Part 2
Eating for performance and continued self improvement.
It may not always be the training that’s at fault when we are talking about the law of diminishing returns. If you want to give yourself the absolute best chance of seeing self improvement year after year, eating for performance and not just being content with filling your stomach, is something you should take seriously.
In other words, if you want to get the most out of each training session you should be thinking about what you are going to fuel you’re body with prior to training, and what you’re going to put in your body after training for recovery.
It’s not as complex as you may think. It’s important to plan ahead and be prepared.
Meal timing is very important. Your three biggest meals of the day should be breakfast, before training and after training. These are times when your body will use food most efficiently.
Determining your protein needs is very simple as long as you are training hard.You need protein to help repair and rebuild muscle tissue.The minimum amount you require is 1 gram per pound of body weight.The maximum amount is 1.5 grams per pound of body weight. Let’s take the minimum, say you weight 85kgs – 85×2.21= 187.85. This is the minimum amount of protein you require on a daily basis. You then want to divide that amount between your meals. Ideally you will eat 6 meals a day. If we divide the 187.85 grams of protein between the six meals that gives you around about 31 grams of protein per meal. The reason for this is your body is only capable of consuming so much protein in one sitting.
Determining you carbohydrate needs is dependent on two things: the speed of your metabolism and your daily schedule. Obviously also keeping in mind your overall goals. Whether your main goal is to put on muscle or lose bodyfat, your three biggest meals should still be breakfast, before training and after training. You will need to know your baseline calories that way if it’s more muscle you want, you can start by adding an extra 200 calories. If it’s less bodyfat, you can do the opposite minus 200 calories. These are starting points. Remember all bodies are different.
Determining your fat needs is also a very personal thing.I really believe you can determine your fat needs by the way you feel in general. Also pay attention to your skin. If your skin is dry you may require more good fats in your diet. If your not getting enough fats it will have an effect on how your hair feels. Do you get sore joints? Adding some fat from fish oil capsules can help alleviate joint pain. Most experts will tell you your diet should be made up of 10-30% of fat. I myself used to keep around 20% of my calories from fat in my diet, however I found when I dropped my fats to 10% it made a positive difference to the way I felt in general. My advice is experiment to find what best works for you.
Helpful hints: always try to combine protein and fat with carbohydrates. Doing this will help slow absorption of nutrients into your bloodstream and help keep your blood sugar levels stable. The one time this doesn’t apply is after resistance training when you only want protein and simple carbs. This will cause a spike in your blood sugar levels enabling your body to release insulin to drive nutrients into your muscles, which will help you build muscle.
Keep you fruit intake to a maximum of three servings a day and preferably in the morning. Fruit sugars convert much easier to fat in the body.
Drink plenty of water. Anywhere from three to five litres a day. Water helps flush unwanted toxins from your body as well as keeping you hydrated which is essential if you want to be at your best when exercising.
Supplements are just that- supplements to food. However protein powder, BCAA’s, vitamin c, and fish oil capsules are all very useful.
Depending on what your goals are on days you don’t train you may choose to increase your protein closer to the maximum 1.5 grams per pound of body weight while dropping your carbohydrates back. 1 gram of Protein and carbohydrates both contain 4 calories.
You must experiment to see what works best for you.
Eating for performance is not overly complicated. Doing it week after week is another matter, as it requires discipline and dedication.
Contact Craig for a free consultation.
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