To Perfect Body

  Research suggests that nutritional support of training with both pre and post training snacks rich in carbohydrate and high quality protein creates an environment conducive to gains in muscle size and strength. The protein helps to further stimulate muscle building while the carbohydrate provides additional energy to fuel training and also reduce protein breakdown.

  A positive protein balance, which helps stimulate muscle growth, can be achieved by spreading protein intake over the day and also including appropriate pre-and-post training snacks or meals. Just 20-30 grams of carbohydrate and 10-20 grams of protein, taken around training, can influence lean muscle mass gains,
which even individuals on a low energy budget can afford. It is best to include a pre-training snack or meal that provides a good mix of carbohydrate and protein, 2-3 hours before training. This
should be matched by a similar snack or meal following training (within 1 hour if possible) to achieve both muscle building and recovery goals.

Tips for increasing energy intake

• Increase meal / snack frequency. It’s easier to eat more frequently than increasing the size of existing meals and snacks. This should become a priority, even during busy days. Aim to include three main meals and multiple snacks each day, including pre and post training snacks.
• Make use of energy-dense drinks (e.g. smoothies, milk shakes, powdered meal replacement formulas, fruit juice, cordial, sports drinks) and other nutritious, energy rich foods (e.g. cereal bars, dried fruit/trail mix). Skim milk powder can be added to homemade milk drinks for an extra protein and energy boost. These drinks can be particularly useful for athletes unable to tolerate solid food before/after exercise or those with smaller appetites.
• Moderate intake of high fibre options. As you look to increase your overall food intake, allow your intake of low energy fruit and vegetables to remain steady. Although a great source of important nutrients, maintaining your intake of these foods will allow more room for energy-dense, nutrient-rich options.
• Plan the day’s intake of food. This ensures suitable foods and drinks are at hand as needed. Keep a ready supply of nonperishable snacks in your training bag e.g. tetra packs of UHT
flavoured milk/fruit juice, cereal bars, dried fruit, powdered meal replacement formulas and sports drinks.

More Protein?

  For many years it was thought that eating more protein would allow for optimal muscle building, however most athletes in hard training already consume adequate protein in their usual dietary intake. Attention should be focused on a wider distribution and variety of protein over the day, even on non-training days.

  Inclusion of a small serve of a protein rich food at each meal and snack throughout the day helps to create an optimal environment for gains in muscle mass. If you train early in the morning, a pretraining snack is an excellent start to the day. See the fact sheet on Protein for Athletes for further information on protein needs.

Supplementary Support?

  Athletes attempting to increase muscle mass are particularly vulnerable to the emotive marketing of supplements promoted to build muscle. Popular muscle building supplements include protein powders, creatine, HMB, nitric oxide, colostrum and individual amino acid supplements which may come in the form of sports bars, drinks, pills and capsules, powders and gels.

  However, most of these products fail to live up to expectations and the scrutiny of scientific support. Liquid meal supplements and creatine may be an exception to the rule. The support of a Sports Dietitian will not only help you identify fact from fiction in the supplement industry but also provide guidance on appropriate protocols for their use.

Liquid Meal Supplements

  For individuals who struggle to achieve increased energy needs, liquid meal supplements or ‘protein powders’ offer convenient, compact options for boosting energy, carbohydrate and protein intake when everyday foods are not available or are impractical to consume. When choosing a protein powder, look for one that is rich in carbohydrate, moderate in protein, low fat, fortified with vitamins and minerals, tasty and economical. Alternatively, home made shakes can be made up to provide a similar nutrient profile at a fraction of the cost. Ask a Sports Dietitian for their recommendations or a suitable recipe!

Creatine

  Creatine supplementation is particularly popular among athletes attempting to increase muscle mass. While debate continues over the direct muscle building effect of creatine, it may indirectly support gains in muscle mass by promoting recovery between exercises and allowing you to do more total work (see Creatine supplementation and sports performance). Support for the muscle-building claims associated with other products like HMB, colostrum and specific amino acids are limited or lacking. Stick with the proven winning formula of a well planned training program and meal plan. ‘Magic bullets’ will come and go, but truly successful muscle building programs are based on hard training and a well planned daily intake of food.

Training

  To gain muscle mass, an appropriate and specific resistance training program needs to be adopted. This program should be specific to your performance and aesthetic goals as well as your lifestyle and training schedule. The off-season is an ideal time to work on muscle mass gains. A strength and conditioning coach can help you develop an effective training program to achieve the right balance between resistance and other training.

Pre and Post Training Snack Ideas

• Tub of low fat yoghurt & fruit
• Bowl of cereal and low fat milk
• Sandwich with lean ham & salad
• Low fat instant noodles, pasta sauces & ‘light’ cheese
• Homemade smoothies on low fat milk & yoghurt, honey and fruit plus a scoop of skim milk powder for an extra energy boost
• Fruit muffin or toast and a glass of low fat milk
• Breakfast/cereal bar & liquid meal supplement

  Each snack provides at least 10 grams of protein and 35 grams of carbohydrate which research indicates is enough to promote muscle building during exercise.

Conclusion

• Increase daily energy intake by increasing meal/snack frequency and making use of energy-rich drinks/snacks.
• The meal plan should be based on nutritious carbohydraterich foods, and include a small serve of protein-rich food/fluid at each meal/snack to optimise training responses, especially before and after training. 
• Get organised - plan food and fluids throughout the day to make sure suitable choices are always available.
• To increase muscle mass, a suitable and specific hypertrophy program should be designed in conjunction with a strength and conditioning coach.
• Only after training and diet have been optimised should you consider a sports supplement. The professional support of a Sports Dietitian can help you determine the best supplement for you.
• Set realistic goals and monitor progress regularly. To see how effective your training program is, assess your body mass and composition.
• Commitment, perseverance, and consistency are essential. Developing optimal levels of strength and muscle mass for your sport may take years, especially if you don’t have the luxury of a prolonged off-season each year.

  Bulking up can be an important performance or aesthetic goal in the development of an athlete. Commonly, athletes will desire muscle mass and strength gains; with few wanting an increase in body fat. For a gain in muscle mass, the combination of a welldesigned training program plus an energy-rich diet with adequate protein is essential. Muscle mass is influenced by an array of factors including genetics, training program, training history and dietary intake. If all are optimised, gains of 0.25-0.5 kg per week may be possible initially, but this will depend on genetics and training history. Overall body composition goals must also be considered as well as performance and training schedules.

  Far too many athletes want to increase muscle mass and reduce body fat simultaneously, often during a competitive season. This is not achievable for most individuals as gaining muscle and losing fat have mutually exclusive nutritional goals, which may be in opposition to performance nutrition requirements. To promote gains in muscle mass, the priority must be to increase overall energy intake while effective fat loss demands a reduction in energy intake (see Body Fat Control & Making Weight). Priorities and timeframes must be set with training and diet adjusted accordingly.

Increasing Energy Intake
  Increasing dietary energy intake (i.e. kilocalories or kilojoules) is essential if significant gains in muscle mass are to be achieved. For some athletes this can be a real challenge. Frequent and/ or prolonged training sessions can limit opportunities for meals and snacks while intense training can curb your appetite. Novel strategies like eating more energy-dense snacks and drinks, particularly around training may be required to overcome such obstacles. While an increase in energy intake is essential for gains in muscle mass, it should not be considered an excuse to indulge in high-fat, nutrient-poor, convenience food. Additional dietary fat can increase body fat stores which may pose an issue for some athletes, although for others, nutritious high fat foods like nuts and seeds may be an important inclusion to increase energy intake. For those concerned about gaining extra body fat, small increments in energy intake should be introduced until desirable results are achieved. Regular body composition assessment may help to alleviate concern among athletes with body fat gain fears.

  Ultimately everyone has a different metabolism and caloric needs. Below are a few examples, and good
starting points this is based on the average, so the best method is to monitor your eating habits and
make sure you are getting enough of the right foods. Best way to build a plan specific your needs is to
visit Max Muscle, and speak with one of our Certified Sports Nutrition Coaches, to push yourself to the
next level.

Lean Muscle Weight Gain Diet
This Sample diet is between 2,500 and 3,000 calories

Meal 1: Typically Breakfast
• 3‐4 eggs, boiled scrambled or fried in olive oil, (egg whites or egg substitute are OK). Throw in some veggies, broccoli, etc.
• 1 or 2 slices of whole wheat toast, or high protein whole grain bread.
Note: if you are trying to lose weight, then eat only 1 slice of high protein grain bread with a light canola or olive oil spread.
• Apple, orange or fresh fruit
• 8 ounces milk or soy milk
• OR, instead of cooking try this healthy shake: 12 ounces milk or soy milk,
1 banana, ½ cup strawberries or any frozen berry, 3‐4 scoops Gourmet
Gainer, ½ serving or ounce of Ultra 100 Liquid Vitamin, ½ cup of ice.
Blend and enjoy a powerful shake with 35 plus grams of protein, carbs and more than 100 nutrients! Note: You can replace the milk with juice,

Meal 2: Typically a School Snack around 10am
• Protein bar, such as Max Crunch Bar or something around 20g of protein.
• OR, 16oz milk
• OR, any snack with 15g or more protein

Meal 3: Typically Lunch 12pm
• Chicken, turkey or ham sandwich: The key here is to get mom or the lunch lady to give you at least 4‐5 ounces of meat in that sandwich and a slice of cheese. Light mayo or olive oil mayonnaise.
• OR, if you don’t like those types of sandwiches try a high protein peanut butter sandwich on high protein whole grain bread.
• 10 or so baby carrots or carrot sticks
• Small bag or serving of Sun Chips or a healthier type of chip with some grain and fiber
• 8‐12 ounces of milk or soy milk or water
Note: If you are trying to add more calories and still hungry at lunchtime, try adding another ½ sandwich.

Meal 4: Typically an after School Snack around 3pm
• Protein Shake, 3‐4 scoops of Max Gourmet Gainer, 8‐12 ounces milk or soy milk, banana or berries (½ cup) or both, ½ cup ice and blend. Feel free to try chocolate, peanut butter and banana or any other flavors and tasty ingredients that you like!
• OR, protein bar, such as Max Crunch Bar or something around 20g
of protein.
• OR, any snack with 20g or more protein

Meal 5: Typically Dinner around 6:30 or 7pm
• 4‐6 ounces of lean meat (chicken, steak, lean burgers, turkey meat etc)
• 1 or more cups of veggies such as, broccoli, green beans, snap peas, zucchini, carrots, corn etc. And/OR, a dinner salad.
• 1‐1 ½ cups pasta and/or rice. OR a large serving of both. Mashed potatoes, wild rice, hummus, and other similar foods can be substituted here.
• 8 ounces of milk, soymilk or water
• 2 slices of whole grain bread or high protein grain bread. Note: if you are trying to lose weight, then eat only 1 slice of high protein whole grain bread. If desired, use a light canola or olive oil spread.

Meal 6: Typically a snack around 10 or so The general idea for this snack is to elevate your nitrogen one last time before going to bed. You typically want to minimize the calories while adding 20 grams or so of protein before bed.
• Protein bar, such as Max Crunch Bar or something around 20g of protein.
• OR, a light shake of 8 ounces of milk or water, ½ scoop of Max Muscle protein, frozen berries are very low in calories and can make your shake taste great, or ½ cup of ice.
• OR, If you are trying to gain weight and need additional calories, try this higher calorie shake. 2‐3 scoops of Gourmet Gainer, frozen berries or a banana or both, 1 scoop of ice cream, 8‐12 ounces of milk, water or soy milk, ½ cup of ice. Blend and enjoy.
• OR, any light snack with 15g or more protein

  Ultimately everyone has a different metabolism and caloric needs. Below are a few examples, and good
starting points this is based on the average, so the best method is to monitor your eating habits and
make sure you are getting enough of the right foods. Best way to build a plan specific your needs is to
visit Max Muscle, and speak with one of our Certified Sports Nutrition Coaches, to push yourself to the
next level.

Lean Muscle Building and Maintenance Diet
This sample diet is between 2,200 and 2,500 calories

Meal 1: Typically Breakfast
• 2‐3 eggs, boiled scrambled or fried in olive oil, (egg whites or egg substitute are ok). Throw in some veggies, broccoli, etc.
• 1 or 2 slices of whole wheat toast, or high protein whole grain bread.
• Fruit juice (apple, grape, orange etc.)
• Apple, orange or fresh fruit
• OR, instead of cooking try this healthy shake, 12 ounces milk or soy milk, ½ banana, ½ cup strawberries or any frozen berry, 1 or 2 scoops of Max Muscle MaxPro Protein,, ½ serving or ounce of Ultra 100 Liquid Vitamin, ½ cup of ice, blend and enjoy a powerful shake with 25 plus grams of protein, carbs and more than 100 nutrients! Note: You can replace the milk with juice.

Meal 2: Typically a School Snack around 10am
• Protein bar, such as Max Crunch Bar or something around 20g of protein.
• OR, 1 MaxPro Protein Shake
• OR, any snack with 15g or more protein

Meal 3: Typically Lunch 12pm
• Chicken, turkey or ham sandwich: At least 3oz of meat Light mayo or olive oil mayonnaise.
• OR, if you don’t like those types of sandwiches try a high protein peanut butter sandwich on high protein whole grain bread.
• 10 or so baby carrots or carrot sticks
• Small bag or serving of Sun Chips or a healthier type of chip with some grain and fiber
• 8‐12 ounces of milk or water

Meal 4: Typically an after School Snack around 3pm
• Protein shake, 1 or 2 scoops of Max Muscle Protein, 8‐12 ounces milk or soy milk, banana or berries (½ cup) or both, ½ cup ice and blend. Feel free to try chocolate, peanut butter and banana or any other flavors and tasty ingredients that you like!
• OR, protein bar, such as Max Crunch Bar or something around 20g of protein.
• OR, 16oz milk only if you are not home and stop by a convenience store for a snack.
• OR, any snack with 15g or more protein

Meal 5: Typically Dinner around 6:30 or 7pm
• 4‐6 ounces of lean meat (chicken, steak, lean burgers, turkey meat etc)
• 1 or more cups of veggies such as, broccoli, green beans, snap peas, zucchini, carrots, corn etc. And/OR, a dinner salad.
• Pasta and/or rice. OR a small serving of both. Mashed potatoes, wild rice, hummus, and other similar foods can be substituted here.
• 8 ounces of milk, soy milk or water
• 1 or 2 slices of whole grain bread or high protein grain bread. Note: if you are trying to lose weight, only 1 slice of high protein whole grain bread.
Also, if desired, use a light canola or olive oil spread.

Meal 6: Typically a snack around 10 or so
The general idea for this snack is to elevate your nitrogen one last time before going to bed. You typically want to minimize the calories while adding 20 grams or so of protein before bed.
• Protein bar, such as Max Crunch Bar or something around 20g of protein.
• OR, a light shake of 8 ounces of milk or water, ½ scoop of Max Muscle Protein, frozen berries are very low in calories and can make your shake taste really good, ½ cup of ice.

  Traditionally, protein-rich foods have been synonymous with muscular athletes. The (misguided) theory is that if you eat a lot of protein, you will build a lot of muscle. The truth is that heavy weightlifting, push-ups, and other forms of resistance exercise—not excess protein—build and strengthen muscles. If you consume more protein than you need, you will simply burn more protein as a fuel source (Bolster et al. 2005).

  Confusion exists about the best diet for building muscles. When you work out in the weight room at the gym, you likely hear you need to consume lots of chicken breasts and egg whites and drink protein shakes between meals to be stronger. But when you hang around in the cardio area, you hear that carbohydrate-rich pasta, cereal, and grains should be the foundation of your meals. And you are left wondering, what’s the right balance?
 
  Carbohydrate-rich grains, fruits, and vegetables are indeed the best foundation for every type of training program. Even bodybuilders need a carbohydrate-based diet because carbohydrate is stored in the muscles for energy. You can’t lift weights and demand a lot from your workout sessions if your muscles are carbohydrate depleted. Protein-based diets low in carbohydrate provide inadequate muscle fuel for you to exercise hard enough to build to your potential. The best sports diet contains adequate, but not excessive, protein to build and repair muscle tissue, grow hair and fingernails, produce hormones, boost your immune system, and replace red blood cells. Most people who eat moderate portions of protein-rich foods daily get more protein than they need. Any excess protein is burned for energy or, as a last resort, stored as glycogen or fat. Humans do not store excess protein as muscle, protein, or amino acids, so we need to consume adequate protein each day. Daily protein is particularly important for dieters who are restricting calories, because protein is burned for energy when carbohydrate and calories are scarce.
 
  When it comes to protein intake, athletes seem to fall into two categories. First are those who eat too much—the bodybuilders, weightlifters, and football players who can’t seem to get enough of the stuff. Those in the second group eat too little—the runners, dancers, and weight-conscious athletes who never touch meat and trade most protein calories for more salads and vegetables. Individuals in either group can perform poorly because of dietary imbalances. Josh, for example, was a protein pusher. A college hockey player, he routinely snacked after practice on a big protein bar and a protein shake. That one snack satisfied more than half his protein needs for the whole day. As an athlete, he has a slightly higher protein need than a sedentary person, but he overcompensated for that need with the generous servings of chicken and fish he devoured at meals, never mind his high-protein snack.

  Paulo, a vegetarian marathon runner who ate spaghetti with tomato sauce seven nights a week, downplayed his need for protein. “Most Americans get way too much protein; I’m sure I get plenty, too.” He consumed few protein-rich foods of any types—plant or animal products. He was humbled when he learned that his food intake was deficient not only in protein but also in iron (for red blood cells), zinc (for healing), calcium (for bones), and several other nutrients. No wonder he became anemic, suffered a lingering cold and flu, and performed poorly despite consistent training.

Defining Protein Needs

  Research has yet to define the exact protein requirements of sports-active people because individual needs vary. People in the following groups have the highest protein needs:

• Endurance athletes and others doing intense exercise. About 5 percent of energy can come from protein during endurance exercise, particularly if muscle glycogen stores are depleted and blood glucose is low.
• Dieters consuming too few calories. The protein is converted into glucose and burned for energy instead of being used to build and repair muscles.
• Growing teenage athletes. Protein is essential for both growth and muscular development.
• Untrained people starting an exercise program. They need extra protein to build muscles.

  In scrutinizing the protein needs of athletes, exercise scientists have found that athletes need slightly more protein than other people do to repair the small amounts of muscle damage that occur with training, to provide energy (in very small amounts) for exercise, and to support the building of new muscle tissue.

  In general, pinpointing exact protein requirements is almost a moot point because many athletes eat more protein than they require just through standard meals. That is, a 150-pound (68 kg) recreational athlete who burns 3,000 calories can easily consume 300 to 450 protein calories, or 75 to 112 grams of protein. This equates to 0.5 to 0.7 gram of protein per pound (1 to 1.5 g of protein per kg), which is more than the RDA of0.4 gram per pound (0.8 g per kg). These recommendations include a margin of safety and are not minimal amounts. If you are overfat, base your protein needs on your ideal body weight.

  In contrast to the belief that a little more protein is good so a lot more will be better, no scientific evidence to date suggests that protein intakes exceeding 0.9 gram of protein per pound (2.0 g per kg) will provide an additional advantage (Lemon 1995). Nor is there evidence that taking a protein supplement on top of an adequate diet (with about 0.5 g of protein per pound, or 1 g per kg) will enhance muscle strength or size (Godard, Williamson, and Trappe 2002). And don’t fret about how the protein is packaged—as whey powder, chicken, egg whites, or chocolate milk; all protein can build muscles. The advantage of getting protein from natural foods (as opposed to supplements) is that natural foods contain protein the way nature intended as well as yet-unknown bioactive compounds that might influence muscle growth.

  The physiques of bodybuilders are not attributable to the excessively high protein diet they commonly consume but rather to their intense training. Bodybuilders work incredibly hard. They prefer a high-protein diet because protein not only builds and protects their muscles but also keeps them from feeling hungry when they are cutting calories—lean protein is harder to overconsume.

Your Protein Needs

  To learn if you are meeting your protein needs in your current diet, follow two easy steps. First, using table 7.1, identify which category you belong to. For example, if you are a 140-pound (64 kg) bike racer, you would fit the category of an “endurance athlete, adult” and would need about 85 to 100 grams of protein per day :
140 lb * 0.6 g/lb = 84 g protein
140 lb * 0.7 g/lb = 98 g protein
Second, keep track of your protein intake by listing everything you eat and drink for one 24-hour period. The information on food labels provides protein information, and table 7.2 lists the amount of protein in some common foods. You can also use a variety of Web sites (see Dietary Analysis in appendix A) to analyze your diet and assess your protein intake. Note that you need to eat a generous portion (more calories) of beans
and other forms of plant protein to equal the protein in animal foods.

Learn how to plan your diet and nutrition for your fitness goals. Nutrition for muscle building, fat loss and health.



Emphasize The Negative

  Muscle growth is the logical byproduct of muscle contraction. Much emphasis is placed on the concentric phase of a lift where the muscle shortens as it contracts. But the stretching of the muscle during the eccentric, or negative, phase where the muscle lengthens while maintaining tension can directly cause muscle hypertrophy, too. Emphasizing the negative is an easy technique to overload muscles and promote radical gains in mass.

Set Short Term Goals

  Short term goals are important for developing a solid muscle building program. By setting short term goals, you will have the framework to follow so you can make small changes in your daily routine which will develop into healthy habits to last a lifetime. Focus on a weekly goal of gaining 1-2 pounds lean mass. This is the healthiest amount of weight gain per week and is the correct level to make sure you're not packing on body fat. To reach this 1 pound weight gain per week, focus on creating a 500 calorie surplus in your overall calories every day.