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You need to look at your schedule and customize
an eating routine that allows 5 to 6 evenly spaced meals per day.
Consider when your lunch time is, and when your
family normally eats dinner. Make sure to give yourself an hour
or so to digest your food before working out. And eat a meal rich
in carbos and protein within one hour of working out. If you don't
have time for a meal, substitute some juice, and a power bar or
meal replacement drink in between classes. If you need to save room
for dinner, a meal replacement drink is also good as it empties
from your stomach more quickly than a normal meal.
What to Eat (portions of carbos, protein and
fat)
Now that you've figured out your daily calories,
you need to choose from which foods you're going to get them.
It's unhealthy to eat tons of meat, like the old bodybuilders used
to do. Today we know that it's better to get your calories from
a well rounded diet similar to the proportions defined in the "Food
Guid Pyramid."
Carbos
Figure out the amount of carbohydrates you need using one of the
following two methods.
Method 1
3.6 grams of carbohydrates for every pound you
weigh. (4 calories of carbohydrates per gram)
Method 2
If your daily calories is less than 4,000 per
day, get 70% of those calories from carbohydrates. If your daily
calories is above 4,000, which is a heck of a lot, then just make
sure you are getting 500 to 600 grams of carbohydrate per day.
Protein
If you want to maintain your muscle mass, consume
0.6 grams of protein per day for every pound you weigh.
If you want to increase your muscle mass, consume
0.7 to 0.8 grams of protein per day for every pound you weigh.
Fat
Your remaining calories can come from fat, as long as you keep it
under 30% of your daily calories. Make sure most of the fat you
consume is unsaturated.
Water
Everyone should drink at least eight 8-ounce cups of caffeine-free,
nonalcoholic fluids every day. Athletes need even more.
- Drink 2 cups of fluid 2 hours before exercise.
- Just before exercising, measure your weight.
- If possible, drink 4 to 8 ounces every 15
to 20 minutes during exercise.
- After exercising is complete, measure your
weight again. For every pound you lossed during exercise, drink
16 ounces of fluid.
Supplements
Most things found in supplements can be acquired
from a well rounded diet. Some nutrients are absorbed and utilized
more efficiently if they are acquired from food as opposed to a
pill. Still certain supplements may provide a practical quick way
to consume calories and nutrients on the go, and may provide additional
benefits as well.
Creatine
Meat is the best dietary source for creatine
and popular among today's athletes. If you are a vegetarian and
you strength train, creatine supplements may help you build and
maintain muscle.
To load your muscles with creatine, consume 5 grams
of creatine monohydrate four times per day for 5 days. From then
on, consume 2 grams per day. Any more won't help.
Fluid replacement drinks
If you exercise for over 1 hour, fluid and electrolyte replacers
like ultra fuel, gatoraid, and exceed sports drink can help you
recover.
Carbohydrate supplements
Consuming a meal-replacement beverage, such as ensure, just
after muscle-building exercise may be a practical way to stimulate
muscle growth. Protein and carbohydrates stimulate the release of
insulin and growth hormone, which are both involved in muscle growth.
Study has shown that taking creatine with 17 ounces
of liquid carbohydrate supplement increases muscle creatine concentrations
by up to 60%, and thus may help you build and maintain muscle.
References
Manore MM, Thompson J, Russo M: Diet and exercise
strategies of a world-class bodybuilder. Int J Sport Nutr 1993;3(1):76-86
Kleiner SM, Calabrese LH, Fiedler KM, et al:
Dietary influences on cardiovascular disease risk in anabolic steroid-using
and nonusing bodybuilders. J Am Coll Nutr 1989;8(2):109-119
Lemon PW: Do athletes need more dietary protein
and amino acids? Int J Sport Nutr 1995;5(suppl):S39-S61
Green AL, Hultman E, Macdonald IA, et al: Carbohydrate
ingestion augments skeletal muscle creatine accumulation during
creatine supplementation in humans. Am J Physiol 1996;271(5 pt 1):E821-E826
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