Nutrition 101.

 Firstly, nutrition generally describes the entire process of ingesting , digesting and absorbing of food produce which the body recycles for energy and Daily function . The class of food eaten , determines the nutrients which would be available to the body as different types of food provide different specific nutritional values which are necessary for the survival, growth and maintenance of the human organism.

 

 Nutrition plays a supportive role in the process of muscle building and weight management creating an anabolic environment which promotes muscle growth and fat loss. It is however crucial to note that nutrition alone does not stimulate muscle growth as that is the function of resistance training, with proper nutritional choices being the building blocks for recovery and growth. 

 For the sake of this piece , we will assume that the individuals already perform a sufficient resistance training program.

 Depending on your goals, there are various factors to consider when making nutritional choices.

 

1- CALORIES INTAKE : This is basically the sum total of energy disbursed in the body from the food choices an individual consumes. The more calories present in the food the more expendable energy absorbed for use. 

 There are three main stages of calorie intake ,namely, caloric deficit , calorie maintenance, and calorie surplus. 

 A Caloric deficit as the name implies means ingesting less calories than your body burns for energy, essentially leading the body to burn more from its fat reserves for daily function. 

Calorie maintenance covers for eating more or less the same amount of calories used daily while eating in a Caloric surplus entails consuming more food than your body uses for energy daily.

  While it is presumably possible to build lean muscle in all of the Calories stages , a caloric deficit is more inclined towards fat loss and might induce some muscle loss as well making it less recommended if your goal is increasing muscle mass and strength . The calorie maintenance stage generally keeps one around the same weight with the body composition dependent on the applied training stimulus. A steady caloric surplus aids in increasing weight gain , which can either be lean muscle or fat also dependent on the training stimulus sent to the body consistently. If goal is maximizing muscle hypertrophy then a surplus is recommended first and a deficit is recommended when ready for a cut.

 

2-Macronutrients- There are 3 major macronutrients that are essential for bodybuilding purposes. Protein, carbohydrates and fats.  The sum total of these three makes up the total daily calories intake.  

1gram of protein =4calories

1gram of carbs = 4 calories 

1gram of fat = 9 calories 

Each of these macronutrients has a role to play in the muscles building process , with some being more essential than others. 

 

 Protein is top of the list obviously. Directly responsible for inducing muscle growth and enhancing the speed recovery process after sufficient resistance training has been applied . it is recommended that protein makes up a high percentage of your daily calorie intake as the amino acid from them is essentially recycled by the digestive system and redistributed to enhances muscle recovery and growth. Protein is very filling which makes it a tad bit harder to overeat it, leading to most individual eating less food quantity , aiding in fat loss. Do stay conscious to stay within your recommended daily caloric intake.For more in-depth info on protein, do check out our previous paper on PROTEIN.

   

  Carbohydrates get a lot of hate in the fitness space, blamed as the major cause of the high fat reserve on most individuals.  The truth is far from that tho, as carbohydrates in itself does not make you fat, eating more than you burn makes you fat(caloric surplus).

 Carbohydrates are a primary source of energy necessary for consistent strength training, broken down to replenish our glycogen stores which we rely on for physically tasking activities.

 Now, it is possible to perform sufficiently on a non carbs inclusive diet, but carbohydrates still are the fastest source of readily available energy for strength and endurance performance. 

 The energy, if unburnt , turns into excess fat , so increasing your daily energy expenditure is crucial. 

 The most sustainable method for increasing your daily energy expenditure is by increasing your metabolism (which is the system in charge of how much energy your body uses daily) and the surest way to increase your metabolism is practicing a consistent resistance training routine.

 Now, if your goal is building muscle and size , then you definitely should aim for sufficient carbohydrates to both fuel your training sessions, and contribute to achieving your daily calorie surplus goals. 

  

   Fats . Yes fats. Sounds counterproductive  but your body needs adequate fats to maintain proper function , balance hormones, support metabolism, control inflammation and speed of recovery . That said , all fats are not the same . There’s the healthy fats (unsaturated fats) , the controversial fats( saturated fats) and outrightly unhealthy fats ( trans fat) . Let’s break it down ;

  Healthy fats , called unsaturated fat are essential for a fully functional system. There’s two types , monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats . Monounsaturated fats are naturally produced by the body and supplemented by your diet. They aid in lowering bad cholesterol levels and controlling inflammation and reducing the risk of heart related ailments . Food sources of monounsaturated fat include , avocado, olive oil, pork , eggs, cashews, almonds , pumpkin seeds to name a few. Polyunsaturated fats on the other hand cannot be produced by the body but are absolutely essential nutrients for a fully functional system. They provide all the benefits of the monounsaturated fat and then some, aiding in reducing the risk of depression,visual impairment , adhd in children , obesity, autoimmune diseases, aging related ailments like Alzheimer’s and dementia, menstrual pain and even insomnia. Divided into omega 3 and omega 6 , Sources of polyunsaturated fats include salmon, mackerel, sardines,cod liver oil, chia seeds, sunflower oil, canola oil, pumpkin seeds, and soybeans to name a few👌

 

 Saturated fats.  I’m not gonna pretend to fully understand the intricacies of the science behind this as even the scientists and  researchers have not come to a unanimous opinion on the prescription for saturated fats. Once fully accepted as “bad” for your body ,but in recent years and after series of new research has been discovered to have a host of its own benefits. The results I believe lays in your sources of it . 

Sources of saturated fats are mainly animal produce like red meat, milk , lamb , pork , cheese, butter and tropical oils like palm oil and coconut oil. Other sources can include baked goods ,French fries, ice cream, cake , cookies, you get the gist. 

 Now I’m not gonna call any food bad but there’s optimal and less optimal. 

  It is generally recommended that your main source of healthy fats be unsaturated fat but there is a lot of benefits to be found in some saturated fats and a judicious inclusion in your diet is advised.

Now to the evil. 

  Trans fat .  Linked to obesity, heart related diseases, diabetes, insulin resistance, high bad cholesterol with no nutritional benefit trans fats are to be avoided as much as possible in a healthy eating routine.

 Cookies, donuts , ice cream, pizza, cakes, pies , and fried foods are some of the most common sources of artificial trans fats. These have little to no nutritional value and although you can treat yourself to your favorites sporadically , it would be unwise to make this a regular part of your food options especially when aiming to reduce or maintain weight . 

 My advice? Focus on food quality, incorporating high quality protein,fiber , vegetables and nuts , choosing WholeFoods over heavily processed foods. If you’re tryna gain muscle and strength, increase your food intake, if you’re tryna lose a couple pounds, reduce what you eat, but ideally, your plate should consist of the same types of food whether for gain or loss, the only difference being quantity.

 All this has no effect on muscle growth without a sufficient muscle building stimulus being sent to the body so please, PROGRESSIVELY STRENGTH TRAIN !!