What Are the Elements of an Effective Bodybuilding Diet?

By Cumba Gowri 

A bodybuilding diet is what is most important for muscle gain after exercise workouts. Eating right is a high priority for serious bodybuilders. Measuring calories and watching the kinds of food they eat can ensure that muscle gain takes place without piling on undesirable fat.

Here are some rules that will help with a bodybuilding diet plan:

1. Ensure adequate hydration

Drinking water during and after workouts helps avoid dehydration. In typical weather conditions, a bodybuilder will need to drink 2 liters of water every day.

Sugary soft drinks and alcohol are best avoided. The extra calories will add to fat stores and the osmotic effect of the concentrated solutions will further worsen dehydration. The body's immunity and defences will also be adversely impacted.

2. Calculate carb intake

As most bodybuilders are aware, there are two kinds of carbs - starchy and non-starchy.

Starchy carbohydrates are quickly and easily digested. They lead to an instant spike in blood glucose levels. Examples of starchy carbs are rice, bread and pasta.

Non-starchy carbs, on the other hand, are digested and absorbed more gradually. Blood sugar levels rise slowly to a peak and fall just as slowly afterwards. Non-starchy carbs are found in vegetables and fruits.

An effective bodybuilding diet will include the right proportion of both starchy and non-starchy carbs. The kind of carbs you eat isn't quite as important as how much of each kind you consume. Starchy carbs are best immediately before and shortly after working out, when the body needs a sudden boost in calories. For other meals, it is better to eat non-starchy carbs.

3. Cut down on condiments

Salt and sugar are such an essential part of regular cooking that one hardly thinks about them. But for a bodybuilding diet, it is important to watch salt and sugar intake.

Reducing the amount of salt in food is desirable. And sugar intake should be drastically cut. If sweetening food and drinks is important, alternative options like sweeteners or stevia are preferred.

4. Avoid processed foods

For any bodybuilding plan, it is important to eat only nutritious food that is also healthy. Anything that is sold in a box, carton or bag is processed, and therefore not very healthy.

During the processing, all healthy nutrients are leached out of foodstuffs. What's left behind is empty calories and saturated fats which can be harmful. The simplest approach is to avoid them and eat fresh, raw food or prepare meals from such ingredients.