The initial starting phase in muscle building can be an exciting and fun time. During this early stage, you can be sure that you will be making some noticeable gains in the muscles you’re working. And for some, even consuming the wrong foods will not deter these early muscle gains. However, after a certain time, your training results will start to slow down without proper nutrition. This article will provide you with some guidance about your pre and post workout food choices.

Pre-Workout Nutrition

Pre-workout nutrition is an important element of your body transformation plan.
Also, pre-exercise meals should be based on several components. The first one that is somewhat undermined is fat. That is right, you need high-quality fat to fuel your body with energy and make it through an intense workout. Based on a research study, fat is a great source of fuel for longer and moderate-to-low-intensity exercise. However, there should be certain limitations of the fat intake, based on your own individual goals and health. Furthermore, a report published by the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, higher levels of fat in the diet can increase the endurance up to 40%. Therefore, it is safe to say that fats are one of the crucial components of the pre-workout nutrition strategy for gym-goers. However, your fats intake should be kept low to medium in your pre-workout meal. This is because fats can slow down the digestive process. And this can prevent you to have a good workout as it may affect your performances in the gym.

Carbohydrates

As we have stated before, the high-intensity workout is one of the main prerequisites for building lean muscle. Moreover, this is especially important after your training results stall. It is an effective way to get your muscles out of the comfort zone. But to be able to train hard, you will need to have a steady carbohydrate intake. This is because carbs are the main source of energy that the body needs to function at its highest level and fuel your workouts. As mentioned in our previous article (couldn’t find recent cluster bomb article link), some of our Tier Operators will utilize Redcon1 Cluster Bomb with their intra workouts to help fuel them during high-intensity workouts.

Protein

Protein is one of the main elements that can help you to build lean muscle mass for body builders. Also, there are numerous studies that show that pre-workout protein consumption can improve athletic and workout performances. Moreover, a pre-workout meal that is high with protein can also improve the overall protein synthesis. According to a research study, consuming protein before exercise can ignite a better anabolic response. Furthermore, the pre-workout protein consummation can also optimize the recovery process. Therefore, this is another benefit that can help in the process of building lean muscle mass. Other benefits of the pre-workout protein intake are increased strength and endurance during your training. Nevertheless, protein intake should be taken evenly during the day. Luckily for you, Redcon1 developed a full range of protein powders from meal replacement to vegan protein powder.

All in all, the combination of protein, fat and carbohydrates is a perfect concept that can improve your muscle gains when taken before a workout. Carbohydrates have to the role to improve your ability for high-intensity workout and on the other side, the fat can provide you with fuel for longer workouts in the weight room. And the protein will improve the overall protein synthesis thus capitalizing on the other two elements in building lean muscle.

However, it is imperative to have proper control over your pre-workout food intake. Also, you should modify your meals to your overall goal. In other words, if you’re looking at bulking up then you’ll be consuming more. But if you are trying to cut down that you should eat less.

Post Workout Nutrition

The second part of your diet plan is based on post-workout nutrition. On that note, it is important to emphasize that there are certain steps that you can take to ensure your nutrition is working in favor of your training goals. The first and foremost is the protein again. It is the protein that is responsible for the repair and growth of these muscle cells that you’re working towards in the gym. Moreover, your protein breakdown increases after the exercise. Also, it's not uncommon for your glycogen levels to significantly deplete after a workout. Therefore, protein can be an effective option to help replenish your body after strenuous weightlifting and avoid a potential loss in muscle mass. Depending on your training goals, you can find a variety of protein sources to help repair and grow your muscles.

In addition to protein, you may also consider including glutamine in your post-workout nutrition plan to help replenish what you’ve lost during your workout. Glutamine can help optimize the protein synthesis and can lower the catabolism involved in high-intensity training.

Conclusion

The nutrition plan is one important puzzle in the body transformation mosaic. And it is safe to say that your bodybuilding and fitness progress is closely related to you food choices. Therefore, it is imperative to pick the right foods at the right time for your body and goals.

Chris Hazen | @thechrishazen | thechrishazen@gmail.com