Improving Performance with Nutrition

Increasing muscle size, strength and endurance is the result of a consistent workout regimen and a sound nutrition program with the aid of a complete nutritional supplement. Almost all professional bodybuilders and athletes go through 'phases' during their training programs to ensure they are meeting their performance goals and eating just enough to feed their muscles. 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 - The goal of this phase is to build as much muscle as possible. According to Louise Burke, author of the book "Practical Sports Nutrition", bodybuilders support their performance outcome by eating high amounts of protein and healthy carbs throughout the day. 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. The goal here is to eat just enough food to maintain weight and allow the body to increase strength. This may be reached with the right selection of foods that build up muscle and carbs that provide sustainable energy.

Competition Prep - Most bodybuilders begin their competition preparation between 6 to 16 weeks before the event. This period requires a bodybuilder to maintain a schedule of sustained weight loss up to the event and involves severe calorie restriction to effectively reduce body fat. 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 rely on supplements to achieve nutritional balance as they drastically reduce their calorie intake. This phase may also include intensive circuit training routines and getting more rest so that the body can recover easily.

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 is a health risk for many because they will gain a lot of weight in a short period of time. Bodybuilders who want to avoid weight gain during this stage can ease themselves into a healthier eating program so that they can maintain some of the results they worked so hard for and not compromise their health in the process.

With the different phases most bodybuilder goes through, maintaining a steady nutrition program is not easy. Get to increase your chances of long term success with sound nutritional principles, using a supplement like Stemulite, and work with a nutritionist or dietitian throughout the training program.