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Bodybuilding is a struggle. Every bodybuilder knows the dread of walking in on leg day, thinking that last rep at the squat rack may turn into a life-threatening event or the mind-numbing boredom of pounding out mile after mile on the treadmill. Success in the gym is often defined by failure— trying to lift a little heavier or squeeze out a few more reps before the combination of physics and physiology cause you to collapse. However, the real struggle defining success or failure for most bodybuilders does not take place in the gym. The biggest challenge for most bodybuilders takes place at the table.
Bodybuilding is a struggle. Every bodybuilder knows the dread of walking in on leg day, thinking that last rep at the squat rack may turn into a life-threatening event or the mind-numbing boredom of pounding out mile after mile on the treadmill. Success in the gym is often defined by failure— trying to lift a little heavier or squeeze out a few more reps before the combination of physics and physiology cause you to collapse. However, the real struggle defining success or failure for most bodybuilders does not take place in the gym. The biggest challenge for most bodybuilders takes place at the table.
No champion has built his physique using the food pyramid or following the U.S. RDA. These guidelines are useful for the average, sedentary American whose greatest concern is lowering cholesterol. But for the elite bodybuilder, nitrogen balance, glycogen replenishment and fat loss are the goals of diet design. Sadly, some bodybuilders have taken this to such a degree that they have created health problems, such as bulimia nervosa or dysmorphia (reverse anorexia).1-3
In truth, there is no one plan for success. Many bodybuilders use one type of diet when massing, another when cutting and yet another when they are trying to maintain. Everyone practices his own brand of nutritional voodoo, eventually finding a solution through trial and error.
Bulk, Frequency & Insulin
The solution to the bodybuilder’s diet plan question must consider several factors, including: meal size, meal frequency, cost, convenience, calorie content and protein content. There are other factors, which might be considered, but these issues must be addressed first.
Meal size is the amount of bulk there is to the meal. Whole foods have a bulk, or amount of space that they occupy, which must be accommodated by the stomach and intestines in such a way as not to interfere with normal activity. Further, this bulk often expands as the foods you eat absorb water in the gut, causing some of the bloating associated with big meals.2 This bulk and water absorption are avoided by bodybuilders near times of competition, training or practice. Generally, the body handles small meals much better, without causing any lethargy (tiredness) or stomach distension (bloating). Additionally, large meals cause an increase in blood flow to the intestines and the release of insulin in large amounts.5 Both effects would negatively affect training and alertness. Further, the release of large amounts of insulin causes fat cells to store body fat, rather than allowing it to be released and burned for fuel.6 The amount of insulin released with smaller meals is usually sufficient to prevent protein breakdown, without promoting fat storage.
Meal frequency, the number of meals eaten in a day, can also influence performance and body composition. Previously, it was felt that numerous meals should be eaten throughout the day to allow all the nutrients consumed to be absorbed. Somewhere, a comment that the body could only absorb 30 grams of protein in one meal began, and this was accepted as gospel. Later research has shown that greater amounts of protein can be absorbed.7 Frankly, the greatest values to increasing meal frequency— eating more, smaller meals as opposed to the typical two or three heavy meals most people eat— are better appetite control and improved insulin regulation.
Dieting, as the public sees it, is a battle against hunger. Typically, dieters will skip meals in an effort to lose weight. The consequence of skipping meals for most is binge eating at the next meal. Frequent small meals or nutritional snacks prevent the degree of hunger from overwhelming self-control and thus, allow for better control of calories and food choices.
As mentioned, insulin is the most important hormone to manage in regard to changing and controlling body composition. Insulin has two basic actions. It can be anabolic as well as anti-catabolic.8 However, feeding habits, which regularly cause an excess release of insulin, can be disastrous. Insulin levels have peaks and troughs in the blood. If drawn on a graph, it would look like an ocean wave with high points and low points. The goal of eating, in terms of insulin management, is to maintain insulin in a range at which catabolic processes that would cause the breakdown of muscle and proteins are prevented and anabolic processes that increase the muscle cell sugar stores and protein building are maximized.
However, if the amount of insulin is excessive, then fat loss from the fat cells is prevented and there is an overall gain in body fat.9 Fine-tuning the insulin response requires numerous, small meals. Many type II diabetics, people with abnormal insulin control, are required to eat as many as six to eight meals a day to avoid insulin overloads.10 Bodybuilders have found the same plan aids in optimizing the body’s response to eating; they regularly eat six to eight times a day.
Money, Time and Availability
Cost is an obvious factor. Few people can afford to spend $20 a day on food, when fast food meals are only $2.99. A meal prepared at home usually costs slightly less, perhaps two dollars on average, though the average price of a meal for a bodybuilder is usually higher since more meat and leaner cuts are often part of the meal.
Time is a concern for most people. Food preparation, cooking and clean-up can take over an hour in many cases, not to mention the amount of time required to eat. While time is often made for an evening meal, early mornings and rushed lunch breaks don’t allow for the luxury of a warm, home-cooked meal. Finding a quick solution is essential, especially if five to six meals are being consumed daily.
Perhaps the greatest problem with eating frequently is avoiding overeating. Eight-hundred calorie meals will not get the two-meals-a-day person in trouble, but for the six-meals-a-day eater, that would add up to almost 5,000 calories a day. It’s important to find meal choices that allow for 300 to 400 calories per meal, yet still provide good nutrition. Small meals or snacks can be found, but it’s important to include the recognized vitamins and minerals, at the very least providing the U.S. RDA.
Further, most bodybuilders try to obey the “one gram of protein per pound per day” rule. For the 200-pound bodybuilder, that would obviously be 200 grams of protein per day. There is no single best protein source, so obtaining protein from a variety of sources appears to be the wisest choice. Whole food proteins from meat and dairy are usually slowly digested and often come from sources high in saturated fats. Fish, egg whites and Soy are options that may be considered. However, getting 200 grams of quality protein without being exposed to excess fat or calories is both difficult and expensive. Also, there is no whole food protein choice providing a fast source of Amino Acids for post-workout recovery.11
The plan for nutritional success seems to require a complicated, time-consuming and expensive meal structure. Frankly, until the advent of Met-Rx, it did. Met-Rx was the first commercially successful meal replacement powder (MRP) introduced to the bodybuilding market. Prior to that, there were condensed milk products, gelatin powders and other efforts, but they all failed. Most of the early MRPs and protein powders were high in sugar, often contained lactose, which caused gaseous problems for many,12 and none were flavored. However, as technology advanced, the MRP has greatly improved. Now, the formulations are well designed and flavoring is actually pleasant.
The availability of MRPs answers most of the problems that had been facing bodybuilders in regard to diet and nutrition. Considering the six factors that impact a bodybuilder’s diet— meal size, meal frequency, cost, convenience, calorie content and protein content— MRPs have distinct advantages.
Problems Solved
Most MRPs are consumed as shakes or blended drinks, though there are MRP bars available. The shakes are about 16 to 20 ounces, though the amount can be concentrated or diluted to the individual’s taste. While they may be too thick to drink during a workout for some, they usually do not interfere with training. MRPs can be consumed immediately before and after workouts. Drinking an MRP before exercise floods the muscles with protein-building amenos, which speeds the rate at which you build muscle. Drinking an MRP immediately after workouts provides muscles with an optimal anabolic environment for growth.
Most shakes are thick enough to satisfy hunger for two to three hours, which is perfect for the six-meals-a-day plan. Incredibly, most people have difficulty eating six times a day as a typical meal leaves you feeling full or at least puts off hunger for several hours. If not for stress eating, most people would only feel an urge to eat twice or three times a day. Arranging the body clock to schedule six meals a day is as big a challenge as scheduling it in the daily organizer. It takes a practice of routine and dedication to a six meals program for several weeks before eating so frequently becomes natural.
Few people can afford to make purchase decisions without considering cost. Most MRPs can be found at discount outlets for $2 per meal or less. Two or three MRPs a day would cost about $5, or $150 per month. This may seem like an expensive venture until you consider that the use of MRPs will actually reduce the grocery bill, possibly even resulting in an overall savings.
Preparing a meal is messy and time-consuming. MRPs are quick and usually can be made in, and drunk from, the same container. Total time for mixing, drinking and cleaning an MRP is as little as five minutes.
The greatest benefit of MRPs is that they provide a clean source of quality protein, without the added burden of excess sugars or fat. Most MRPs are relatively high in protein, providing 30-50 grams of protein per serving, in fewer than 400 calories. This is critical to the bodybuilder who’s trying to get a high-protein meal, without going over daily calorie limits. In fact, most MRPs are under 300 calories if mixed with water, which allows for a relatively more relaxed approach to whole food meals. This benefit cannot be overemphasized. Clean sources of nutrition are nearly impossible to come across.
The biggest challenge to most bodybuilders is eating right. Finding inexpensive sources of quality protein is difficult. Whole food is vital to overall health, but choosing the right foods to augment a bodybuilder’s pursuit is complicated and expensive. MRPs offer a convenient and inexpensive option to support a six-meals-a-day program, allowing one to manipulate the body’s response to feeding so that muscle growth and fat loss are maximized. MRPs are widely available and offered in a variety of flavors. Using MRPs as the foundation of the supplement program should be the first priority of every bodybuilder.
References
1. Blouin AG, Goldfield GS, et al. Body image and steroid use in male bodybuilders. Int J Eat Disord 1995 Sep;18(2):159-65.
2. Mangweth B, Pope HG, et al. Body image and psychopathology in male bodybuilders. Psychother Psychosom 2001 Jan-Feb;70(1):38-43.
3. Chung B. Muscle dysmorphia: a critical review of the proposed criteria. Perspect Biol Med 2001 Autumn;44(4):565-74.
4. Kuiken SD, Samsom M, et al. Development of a test to measure gastric accommodation in humans. Am J Physiol 1999 Dec;277(6 Pt 1):G1217-21.
5. Orr WC, Shadid G, et al. Meal composition and its effect on postprandial sleepiness. Physiol Behav 1997 Oct;62(4):709-12.
6. Verboeket-van de Venne WP, Westerterp KR. Influence of the feeding frequency on nutrient utilization in man: consequences for energy metabolism. Eur J Clin Nutr 1991 Mar;45(3):161-9.
7. Jackson AA. Limits of adaptation to high dietary protein intakes. Eur J Clin Nutr 1999 Apr;53 Suppl 1:S44-52.
8. Grizard J, Dardevet D, et al. Insulin action on skeletal muscle protein metabolism during catabolic states. Reprod Nutr Dev 1999 Jan-Feb;39(1):61-74.
9. Ferrannini E, Galvan AQ, et al. Insulin: new roles for an ancient hormone. Eur J Clin Invest 1999 Oct;29(10):842-52.
10. Arnold L, Mann JI, et al. Metabolic effects of alterations in meal frequency in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 1997 Nov:20(11):1651-4.
11. Boirie Y, Dangin M, et al. Slow and fast dietary proteins differently modulate postprandial protein accretion. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1997 Dec 23;94(26):14930-5.
12. Vesa TH, Marteau P, et al. Lactose intolerance. J Am Coll Nutr 2000 Apr;19(2 Suppl):165S-75S |
