel you Muscles sore and aching after a hard workout or even during it. It is the certain point where you feel that your muscles are abandoning you, and you have to try much harder to lift an amount of weight for which you would normally need less effort. That is when muscle fatigue occurs. It is a term known for several years in sports. Our concern is to determine how it affects us in bodybuilding.

First of all, we have to establish how it is caused. During hard workout where our muscles are being pushed to their limits, they burn energy. Glycogen is the energy that muscle cells are using while we train them. As glycogen breaks anaerobically down it produces inorganic acids, which are being accumulated in the cells. The most important one is Lactic Acid. That is responsible for all those symptoms of fatigue we are experiencing. A recent study suggested that calcium flow inside muscle cells can cause muscle fatigue. We have to wait and see if that theory is in did accurate.

There are two main types of muscle fatigue. Genetically, or from sickness generated muscle fatigue where medical assistant is required. And the one concerning us, which is being caused from excessive exercise.

The best way to recover from muscle fatigue is to give each muscle part you have been training enough resting time. Normally, two days would be enough, but in case we are feeling any of the symptoms mentioned above just rest longer. Don't worry if you experience muscle fatigue often. It is normal in bodybuilding and if we stick with our strength training muscle routines and our ideal protein intake then muscle development is unavoidable.

 

Cheap method to prepare Whey Protein

I would like you to know at the beginning that this method gets very little whey from how much milk you use compared to the manufactured Whey Protein. In Fact it’s a very cheap method to prepare Whey Protein supplement for bodybuilder Rather Than buying an expensive whey protein.

From an experience I've done in chimestry, you can seperate casein form milk with acetic acid (mostly found in vinegar) then filter the solid. So here we go..

Ingredients :

- 1 Litre full cream milk

- 1 or 2 tpsn vinegar/lemon juice
- strainer
- container

Firstly: transfer your milk into a container.

Next add vinegar one by one tpsn and stir. Till the vinegar separate the milk in to curds and whey.

after adding vinegar

The curds you can use to make cheese if you wish. To get the whey out of it, you would strain the entire mix and the liquid strained off is your whey. You can stop right here and keep the liquid for without adding any flavours or making the powder. If you stopped here put it to cool 3 hours in the fridge.

Homemade Whey liquid

Next put the whey in a pot and bring it to a boil, lower the heat a bit to maintain a gentle boil, and stir it occasionally. Here I add vanilla extract so it will have flavor. But that’s just me.

When it became thick and caramel coloured, stir it more rapidly. When it is thick and deep golden in color, remove it from the heat and pour it onto a polished paper covered baking tray. Allow cooling and hardening.

Break it into pieces about 1 - 2 inches wide, and allowed it to dry thoroughly for a few weeks. Then take the hard pieces, and smashed them into smaller pieces, Place the pieces into a blender and blend till a powder is formed. Sift the powder and blend any pieces that are too large to go through the sifter. This powder dissolves in water quite well. If you have a friend who makes cheese you can get their whey. You get very little whey from how much milk you use. I recommend becoming friends with someone who has a cow.

 

10 Power Foods

When it comes to the infinite number of foods that you can put in your body, there are good foods and there are bad foods. Clearly, you know to avoid the bad foods whenever possible, but when it comes to choosing the very best foods for your physique goals, that's an even harder decision. FLEX is here to make it easier for you to find the best of the best--we call them Power Foods.

1. EGGS

WHEN: Any regular meal

WHY: The perfect protein, eggs are loaded with cholesterol, typically thought of as an evil food ingredient, but in reality, full of positive benefits, such as maintaining testosterone levels and the integrity of muscle cell membranes.

* In one study, subjects who ate three whole eggs per day while following a strength-training program produced twice the gains in muscle mass and strength than those who consumed just one egg or no eggs each day.

* In studies, 640 milligrams per day of additional cholesterol from eggs decreased the amount of LDL (bad) cholesterol particles associated with atherosclerosis.

AMOUNTS: 3 extra-large eggs: 255 calories, 21 g protein, 1 g carbs, 18 g fat

2. ORGANIC BEEF

WHEN: Lunch or dinner

WHY: This meat is important due to its protein content, cholesterol and saturated fat, all of which maintain high testosterone levels.

* Organic beef has much higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid and omega-3 fatty acids than conventionally raised cattle, because organically raised cattle are primarily grass fed as opposed to grain fed.

* CLA, a healthy fat, has been proven in numerous clinical trials to help shed bodyfat while helping to boost muscle mass and strength at the same time.

AMOUNTS: 8 oz of 90% lean ground organic beef: 392 calories, 48 g protein, 0 g carbs, 22 g fat

3. SALMON

WHEN: Lunch or dinner

WHY: It's rich in the essential omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA (eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids).

* Subjects consuming higher levels of omega-3 fats reported greater muscle strength than those taking in lower levels of them, according to a study.

* Omega-3 fatty acids enhance insulin sensitivity, which boosts muscle protein synthesis (muscle growth) and increases glucose and amino acid uptake.

* Omega-3s are readily burned for fuel, sparing muscle glycogen to keep muscles bigger. Additionally, omega-3s have been found to blunt muscle and joint breakdown, as well as enhance their recovery.

* Omega-3s convert into beneficial prostaglandins, hormonelike substances that promote numerous processes in the body.

AMOUNTS: 8 oz of Atlantic salmon: 416 calories, 45 g protein, 0 g carbs, 24 g fat

4. HERRING

WHEN: Between-meal snacks

WHY: Rich in omega-3s, it also has one of the highest contents of creatine--which can help boost muscle strength and growth--of any food source from the land or sea.

AMOUNTS: 3 oz of kippered herring: 185 calories, 21 g protein, 0 g carbs, 11 g fat (about 2 g of those are omega-3s)

5. WHEAT GERM

WHEN: 30 minutes before workouts and any time of day you want slow-digesting carbs (use it as breading on chicken or fish)

WHY: It is rich in zinc, iron, selenium, potassium and B vitamins, and high in protein with a good amount of branched-chain amino acids, arginine and glutamine.

* It's high in fiber, making it a great source of slow-digesting carbohydrates.

* It's great before workouts because it provides a good source of octacosanol, an alcohol that can increase muscle strength and endurance, as well as enhance reaction time in athletes by increasing the efficiency of the central nervous system.

AMOUNTS: 1/2 cup of wheat germ: 207 calories, 13 g protein, 30 g carbs (almost 8 g of those come from fiber), 6 g fat

6. BROWN RICE

WHEN: Lunch or dinner

WHY: Brown rice is a whole grain that provides fiber to help slow down digestion and keep insulin levels steady, supplying you with energy to last throughout the day.

* It's high in gamma-aminobutyric acid, which is an amino acid that works as a neurotransmitter in the body and which boosts growth hormone levels by up to 400%.

* You can prepare brown rice in a way that will boost GABA levels: soak it in hot water for two hours before cooking to induce slight germination or use a Zojirushi Induction Heating System Rice Cooker & Warmer (zojirushi.com), which has a special setting that gives brown rice a two-hour hot bath before cooking.

AMOUNTS: 1 cup of cooked brown rice: 218 calories, 5 g protein, 46 g carbs, 2 g fat

7. WATERMELON

WHEN: Immediately after workouts

WHY: Although we typically suggest that you eat fruit as a preworkout carb, since most fruits are slow digesting, watermelon is one of the few fruits that are fast digesting. That means it spikes insulin levels, making it a good postworkout carb.

* The red flesh and especially the white rind of watermelon are high in the amino acid citrulline, which is readily converted to arginine inside the body and boosts arginine inside the body and boosts arginine levels even better than taking arginine itself.

* Higher levels of arginine lead to higher nitric oxide levels and higher GH levels after training, both of which are critical for enhancing muscle strength and growth. Boosting NO levels after workouts means there's more blood flow to the muscles, which will enhance recovery and aid muscle growth.

AMOUNTS: Two wedges of watermelon: 172 calories, about 4 g protein, 44 g carbs, 1 g fat, approximately 3 g citrulline

8. SPINACH

WHEN: As a side salad with lunch and dinner

WHY: Spinach not only promotes health through its rich supply of antioxidants, but it has ingredients that increase muscle strength and size.

* It's a great source of glutamine, the amino acid that is highly important for muscle growth, immune function and gastrointestinal health, as well as for boosting GH levels and even metabolic rate.

* In addition to glutamine, spinach provides octacosanol (see wheat germ) and beta-ecdysterone, a phytochemical that stimulates protein synthesis.

AMOUNTS: 10 oz raw spinach: 65 calories, 8 g protein, 10 g carbs (6 g of those being fiber), 1 g fat

9. EZEKIEL 4:9 BREAD

WHEN: Any time of day when you would eat slow-digesting carbs

WHY: Made from organic sprouted whole grains such as wheat, millet, spelt and barley, and from legumes such as lentils and soybeans, this bread is a complete protein, which means it contains all nine of the amino acids your body needs for muscle growth.

* These whole grains and legumes also digest slowly, promoting superior fat burning throughout the day and more energy during exercise.

AMOUNTS: Two slices of Ezekiel 4:9 bread: 160 calories, 8 g protein, 30 g carbs (with 6 g of fiber), 1 g fat

10. BROCCOLI

WHEN: As a side with any meal

WHY: Broccoli contains a phytochemical that gets converted to another naturally occurring chemical called diindolylmethane, which reduces the strength of estrogens by converting them to weaker varieties in the liver.

* This helps to diminish estrogenic effects (fat gain and water retention) and strengthens testosterone's anabolic effects (muscle strength and growth).

* It also contains the antioxidant sulforaphane--a compound that forms from the inactive compound glucoraphanin when you chew it. Sulforaphane works in synergy with DIM to provide antiinflammatory properties, which enhance joint and musclerecovery, as well as fight cancer.

AMOUNTS: 1 cup of chopped broccoli: 31 calories, 3 g protein, 6 g carbs, 0 g fat