Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Improving Performance with Nutrition

You can get better results from your consistent workout regimen and with a sound nutrition program with the aid of a complete nutritional supplement, and have the increase in muscle size, strength and endurance that you want. To ensure that they are attaining their performance goals and eating just enough to feed their muscles, most professional bodybuilders and athletes go through certain 'phases' during the course of their training programs. Eating large amounts of protein, eating small meals, and taking supplement throughout the course of the day is essential for success, and to maximize muscle gain, this is usually done during the off season phase.

After this phase, bodybuilders go through several phases that involve changing the amount of carbohydrate-rich foods, lean proteins and supplements like Stemulite that support the training program at each stage. Understanding what is involved in each of these phases can help you create an effective training program that gets the results you need.

The Off Season - Your goal for this phase is to build as much muscle as you can. Bodybuilders support their performance outcome by eating healthy carbs and high amounts of protein through the course of the day, according to Louise Burke, the expert author of “Practical Sports Nutrition”. They typically follow a consistent schedule of these foods to make sure they're meeting their protein requirements and may design their eating plan around their workouts to further enhance results.

Hypertrophy Phase – A bodybuilder is required to follow a rigid eating plan that means eating every 2 or 3 hours and even throughout the night. To consume just the right amount of food to maintain weight and to be able to allow the body to increase strength is the goal here. This can be attained with the right selection of foods that build up muscle and carbs that provide sustainable energy.

Competition Prep - 6 to 16 weeks before the event is when most body builders begin to prepare for a competition. This period may involve severe calorie restriction to reduce body fat, and maintain a schedule of sustained weight loss up to the event. The primary goal here is to lose body fat and not muscle that was built up during the off-season. This can be achieved by eating low-fat, high protein meals, or replacing a meal with a complete nutritional supplement like Stemulite Fitness Formula, and coordinating meals with a consistent workout regimen.

Cutting Phase - This involves severe calorie restriction to stimulate rapid fat loss, and typically occurs before the competitive event. Many bodybuilders drastically reduce their calories and rely on supplements to achieve nutritional balance. So that the body can recover easily, this phase includes intensive circuit training routines and more rest.

Post Competition - Many bodybuilders resort to binge eating immediately after the competition since they've been on a near starvation diet for up to 6 months prior to competition. This can be a health hazard for many, especially for those that end up gaining a lot of weight in a very short period of time. To avoid compromising their health in the during this stage and to maintain some of the results they have worked hard for, bodybuilders should ease themselves into a healthier diet program.

With the different phases most bodybuilder goes through, maintaining a steady nutrition program is difficult. However, sound nutritional principles, using a supplement like Stemulite, and working with a nutritionist or dietitian throughout training can help you increase your chances of long-term success.