When planning a personal strength muscle-building program, one should consider more than just a physical training regimen. It is vital to plan a nutritional program as well, with emphasis on adequate calorie intake aimed at building lean muscle mass.It takes a large number of calories to fuel both workouts and tissue building. And it's also important to get the right kinds of calories, particulary calories rich in carbohydrates, protein, fat and other nutrients.
Carbohydrates are the main energy source for strength training.They are stored in the muscles as glycogen, the all-important fuel that supplies energy for short, intense bursts of power. If your glycogen level is low, then the faster you will tire. Many athletes routinely load up on carbohydrates to maintain high levels of glycogen.
Protein is the main building block for muscle tissue and it's important to consume just the right amount of protein.Most amateur body builders actually overestimate their protein needs. The daily recoimmended protein intake is about 0.6 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight. That's about 90 to 115 grams of protein/day for the 140-pound athlete and 128 to 164 grams for those weighing 200 pounds.
Fat is important as well but only a small amount is required to stay heatlhy. Less than 30% of your total daily calories should come from unsaturated fat.
Water, sports drinks, muscle supplements and creatine are other essential nutrients for an effective muscle-building program.
It takes eight glasses of water a day to stay in the pink of health and more than to replace all the fluids you lose during exercise. It is recommended that you drink 2 cups of fluid 2 hours before exercise, 4 to 8 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes during workouts and 16 ounces of water after exercise.
Sports drinks are especially effective for exercise sessons that last over an hour. Supplements that contain creatine, fluid and electrolyte replacers, carbohydrate supplements, and liquid meal replacers help build muscles.
Creatine gives the body more power during workouts, especially if combined with a good diet and strenghth training program. Meat is the best source for creatine. Typical dose for creatine loading is 5 grams of creatine monohydrate four times per day for 5 days. A maintenance dose of 2 grams per day can follow.
