Diet for a set of muscle mass: high-calorie, vegetarian, carbohydrate

We are used to thinking that a diet is something like a hunger strike. It is used for the purpose of losing weight, and some types for therapeutic purposes. In any case, the diet provides for limiting calories consumed by the body. Therefore, when it comes to a high-calorie diet, the goal of which is not to reduce, but, on the contrary, to increase body volumes, many of this seem absurd. Nevertheless, the diet for muscle mass, involving more calories than usual, is quite popular, and not only among athletes.

What is so useful high-calorie diet? A large amount of consumed calories we associate with the growth of the fat layer, is it really interesting to someone to increase it? It turns out all the matter is not in the number of calories, but in the needs of the body and the correct balance of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. The right diet for a set of muscle mass pursues this goal, and not the accumulation of fat cells.

[1], [2]

Indications

Since it is about increasing the calories consumed, it becomes clear that a diet for muscle mass is not one of those techniques that everyone and everyone practice for weight loss. On the contrary, the use of such a dietary technique without meeting certain requirements (and most important of them regular high physical exertion) will only increase the overall weight, and not only by increasing muscle.

The essence of the diet for muscle growth is the saturation of the body with the energy necessary for active sports. After all, intensified training is associated with a large expenditure of energy, which the body receives from food. The energy received with products is expended on various processes of vital activity of an organism, including on growth of muscular fibers. If, however, with large physical loads, the human body does not receive enough energy from outside, it is taken first of all for the stocks stored in the muscles, leaving the fat layer in reserve.

In ordinary life and some sports, leanness is even welcomed, which can not be said of power. Is it possible to imagine a weightlifter athlete with flabby, shapeless muscles? But energy consumption in this case is incredibly great, which means that it requires regular replenishment to maintain muscle forms.

In the now popular bodybuilding and bodybuilding in general, the emphasis is on building a beautiful volumetric muscular relief. But this relief should be just muscular, and not fat. So, such athletes need a special strengthened and balanced diet, taking into account their needs.

Correction of muscle mass through nutrition can be carried out in different ways, depending on the desired result and human activity. It is clear that the food of professional athletes, weightlifters should be different from the menu of women, actively engaged in fitness and amateur sports to build a beautiful sports body. Therefore, there are several types of sports diets that you need to choose depending on the amount of physical exertion and goals.

So, the protein diet for a set of muscle mass is perfect for women who are striving for beautiful sports forms and full-bodied men engaged in sports. But weightlifters will benefit from a high-calorie carbohydrate diet.

[3], [4], [5]

General information of the diets for a set of muscle mass

Whatever the diet for levying 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 us consider these requirements in more detail:

• Multiplicity of food intake. In this diet for muscle growth is somewhat reminiscent of therapeutic fractional nutrition. It is recommended to eat athletes at least 5 times a day, and preferably 6 or even 7 times, not allowing the appearance of hunger.

The fact is that a person without great physical exertion in general begins to feel hungry 4 hours after eating, when most of the food is completely digested and absorbed. Athletes metabolism processes are faster, which means that the feeling of hunger occurs earlier (somewhere in 3 hours). The desire to eat in turn indicates that the external energy source has exhausted itself, and for the further vital activity the body will begin to expend internal (muscular) stocks of nutrients, which is fraught with a decrease in the muscular mass and strength (endurance) of the athlete.

Fractional food is also useful because it does not allow you to save fat during the day from unused calories, as happens with 3 meals a day.

• Caloric content of dishes. When recruiting muscle mass, avoid high-calorie food is not worth it. It should consist of almost 2/3 of the entire menu. Muscles, though mostly composed of water, but only from water do not grow.
• The 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 exertion, the greater the energy consumption and the need for it. So, the caloric content of food among professional athletes should be higher than that of ordinary people and even those who do sports irregularly.

It would seem that there are complex, eat more fat and sweet, and you are provided with calories. Actually this is not true. With this diet, you can only provide yourself with a fatty layer, but not muscle mass. So calories are different from calories.

Yes, the athlete's diet should consist of 50-60 percent of carbohydrates, as the main source of energy. But it should be slow carbohydrates, which do not cause a sharp rise in the glucose in the blood, eventually settling on the body in the form of fat (after all, it is necessary for the body to dispose of surpluses of energy-valuable raw materials somewhere).

Protein is the main building material for cells, especially muscle cells, so its part in the diet should also be considerable. Still, large loads lead to the destruction of muscle fibers, and protein is needed to restore them.

Ideal for athletes is considered to contain 25-35% of protein in food, while with food, only half of the required amount should come. The remaining 50% of the protein must be fed into the body with a specialized sports nutrition.

As for fats, it is impossible to exclude them from the diet by actively training people. Fats in the ration of an athlete should be between 10 and 20%. Thus, the balance of nutrients is not disturbed, and the body receives the amount of energy strictly necessary to it without the possibility of making fat reserves.

• Vegetables and fruits. The benefits of vegetables and fruits are great, and you can not argue with that, but in the matter of muscle growth they do not help much, so their share should not exceed 1/3 of the diet. In addition, these products contain vegetable fiber, which speeds up the process of digesting food. But for high-calorie food takes more time to digest, so part of it just is not digested in the body.
• Meals in the afternoon 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 it will benefit from a full meal, which perfectly combines carbohydrates, proteins and fats. But in the evening, when motor activity decreases, the amount of carbohydrates and fats should be limited so that they do not subsequently settle on the sides and abdomen. Immediately before bedtime, strictly protein food is allowed, and it is desirable that the protein is of animal origin (meat, fish, dairy products).

The bulk of the food should be eaten before lunch. And yet you need to consider the time of training. The last meal before the lessons should be held no later than 2 hours before the beginning. Training usually takes from 40 minutes to 1 hour, so that between meals will take no more than 3-3.5 hours, which is consistent with the diet.

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

A typical person is recommended to drink about 2 liters of liquid a day to ensure the consistency of the internal environment. But if a person is actively involved in sports, his accelerated metabolism leads to the allocation of even more liquid from the body, and to restore the water-salt balance, you need to consume much more water (about 3 liters). It can be as pure water, and liquid dishes on its basis (tea, compote, soup, borsch, kissel, etc.).

• Body type accounting. It is customary to consider 3 types of physique: ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph. All of the above is ideal for a mesomorph - a man with a normal physique. But the lean (ectomorph) or inclined to fullness (endomorph) athlete will have to revise the proposed diet in the direction of increasing or decreasing the number of calories consumed, otherwise it will be very difficult to achieve the desired results.

How to make food for a set of muscle mass?

So far, it was about the principles of a diet for muscle mass and included only general concepts: proteins, fats, carbohydrates. But after all, when we go to the grocery store, we mean the purchase of certain food products, of which our diet will consist. And buying meat or cottage cheese, we're not talking about buying protein with a little fat.

Let's try to give the general concepts of real concrete forms to understand which products the athlete's diet should consist of. Since carbohydrates in the diet should be the most, first of all pay attention to them. So, what are the products commonly understood as "carbohydrates":

• Cereal products used to make useful cereals containing slow carbohydrates. The most useful are buckwheat, rice, corn, barley and wheat groats.
• Pasta, for the manufacture of which solid wheat varieties and coarse flour were used.
• Bread (mostly bezdozhzhevoy of dark flour).
• Cereal flakes and muesli (refer to faster carbohydrates, but are quite acceptable in sports nutrition and are beneficial to the body).

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

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

• Meat with a low fat content (chicken, turkey, veal, rabbit, lean pork, etc.).
• Any kind of fish (fish oil is a very useful substance for the body, so its consumption should not be limited).
• Milk products with a low fat content (cottage cheese with fat content up to 2.5%, curdled milk, kefir, milk of low fat content or diluted).
• Egg white. In principle, the eggs can be consumed entirely, but you need to understand that the yolk is a rich source of harmful cholesterol, so it is not worth using.
• The main sources of vegetable protein are legumes. Let the vegetable protein and is less valued in sports than the animal, but for a variety of diet and as a source of mineral substances, beans are quite suitable. Caution should be observed only with soy, which has a large hormonal activity, which can lead to weight gain.

Fats are products that contain a large amount of this component. They are not particularly useful for athletes. But to refuse them is not recommended at all. True, it is always possible to find a way out of the current situation, for example, by replacing non-useful animal fats with vegetable. To vegetable fats include: sunflower, olive, corn, flaxseed and some other oils. In addition, fish and seafood can become a source of useful fats and fatty acids.

Now it became clear what products the athlete's menu should consist of, but how correctly to calculate the calories necessary for the body and translate them into the weight of the products?

Calculation of calories according to sex and body type

It is impossible to give specific figures of calories, which would be universal, i.e. Approached absolutely everything. Every person is different: he has not only a different appearance, but also his own combination of height, weight and constitutional features of his physique. In such conditions it is difficult to talk about any norms.

But one can calculate the basal requirement of one's organism for calories independently. In a simplified version of the calculations, you only need to know your exact weight:

M x 30 = E

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

This formula can be used by anyone who is interested in the optimal number of calories that their body needs to receive within a day, without taking physical activity into account. But the athletes it increased, and therefore, the resulting calories will not be enough. In addition, the formula says only about the calories that are needed to preserve the weight. And we need to also increase it by building muscle. And if you take into account the energy expended during training and in connection with accelerated metabolism, you need to add at least another 500 kcal to the E received.

But again, a lot depends on the type of physique. And if for the mesomorph and endomorph the calculations of E + 500 are relevant, then an ectomorph of such a quantity of calories will not be enough to build up muscle mass. He can safely dunk another 500 kcal from above without fear of increasing the fatty layer.

If there is a desire to learn more accurate figures, in which not only weight, but also height, age, sex of a person will be taken into account, it is recommended to use the following formula:

M x 10 + P x 6,25 - B x 5 = E

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

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

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

There is a logical question, are not too small numbers obtained? Not at all, because the formula gives us only the energy that the body needs to maintain various processes of vital activity in it, and does not take into account the physical activities for the day.

In order to take into account the motor activity of a person and the load on the body, special coefficients are applied to the above-described formula, to which our E must be multiplied. That is, the final result will depend on the degree of physical activity and look like this: E _o  = E x k, where E _o  - the required number of calories with the amount of exercise (exercise) and E - is based on gender E _w  or E _m and k - factor accounting level of physical activity:

• at low activity and hypodynamia it is equal to 1.2 (actual for people far from sports),
• for a small activity with 1-3 workouts per week the coefficient will be slightly higher - 1.275,
• those who train more than 3, but less than 5 times a week, the value of E will need to be multiplied by 1.55,
• with increased physical activity, when the training takes place daily, i.e. 5-7 times a week, the coefficient is 1,725,
• during preparation for competitions, when a person trains several times during the day, the value of E must be multiplied by 1.9 (the same can be offered to people engaged in heavy physical labor).

What do we get for our athletes, if they train daily?

• For the girl: Е _о  = 1600 х 1,725 = 2760 kcal
• For the guy: Е _о  = 1605 х 1,725 = 2769 kcal

It turns out that in order to keep your weight in the norm our athletes will need to provide a daily requirement of the body in 2760-2770 kcal.

But if we are talking about a set of muscle mass, then this will be not enough. Therefore, there is a correction to the formula, which depends on the characteristics of the athlete's body. If it refers to endomorphs, which easily and quickly gain weight,  15% will be added to the obtained value of E _o. Ectomorphs, weighting for which presents certain difficulties, you can add all 20%, and mesomorphs - the average figure (17-18%).

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

So, with the caloric content of your diet during the diet for muscle mass, we sorted it out. It's time to translate calories into grams of products included in the menu.

It is necessary 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.

Calculate the amount of protein fats and carbohydrates for our athletes, taking the average of all three components, based on the recommended ratio of BJU. So, we take carbohydrates in an 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 trained athlete weighing 65 kg with a height of 168 cm will be 238h53x436 g. Now, picking up a calorie table of products, it will be much easier to make a diet menu for muscle mass gain.

Consider a small example of such a menu for 1 day with 6 meals a day:

• 1 breakfast  - crumbly buckwheat porridge from 100 g cereals, an omelette from 3 proteins and 1 yolk with toast and a small piece of cheese, a glass of milk.
• 2 breakfasts  - 100 grams of dried fruits and bun.
• Lunch  - pasta with braised chicken breast, vegetable salad with vegetable oil and herbs, fruit compote.
• Afternoon snack  - a glass of yogurt, a toast with jam.
• 1 dinner  - fish with vegetables, green tea.
• 2 dinner  - cottage cheese, fermented baked milk.

The size of portions should be calculated based on the calorie content of the foods used in the dishes. At first it will not be easy, therefore it is recommended to prepare the menu in advance for at least a week. But later, when a person already will be guided by the caloric content of his diet, the need for constant calculations will disappear.

[6], [7], [8]

A set of muscle mass in men and women

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

You can argue, saying that in the body of men, women's hormones are also produced, as in female males, which means that hormones have nothing to do with it. But the point is not whether they are produced or not, but in their quantity. For example, the male body produces testosterone 12-15 times more than the female, namely testosterone is responsible for the growth of muscle mass.

Diet for a set of muscle mass with proper application for men gives an increase in muscle. The same diet can be used by women, but you need to understand that the increase in muscle mass in them will not be so active. And if even to the same intensity of training does not correspond to the calorie content of food, this practice is fraught with weight gain not by muscular tissue.

It is not necessary to think that female bodybuilders achieved their results only thanks to a diet for a set of muscle mass and hard training. No diet and exercise can make a woman's body as embossed as men. They can not make testosterone in the female body more active.

But to influence the shape of a woman's body and make them masculine quite anabolic steroids, which are considered hormonal drugs. If a woman's goal is to have a sculptured muscular body, like a man, diet and exercise in any case will have to be supplemented with anabolic intake.

And those women who want to get a beautiful sporty body fit, there is nothing to fear. Diet for a set of muscle mass - the most it for girls who want to shine on the beach with elastic forms. The main thing is that food and exercise should be regular.

In order that there was no search, and the body acquired a certain beautiful relief gradually and moderately, you do not need to immediately lean on high-calorie food. Without long calculations, you can recommend increasing the number of calories needed by the body in daily life by 300, and do not miss. A man's muscular body, let's say it's straightforward, does not need a woman, so there's no reason for him to strive for it. These extra 300 kcal will cover the energy deficit during exercise during fitness or sports, but the energy reserve on the sides, hips and waist will not do anything to the body.

The difference between "female" and "male" diets with equal loads and physical data is only in the size of portions. Well, maybe even more women will be more inventive in cooking, which is by no means a fact (for good reason, at the court of kings, the chefs were mostly men).

[9], [10], [11], [12]

Carbohydrate diet for a set of muscle mass

It is rather a variant of the protein-carbohydrate diet, because with a small amount of protein in the diet, no weight gain can be made by the muscles due to speech. In principle, this method of body correction we described as a diet for a set of muscle mass with the proportions of carbohydrates, proteins and fats about 55x30x15.

As we see, here the superiority remains for carbohydrate food. It's half the whole diet. It is clear that the calorie content of nutrition in this case will be higher than with a protein diet for muscle mass gain. Therefore, such nutrition requires a lot of physical exertion and for weight loss is not suitable. Unless someone decides to torture themselves with regular, lengthy, debilitating occupations in the gym, abandoning the easier methods to combat overweight.

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

Carbohydrate diet for a set of muscle mass also provides for a gradual increase in calorie content of food. If the weight gain is more than 800 g, the calorie content of the diet should be reduced, because this will most likely indicate the growth of not only muscle but also fat mass, which is not welcome in the sport.

As for fats, they are limited even in high-calorie diets. Fatty meat and fat, butter, sausages and smoked meat are not welcome. Butter in small amounts of carbohydrate diet still allows, but with other listed fats for the time of a diet is better to say goodbye.

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Separate nutrition for a set of muscle mass

An interesting variant of the protein-carbohydrate diet is the technique of the type of separate nutrition. If the usual diet involves the use of proteins, fats and carbohydrates during the day, then in the protein-carbohydrate alternation (and approximately the so-called method based on the principles of separate nutrition), foods with a high content of these components are consumed on different days.

There are different variants of the protein-carbohydrate diet for a set of muscle mass on the basis of separate nutrition. For those who have never tried the technique of separate use of incompatible products, you can first try to alternate during the day with protein and carbohydrate meals, adding a small amount of fat to it.

When the body gets comfortable, you can switch to more effective methods. For example, start with the use of an equal number of proteins and carbohydrates per day. On day 2-3, use only protein foods, and then one day to sit on a strict carbohydrate diet. Next, and alternate 2 protein days and 1 carbohydrate for 3-4 weeks.

In principle, the theory of separate nutrition is also applicable to the protein diet that many bodybuilders practice. Thus, in case of separate nutrition, according to Sheldon's theory, incompatible products should be consumed with an interval of at least 2 hours. It is believed that protein food is not good to combine with carbohydrate. But in the case of a protein diet used for drying the body and gaining muscle mass, the principles of separate nutrition are not difficult to observe. Especially if you take into account frequent meals and a small amount 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 reinforcement of the body immediately after training.

Vegetarian diet for a set of muscle mass

Vegetarianism has now become a very popular trend. And adhere to this method of nutrition, not only women, but also men. At the same time, vegetarian thinking poses no obstacle to sports.

Do not think that vegetarians are often "drunk", as the ectomorphs are often called. Yes, animal proteins are taboo for them, but there are also vegetable proteins and fats, as well as a large variety of carbohydrates available for those who reject animal food.

It is clear that the beautiful relief body can not be built on all this. Many bodybuilders agree that without meat protein supplements even meat eaters have to work very hard to get a beautiful muscle relief. And what can we say about vegetarians.

Nevertheless, even among the well-known bodybuilders you can meet vegans, in the diet of which there are no eggs, milk, meat, poultry and fish. How do they manage to achieve a gain in muscle mass without enough protein?

In order for the muscles to grow, a vegetarian should consume 150 grams of protein a day. Since animal food, rich in proteins, is taboo for him, attention should be paid to vegetable products. Recall, the main source of vegetable proteins are legumes. These include: black, white and spotted beans, beans, peas, lentils.

You can use legumes in various dishes: soups, borscht, puree, make roast with them, bake in sauce, fry. At the same time, all dishes can be cooked deliciously without milk, eggs or meat.

True, despite the availability of the product and the high nutritional value from unaccustomed use, it is not easy to eat a portion of the bean dish that is sufficient for muscle growth. In addition, legumes can lead to increased gas formation in the digestive tract. To cope with this problem help special medicines and decoction of fennel seeds. But to increase the value of the protein beans help grain, for example, rice. It is permissible to eat legumes with bread from wholemeal flour.

Some protein and vegetable fats are also found in nuts, which makes them useful in a vegetarian diet for muscle mass gain. If we talk about nuts, we can not forget that this is a rather fatty product, the excessive use of which can cause an increase in fat stores.

But after all, the usual vegetarian food is not enough calories to use it in a diet to gain muscle mass. So nuts will just come in time, because even with 150-160 g of protein intake against a background of low-calorie nutrition, it is impossible to achieve muscle growth. Stronger training at 2000-2500 calories per day will lead to the fact that the energy for training will be pumped out of the muscles.

Nuts besides protein contain monounsaturated fats and fiber, which helps in the assimilation of food, so that the body will receive adequate nutrition.

Useful in terms of calorie is considered olive oil and other vegetable oils, which are great for refueling vegetarian dishes. During active sports, the volume of consumption of such fats is recommended to be increased, which will give the body extra energy that does not settle in the wrong place.

As a source of vegetable oils and protein, sunflower, pumpkin, and flax seeds can be used in their diet, but one must take into account the high content of insoluble fiber in them.

And what about the soybeans and the value of soy protein, based on which the industry produces a variety of high-calorie vegetarian foods that can be purchased at diet stores. Soy protein isolate is used to make powdery products that can safely include a diet menu in combination with juices and soy milk.

Vegetarians more than other athletes will come by the way protein cocktails, the basis of which will be all the same soy protein and casein. Such anabolics can replace some of the athlete's food that will solve the problem of the diversity of the diet and the lack of protein in vegetarian food.

Diversify the menu of vegetarians in recent years has become much easier. Still, the industry is keeping pace with the times, and already on the shelves of regular grocery supermarkets you can meet vegetarian sauces, pasta, desserts and drinks resembling milk, tofu cheese and products from it, some kind of hamburger without the presence of meat products, etc. . Many books on vegetarian nutrition include high-protein meals based on soy and beans that can be used in a diet for muscle mass gain.

High-calorie diet for muscle mass gain

A set of muscle mass is impossible without consuming a large number of calories and a sufficient volume of protein food. It is clear that the usual low-calorie diets can not help in this. So, the approach should be completely different.

We must understand that a high-calorie diet is not a separate method of sports nutrition. Under this concept, various diets with high caloric content are combined. Many of them are scientifically unjustified and are the result of a rich fantasy of bodybuilders trying to achieve quick results. These diets do not take into account the constitutional characteristics of the body, the age and weight of the athlete, so there is not surprisingly a small number of positive results. But the use of such experimental diets can be fraught with various health disorders.

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

In sports circles it is customary to practice such kinds of high-calorie diets:

• Home nutrition plus a protein-fat supplement for muscle mass gain. By the way, as a protein-fat supplement, very often not special cocktails, but whole cow milk, which contains both fats and proteins at the same time, and also has a good calorie content.

Such a diet is considered useful for young athletes, siloviki, who have a set of muscle mass at the same time with the growth of the whole body, because the sports career begins at an early age, when the body is still growing.

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

Such a diet is not only considered to be the best option for massaging muscles, but it also improves the athlete's power capabilities. It is popular in bodybuilding, power triathlon and other sports where strength and power are required.

By the way, those who professionally engage in power sports that require large amounts of energy, this diet is recommended on a permanent basis and is considered useful in that it improves the regenerative processes in the body, prevents inflammation, is considered a preventive measure of chronic fatigue.

• Diet on extreme weight. Enhanced version of the previous diet with increased carbohydrate content (up to 7 g per 1 kg of body weight). In this case, some of the slow carbohydrates can be replaced by fast ones. This practice is quite acceptable in the case of ectomorphic athletes to increase the amount of excessively lean body.

The menu of a high-calorie diet remains as close as possible to healthy food. Yes, and fractional nutrition in this case remains relevant, though, largely because it is possible to reduce the burden on the intestine. If you have to choose between, eat 3 times a large portion or 6 times on average, it is clear that the choice will be the last.

If even 6 meals a day does not allow to relieve the gastrointestinal tract (for example, during periods of intensive training on the eve of the competition), athletes have to resort to the help of enzymes. After all, to reduce the amount of food, keeping it calorie, without adding fats is very problematic. But to reduce caloric content under high loads is fraught with loss of muscle mass.

"Energy diet" for levying muscle mass

As we have already understood, there is an inextricable link between human nutrition and the processes occurring in his body. In terms of training, special emphasis is given to energy exchange, thanks to which the athlete receives not only strength and power, but also the ability to design his body in the direction of increasing the relief of muscles.

In order to optimize energy metabolism, athletes use a variety of diets for muscle mass gain and include in their diet useful supplements, for example, protein drinks and cocktails of mostly foreign producers. So in France now a special popularity is a series of functional food products "Energy Diet", which gradually won appreciation and domestic consumers.

"Energy Diet" on many sites is positioned as a slimming program, because the products of this series have a low calorie content. These are delicious cocktails, as well as the first and second dishes, which have a creamy consistency and a variety of tastes (fruit, meat, vegetable, etc.). They contain the usual vegetables, fruits and cereals, dried by the method of dehydration and turned into a 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 the Energy Diet more in detail, you can find out that within the program there is a series of products "Energy Diets Sport", which is designed specifically for athletes experiencing daily heavy physical activity. Products of this line of "Energy diet" is recommended to be used as part of the nutrition program for muscle mass and body drying.

It is clear that using a series of products "Energy Diet" as a substitute for normal nutrition is not recommended even for those who want to quickly lose weight. Still, the teeth also need to be given work, rather than filter through them liquid and creamy dishes, even if balanced in the amount of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, and also enriched with valuable vitamins and trace elements. But if the whole grain is considered more useful than cereals, then what to say about the powdery substance, how many it does not enrich from the side.

Nevertheless, as a useful energetically balanced supplement, the "Energy Diets" is quite suitable as a component of a full-fledged diet of athletes. Cocktails of this series are recommended to be drunk after a workout during the first two hours to help the body recover from the stresses, and the soups can be pampered before classes with the gym (30-90 minutes before them).

And even if an athlete trains in a day (3 trainings per week), you can eat Energy Diet products every day. When there are no training sessions, the "Energy Diet" drinks are added to the main diet.

Products of the sports series can be diluted with water or milk at your discretion, considering that milk is an additional source of protein, so necessary for the volume of muscles.

[14], [15], [16]

Contraindications

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

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

[17], [18], [19], [20], [21], [22], [23], [24], [25], [26], [27]