Diet for gaining muscle mass: high-calorie, vegetarian, carbohydrate diet

We are used to thinking that a diet is something akin to a hunger strike. It is used for weight loss, and some types are used for medicinal purposes. In any case, a diet involves limiting the calories consumed by the body. Therefore, when it comes to a high-calorie diet, the purpose of which is not to reduce, but, on the contrary, to increase body volume, many people find it absurd. However, a diet for gaining muscle mass, which involves consuming more calories than usual, is quite popular, and not only among athletes.

Why is a high-calorie diet so useful? We associate a large number of calories consumed with an increase in fat, so who is interested in increasing it? It turns out that it is not about the number of calories, but about the body's needs and the correct balance of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. The right diet for gaining muscle mass pursues this goal, and not the accumulation of fat cells.

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Indications

Since we are talking about increasing the calories consumed, it becomes clear that a diet for gaining muscle mass is not one of those methods that everyone practices to lose weight. On the contrary, using such a diet without fulfilling certain requirements (and the main one is regular heavy physical exercise) will only lead to an increase in overall weight, and not only due to muscle gain.

The essence of a diet for muscle growth is to saturate the body with the energy necessary for active sports. After all, intensive training is associated with a large expenditure of energy, which the body receives from food. The energy received with food is spent on various processes of the body's life, including the growth of muscle fibers. If, with great physical exertion, the human body does not receive enough energy from the outside, it primarily takes those reserves that are stored in the muscles, leaving the fat layer in reserve.

In everyday life and some sports, thinness is even welcomed, which cannot be said about strength sports. Can you imagine a weightlifter with flabby, shapeless muscles? But the energy consumption in this case is incredibly high, which means it requires regular replenishment to maintain muscle shape.

In the currently popular bodybuilding and bodybuilding, the emphasis is generally on building a beautiful, voluminous muscle relief. But this relief should be muscle, not fat. This means that such athletes need a special enhanced and balanced diet that takes into account their needs.

Correction of muscle mass with the help of nutrition can be carried out in different ways depending on the desired result and the person's activity. It is clear that the nutrition of professional weightlifters should differ from the menu of women who are actively involved in fitness and amateur sports to build a beautiful athletic body. Therefore, there are several types of sports diets that need to be chosen depending on the amount of physical activity and the goals set.

Thus, a protein diet for gaining muscle mass is perfect for women who strive for beautiful athletic shapes and men who are prone to obesity and who play sports. But weightlifters will benefit from a high-calorie carbohydrate diet.

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General information muscle gain diets

Whatever the diet for gaining muscle mass (protein, carbohydrate or protein-carbohydrate), there are certain requirements common to all nutrition methods, without which it is simply impossible to achieve good results. Let's take a closer look at these requirements:

• Frequency of meals. In this regard, the diet for muscle growth is somewhat similar to therapeutic fractional nutrition. Athletes are recommended to eat at least 5 times a day, and preferably 6 or even 7 times, without allowing the feeling of hunger to appear.

The fact is that a person without much physical activity generally begins to feel hungry 4 hours after eating, when most of the food is completely digested and absorbed. Athletes have faster metabolic processes, which means that the feeling of hunger occurs earlier (somewhere after 3 hours). The desire to eat, in turn, indicates that the external source of energy has exhausted itself, and for further life activity the body will begin to use internal (muscle) reserves of nutrients, which is fraught with a decrease in muscle mass and strength (endurance) of the athlete.

Fractional nutrition is also useful because it does not allow fat to be deposited from unspent calories during the day, as happens with 3 meals a day.

• Caloric content of dishes. When gaining muscle mass, you should not avoid high-calorie foods. Almost 2/3 of the entire menu should consist of them. Although muscles consist mostly of water, they do not grow from water alone.
• Number of calories. As we have already said, the need for calories for a person engaged in active activities is higher than for those who do not have to move much. The more physical activity, the greater the energy expenditure and need for it. This means that the caloric content of food for professional athletes should be higher than for ordinary people and even those who do sports irregularly.

It would seem that there is nothing complicated here, eat more fatty and sweet foods, and you are guaranteed calories. In fact, this is not entirely true. With such a diet, you can only provide yourself with a fat layer, but not muscle mass. So calories are not all the same.

Yes, an athlete's diet should consist of 50-60 percent carbohydrates as the main source of energy. But these should be slow carbohydrates that do not cause a sharp increase in blood glucose, which ultimately settles on the body as fat (after all, the body needs to put the excess energy-rich raw material somewhere).

Protein is the main building material for cells, especially muscle cells, so its share in the diet should also be considerable. After all, heavy loads lead to the destruction of muscle fibers, and protein is needed for their restoration.

The ideal protein content for athletes is considered to be 25-35% in food, with only half of the required amount coming from food. The remaining 50% of protein should come from specialized sports nutrition.

As for fats, people who actively train should not exclude them from their diet. Fats in an athlete's diet should make up 10 to 20%. This way, the balance of nutrients is not disturbed, and the body receives the exact amount of energy it needs without the possibility of making fat reserves.

• Vegetables and fruits. The benefits of vegetables and fruits are great, and you can't argue with that, but they don't help much in terms of muscle growth, so their share should not exceed 1/3 of the diet. In addition, such products contain plant fiber, which speeds up the process of digestion. But high-calorie foods take longer to digest, so some of them are simply not absorbed by the body.
• Nutrition during the day and evening hours. It is clear that it should be different. In the first half of the day, the body needs a lot of energy, which means that a complete meal, which ideally combines carbohydrates, proteins and fats, will be beneficial. But in the evening, when physical activity decreases, the amount of carbohydrates and fats should be limited so that they do not subsequently settle on the sides and stomach. Just before bed, strictly protein foods are allowed, and it is desirable that the protein be of animal origin (meat, fish, dairy products).

The main part of the food should be eaten before lunch. And yet, you need to take into account the time of training. The last meal before training should take place no later than 2 hours before its start. Training usually takes from 40 minutes to 1 hour, so there will be no more than 3-3.5 hours between meals, which is quite consistent with the diet.

• Water consumption. Water is the source of human life. Our body simply cannot exist without it, which means that the loss of such a valuable component must be constantly replenished. Water-salt imbalance leads to deterioration of muscle tissue, which also consists mostly of water.

An ordinary person is recommended to drink about 2 liters of liquid per day to ensure a constant internal environment. But if a person is actively involved in sports, his accelerated metabolism leads to the release of even more liquid from the body, and in order to restore the water-salt balance, it will be necessary to drink much more water (about 3 liters). This can be either pure water or liquid dishes based on it (tea, compote, soup, borscht, jelly, etc.).

• Taking into account the body type. It is customary to consider 3 body types: ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph. All of the above is ideal for a mesomorph - a person with a normal body type. But a thin (ectomorph) or overweight (endomorph) athlete will have to reconsider the proposed diet in the direction of increasing or decreasing the amount of calories consumed, otherwise it will be very problematic for them to achieve the desired results.

How to create a diet for gaining muscle mass?

So far we have been talking about the principles of a diet for gaining muscle mass and have included only general concepts: proteins, fats, carbohydrates. But when we go to the grocery store, we mean buying certain food products, which will make up our diet. And when we buy meat or cottage cheese, we are not talking about buying protein with a low fat content.

Let's try to give general concepts real concrete forms to understand what products an athlete's diet should consist of. Since carbohydrates should be the most abundant in the diet, let's pay attention to them first. So, what products are usually understood by the word "carbohydrates":

• Cereal products used to prepare healthy porridges containing slow carbohydrates. Buckwheat, rice, corn, barley and wheat groats are considered the most healthy.
• Pasta made from durum wheat and wholemeal flour.
• Bread (mostly yeast-free, made from dark flour).
• Cereal flakes and muesli (belong to faster carbohydrates, but are quite acceptable in sports nutrition and are beneficial for the body).

Vegetables and fruits, greens, mushrooms, although they contain less carbohydrates, are a source of valuable vitamins and minerals, and therefore should also be present on the athlete’s table.

Now let's figure out what protein products are. These are foods that contain a lot of animal or vegetable protein:

• Low-fat meats (chicken, turkey, veal, rabbit, lean pork, etc.).
• Any type of fish (fish oil is a very beneficial substance for the body, so its consumption should not be limited).
• Low-fat dairy products (cottage cheese with fat content up to 2.5%, yogurt, kefir, low-fat or diluted milk).
• Egg white. In principle, eggs can be consumed whole, but you need to understand that the yolk is a rich source of harmful cholesterol, which means you should not abuse it.
• Legumes are considered the main sources of vegetable protein. Although vegetable protein is less valued in sports than animal protein, legumes are quite suitable for diversifying the diet and as a source of minerals. Caution should only be exercised with soy, which has high hormonal activity, which can cause weight gain.

Fats are products containing a large amount of this component. They are not particularly useful for athletes. But it is not recommended to refuse them at all. However, you can always find a way out of this situation, for example, by replacing unhealthy animal fats with vegetable fats. Vegetable fats include: sunflower, olive, corn, flaxseed and some other oils. In addition, fish and seafood can be a source of healthy fats and fatty acids.

Now it has become clear what products an athlete’s menu should consist of, but how to correctly calculate the calories needed by the body and convert them into the weight of products?

Calorie Calculation Based on Gender and Body Type

It is impossible to give specific calorie figures that would be universal, i.e. suitable for absolutely everyone. Each person is individual: not only has a different appearance from others, but also their own combinations of height, weight and constitutional features of the physique. In such conditions, it is difficult to talk about any norms.

But everyone can calculate their body's basal calorie requirement on their own. In a simplified version of the calculations, you only need to know your exact weight:

M x 30 = E

Where M is body weight in kg, E is energy or the number of required kilocalories

This formula can be used by anyone interested in the optimal number of calories that their body needs to receive during the day without taking into account physical activity. But for athletes it is increased, which means that the resulting calories will not be enough. In addition, the formula only speaks about those calories that are needed to maintain the existing weight. And we also need to increase it by building muscle. And if we take into account the energy expended during training and in connection with the accelerated metabolism, at least another 500 kcal should be added to the resulting E.

But again, a lot depends on the body type. And if for a mesomorph and endomorph the calculations of E+500 are relevant, then for an ectomorph this amount of calories will not be enough to build muscle mass. He can easily add another 500 kcal on top without fear of increasing the fat layer.

If you want to know more precise figures, which will take into account not only the weight, but also the height, age, and gender of the person, it is recommended to use the following formula:

M x 10 + P x 6.25 - B x 5 = E

Where M is body weight in kg, P is height in cm, B is age (how many full years), E is energy in kcal.

This formula is ideal for calculating the optimal number of calories to maintain weight for women. Men, using this formula, should add 5 to the result, i.e. E _m = E _w + 5.

For example, for a 20-year-old woman with a height of 168 cm and a weight of 65 kg, E will be equal to: 65 x 10 + 168 x 6.25 – 20 x 5 = 1600 kcal. For a man with the same parameters, E will be equal to 1605 kcal.

A logical question arises: aren't the numbers too small? Not at all, because the formula only gives us the energy that the body needs to maintain various life processes in it, and does not take into account the physical activity during the day.

To take into account a person's physical activity and the load on the body, special coefficients are added to the above formula, by which our E must be multiplied. That is, the final result will depend on the degree of physical activity and will look like this: E _o = E x k, where E _{o is the required number of calories taking into account the intensity of physical activity (training), E is Ef} or E _m depending on gender, and k is the coefficient for taking into account the level of physical activity:

• with low activity and physical inactivity it is equal to 1.2 (relevant for people far from sports),
• for low activity with 1-3 workouts per week the coefficient will be slightly higher – 1.275,
• For those who train more than 3 but less than 5 times a week, the E value will need to be multiplied by 1.55,
• with increased physical activity, when training takes place daily, i.e. 5-7 times a week, the coefficient will be 1.725,
• During preparation for competitions, when a person trains several times during the day, the E value should be multiplied by 1.9 (the same can be suggested to people engaged in heavy physical labor).

So what do we get for our athletes if they train daily?

• For a girl: E _o = 1600 x 1.725 = 2760 kcal
• For a guy: E _o = 1605 x 1.725 = 2769 kcal

It turns out that in order to maintain their weight within the normal range, our athletes will need to provide the body with a daily requirement of 2760-2770 kcal.

But if we are talking about gaining muscle mass, then even this will not be enough. Therefore, there is an amendment to the formula, which depends on the characteristics of the athlete's body. If he is an endomorph, who easily and quickly gain weight, 15% will need to be added to the obtained value of E _o. Ectomorphs, for whom gaining weight presents certain difficulties, can add all 20%, and mesomorphs - the average figure (17-18%).

For example, for our endomorph girl we will have: 2760 + 15% = 3174 kcal, and for our mesomorph guy – 2769 + 17% = 3240 kcal.

So, we have sorted out the caloric content of our diet during the diet for gaining muscle mass. It is time to convert calories into grams of products included in the menu.

It is important to understand that carbohydrates and proteins are less caloric substances than fats. So 1 gram of carbohydrate or protein food gives us only 4 kcal, while the same amount of fat has an energy value of 9 kcal.

Let's calculate the amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates for our athlete, taking the average values of all three components, based on the recommended ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. So, we take carbohydrates in the amount of 55%, proteins - 30%, fats - 15%.

• Carbohydrates: 3174 x 0.55: 4 = 436 g,
• Proteins: 3174 x 0.3: 4 = 238 g,
• Fats: 3174 x 0.15: 9 = 53g.

That is, the proportion of BJU for a 20-year-old actively training athlete weighing 65 kg with a height of 168 cm will be 238x53x436 g. Now, taking the table of calorie content of products in hand, it will be much easier to make a diet menu for gaining muscle mass.

Let's look at a small example of such a menu for 1 day with 6 meals a day:

• 1 breakfast – crumbly buckwheat porridge from 100 g of cereal, an omelette from 3 whites and 1 yolk with toast and a small piece of cheese, a glass of milk.
• 2nd breakfast – 100 g dried fruits and a bun.
• Lunch – pasta with stewed chicken breast, vegetable salad with vegetable oil and herbs, fruit compote.
• Afternoon snack: a glass of kefir, toast with jam.
• 1 dinner – fish with vegetables, green tea.
• 2nd dinner – cottage cheese, fermented baked milk.

Portion sizes should be calculated based on the caloric content of the products used in the dishes. At first, this will not be easy, so it is recommended to prepare a menu for at least a week in advance. But later, when a person is already familiar with the caloric content of his diet, the need for constant calculations will disappear.

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Muscle gain in men and women

There is a theory that men and women are creatures from different worlds, their bodies are so different from each other. For example, most women tend to accumulate fat reserves (this is facilitated by the female hormones estrogens), while men more easily build muscle mass (again, thanks to the male hormone testosterone).

It can be argued that the male body also produces female hormones, just as the female body produces male hormones, which means that hormones have nothing to do with it. But the point is not whether they are produced or not, but their quantity. For example, the male body produces 12-15 times more testosterone than the female body, and it is testosterone that is responsible for muscle growth.

A diet for gaining muscle mass, when used correctly, for men gives an increase in muscle mass. Women can also use this diet, but you need to understand that their increase in muscle mass will not be as active. And if the intensity of training does not correspond to the caloric content of food, such a practice is fraught with weight gain far from muscle tissue.

Don't think that female bodybuilders have achieved their results only thanks to a diet for gaining muscle mass and persistent training. No diets and physical exercises can make a woman's body as sculpted as a man's. After all, they can't make testosterone be produced more actively in a woman's body.

However, anabolic steroids, which are considered hormonal drugs, are quite capable of influencing a woman's body shape and making it masculine. If a woman's goal is to have a muscular, sculpted body like a man's, she will have to supplement her diet and training with anabolics in any case.

And those women who want to get a beautiful, athletic, toned body have nothing to fear. A diet for gaining muscle mass is the best for girls who want to shine on the beach with their elastic forms. The main thing is that nutrition and exercise are regular.

In order to avoid excess, and for the body to acquire a certain beautiful relief gradually and in moderation, you do not need to immediately pounce on high-calorie food. Without long calculations, we can recommend increasing the number of calories the body needs in everyday life by 300, and you will not miss. Let's be honest, a woman does not need a muscular male body, which means there is no need to strive for it. These extra 300 kcal will cover the energy deficit during physical activity during fitness or sports, but the body will have nothing to make an energy reserve from on the sides, hips and waist.

The difference between the "women's" and "men's" diets, given the same workload and physical characteristics, is only in the portion sizes. Well, maybe women will be more inventive in cooking, which is not a fact (it is not for nothing that cooks at the court of kings were predominantly men).

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Carbohydrate Diet for Muscle Gain

We are talking more about a protein-carbohydrate diet option, because with a small amount of protein in the diet, there can be no talk of any weight gain due to muscles. In principle, we described this body correction method as a diet for gaining muscle mass with proportions of carbohydrates, proteins and fats of approximately 55x30x15.

As we can see, carbohydrate food remains the leader here. It makes up half of the entire diet. It is clear that the caloric content of food in this case will be higher than with a protein diet for gaining muscle mass. Therefore, such a diet requires great physical activity and is not very suitable for losing weight. Unless someone decides to torture themselves with regular long-term exhausting workouts in the gym, abandoning easier methods of fighting excess weight.

The difference between a carbohydrate diet and a protein diet is not only in the protein content of the diet, but also in the permitted products. For example, a carbohydrate diet does not prohibit eating pasta, black bread, sugar, and sweets. But fast carbohydrates are allowed only after training, when the body needs to recover from the load. Before training, slow carbohydrates and proteins will be useful. In both cases, it is recommended to eat only protein foods at night.

A carbohydrate diet for gaining muscle mass also involves a gradual increase in the caloric content of food. If the weight gain is more than 800 g, the caloric content of the diet should be reduced, because this will most likely indicate an increase in not only muscle mass, but also fat mass, which is not welcomed in sports.

As for fats, they are limited even in high-calorie diets. Fatty meat and lard, butter, sausages and smoked meats are not welcome. The carbohydrate diet still allows butter in small quantities, but it is better to say goodbye to the other listed fats for the duration of the diet.

Separate nutrition for muscle mass gain

An interesting variant of the protein-carbohydrate diet is the method of separate nutrition. If a regular diet implies the consumption of proteins, fats and carbohydrates during the day, then with protein-carbohydrate alternation (and this is approximately what the method based on the principles of separate nutrition is called), products with a high content of these components are consumed on different days.

There are different versions of protein-carbohydrate diets for gaining muscle mass based on separate nutrition. Those who have never tried the method of separate consumption of incompatible products can try to alternate protein and carbohydrate food intake during the day, adding a small amount of fat to it.

Once the body has adapted, you can switch to more effective methods. For example, start with consuming equal amounts of proteins and carbohydrates per day. On the 2nd-3rd day, consume only protein foods, and then spend one day on a strict carbohydrate diet. Then alternate 2 protein days and 1 carbohydrate day for 3-4 weeks.

In principle, the theory of separate nutrition is quite applicable to the protein diet, which is practiced by many bodybuilders. So, with separate nutrition, according to Sheldon's theory, incompatible products should be consumed at least 2 hours apart. It is believed that protein food is not good to combine with carbohydrates. But in the case of a protein diet used for drying the body and gaining muscle mass, the principles of separate nutrition are easy to follow. Especially if you take into account frequent meals and a small content of carbohydrates (about 15-20% of the total diet), which can be eaten even in one sitting. Carbohydrates can be used, for example, as a snack or to strengthen the body immediately after training.

Vegetarian Diet for Muscle Gain

Vegetarianism has become a very popular trend these days. Moreover, not only women but also men adhere to this method of nutrition. At the same time, vegetarian thinking does not pose any obstacle to sports.

Don't think that vegetarians are all "skinny", as ectomorphs are often called. Yes, animal proteins are taboo for them, but there are also plant proteins and fats, as well as a large number of various carbohydrates available to those who reject animal food.

It is clear that you cannot build a beautiful, sculpted body with all this. Many bodybuilders agree that without special protein supplements, even meat eaters have to work very, very hard to get beautiful muscle definition. And what can we say about vegetarians.

However, even among famous bodybuilders you can find vegans whose diet does not include eggs, milk, meat, poultry or fish. How do they manage to achieve muscle growth without sufficient protein?

In order for muscles to grow, a vegetarian should consume 150 g of protein per day. Since animal food rich in proteins is taboo for him, attention should be paid to plant products. Let's remember that legumes are considered the main source of plant proteins. These include: black, white and spotted beans, beans, peas, lentils.

You can use legumes in various dishes: soups, borscht, mashed potatoes, make roasts with them, bake them in sauce, fry them. Moreover, all dishes can be cooked deliciously without milk, eggs or meat.

True, despite the availability of the product and its high nutritional value, it is not easy to eat a portion of legumes that is sufficient for muscle growth if you are not used to it. In addition, legumes can lead to increased gas formation in the gastrointestinal tract. Special medications and dill seed decoction help to cope with this problem. But grains, such as rice, help to increase the value of legume protein. It is acceptable to eat legumes with wholemeal bread.

Nuts also contain some protein and vegetable fats, which makes them useful in a vegetarian diet for gaining muscle mass. Speaking of nuts, we must not forget that this is a rather fatty product, excessive consumption of which can cause an increase in fat reserves.

But regular vegetarian food is not caloric enough to be used in a diet for gaining muscle mass. So nuts will come in handy, because even with 150-160 g of protein on a low-calorie diet, it is impossible to achieve muscle growth. Intensive training at 2000-2500 kcal per day will lead to the fact that the energy for training will be pumped out of the muscles.

In addition to protein, nuts contain monounsaturated fats and fiber, which helps in the absorption of food, so that the body receives complete nutrition.

Olive oil and other vegetable oils are considered healthy in terms of calories, and are great for seasoning vegetarian dishes. During active sports, it is recommended to increase the consumption of such fats, which will give the body additional energy that does not settle in the wrong place.

As a source of vegetable oils and protein, you can use sunflower, pumpkin, and flax seeds in your diet, but you need to take into account their high content of insoluble fiber.

And what can we say about soy and the value of soy protein, on the basis of which the industry produces various high-calorie vegetarian products that can be purchased in diet stores. Soy protein isolate is used to make powdered products that can be safely included in the diet menu in combination with juices and soy milk.

Vegetarians, more than other athletes, will benefit from protein shakes, the basis of which will be the same soy protein and casein. Such anabolics can replace some of the athlete's food, which will solve the problem of diet diversity and insufficient protein in vegetarian food.

It has become much easier to diversify the vegetarian menu lately. After all, the industry keeps up with the times, and already on the shelves of regular grocery supermarkets you can find vegetarian sauces, pasta, desserts and drinks resembling milk, tofu cheese and products made from it, some kind of hamburgers without the presence of meat products, etc. Many books on vegetarian nutrition also include high-protein dishes based on soy and beans, which can be used in a diet for gaining muscle mass.

High Calorie Diet for Muscle Gain

Gaining muscle mass is impossible without consuming a large amount of calories and sufficient protein food. It is clear that conventional low-calorie diets cannot help with this. This means that the approach must be completely different.

It is important to understand that a high-calorie diet is not a separate method of sports nutrition. This concept unites various diets with a high content of calorie food. Many of them are not scientifically substantiated and are the result of the rich imagination of bodybuilders trying to achieve quick results. These diets do not take into account the constitutional features of the body, age and weight of the athlete, so it is not surprising that there is a small number of positive results. But the use of such experimental diets can be fraught with various health problems.

But if the diet is developed by specialists and confirmed by many reviews about it, it can be used to build muscle mass in sports, just as a high-calorie diet is used to treat dystrophy and exhaustion in medical institutions.

In sports circles, it is common to practice the following types of high-calorie diets:

• Homemade food plus protein-fat supplement for gaining muscle mass. By the way, the protein-fat supplement is often not special cocktails, but whole cow's milk, which contains both fats and proteins, and also has good caloric value.

This diet is considered useful for young strength athletes, who gain muscle mass simultaneously with the growth of the entire body, because a sports career begins at an early age, when the body is still growing.

• Diet for gaining dry muscle mass. Nutrition in this case resembles a carbohydrate diet with a large advantage of carbohydrates over fats and proteins, which are introduced into the menu in approximately equal proportions. Thus, the daily diet of a 100-kilogram weightlifter should contain 400-600 g of carbohydrates, 150-200 g of proteins and 100-130 g of fats.

This diet is not only considered the best option for gaining muscle mass, but also improves the athlete's strength capabilities. It is popular in bodybuilding, powerlifting and other sports that require strength and power.

By the way, for those who professionally engage in strength sports that require large energy reserves, this diet is recommended on a permanent basis and is considered useful in that it improves regenerative processes in the body, prevents inflammation, and is considered a preventative for chronic fatigue.

• Extreme weight diet. An enhanced version of the previous diet with increased carbohydrate content (up to 7 g per 1 kg of weight). In this case, some of the slow carbohydrates can be replaced with fast ones. This practice is quite acceptable in the case of ectomorph athletes to increase the volume of an excessively thin body.

The high-calorie diet menu remains as close to healthy food as possible. And fractional nutrition in this case remains relevant, however, to a large extent because in this way it is possible to reduce the load on the gastrointestinal tract. If you have to choose between eating 3 times a large portion or 6 times a medium one, it is clear that the choice will be for the latter.

If even 6 meals a day do not allow to unload the gastrointestinal tract (for example, during periods of intensive training before competitions), athletes have to resort to enzymes. After all, it is very problematic to reduce the volume of food, maintaining its caloric content, without adding fats. But reducing the caloric content during high loads is fraught with muscle mass loss.

"Energy Diet" for gaining muscle mass

As we have already understood, there is an inseparable connection between human nutrition and the processes occurring in his body. In terms of training, special importance is given to energy exchange, thanks to which the athlete receives not only strength and power, but also the opportunity to design his body in the direction of increasing muscle definition.

In order to optimize energy metabolism, athletes use various diets to gain muscle mass and include useful supplements in their diet, such as protein drinks and cocktails, mainly from foreign manufacturers. Thus, in France, the series of functional food products "Energy Diet" is currently particularly popular, which has gradually won the recognition of domestic consumers.

"Energy Diet" is positioned on many websites as a weight loss program, since the products in this series have a low calorie content. These are delicious cocktails, as well as first and second courses, which have a creamy consistency and a variety of flavors (fruit, meat, vegetable, etc.). They contain the vegetables, fruits and cereals that are familiar to us, dried by dehydration and turned into powder, which can be stored for a long time without losing its nutritional value.

But if you study the information from the official website of "Energy Diet" in more detail, you can find out that the program includes a series of products "Energy Diet Sport", which is intended specifically for athletes who experience heavy physical activity every day. Products of this line of "Energy Diet" are recommended for use as part of a nutrition program for gaining muscle mass and drying the body.

It is clear that using the Energy Diet series of products as a replacement for regular food is not recommended even for those who want to lose weight quickly. After all, teeth also need to be given work, and not to filter liquid and creamy dishes through them, even if they are balanced in terms of protein, carbohydrates and fats, and also enriched with valuable vitamins and microelements. But if whole grain is considered healthier than cereals, then what can we say about a powdered substance, no matter how much you enrich it from the outside.

Nevertheless, as a useful energy-balanced supplement, Energy Diet is quite suitable as a component of a complete diet for athletes. Cocktails of this series are recommended to be drunk after training during the first two hours to help the body recover from the load, and you can treat yourself to soups before training in the gym (30-90 minutes before them).

And even if the athlete trains every other day (3 trainings per week), Energy Diet products can be consumed every day. When there are no trainings, Energy Diet drinks are added to the main diet.

Sports series products can be diluted with water or milk at your discretion, given that milk is an additional source of protein, which is so necessary for muscle volume.

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Contraindications

Now let's dwell a little on the contraindications to the muscle growth diet. Since this method of nutrition is complete and supplies the body with all the substances it needs, including vitamins, minerals and 8 essential amino acids, there are not many health risks associated with the diet. The main danger of the diet is the risk of gaining excess fat weight in the absence of intense physical activity, which is provided during training. It is for this reason that the seemingly effective diet is not recommended for people who are far from sports and physical labor.

Contraindications to the diet could be diseases of the cardiovascular, digestive and excretory systems, but athletes should be examined regularly by a doctor, so such a problem is unlikely. But those who are engaged in heavy physical labor or sports non-professionally should discuss any health problems and the possibility of using a high-calorie diet with a specialist so that special nutrition does not lead to possible complications of an existing disease.

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