Strategy 1: High-protein dinner

Developed muscles can be obtained through regular weight-bearing training, a high-protein diet, and sleep.

Japanese sports nutritionist Katsushige Suzuki discovered that growth hormone, which promotes muscle growth, is secreted during sleep. Growth hormone directs amino acids in the blood to muscle tissue, allowing it to build new muscle cells and repair damaged muscle cells.

Therefore, bodybuilders should eat high-protein foods with dinner or take amino acids before going to bed, so that the above-mentioned muscle growth process can proceed more efficiently and thereby gain stronger muscle mass.

Strategy 2: Eat high protein after training

Scientific research shows that weight training can also promote the secretion of growth hormone. Because the subtle damage to muscle fibers caused by the force of weight-bearing training can stimulate the body's repair function, promote the secretion of growth hormone and the synthesis of amino acids.

After weight-bearing training, the secretion of growth hormone can last for about two hours. One or two hours after a meal is the peak stage of protein absorption. Eating high-protein foods after training can make the peak of growth hormone secretion caused by weight-bearing training consistent with the peak of protein absorption, which is more conducive to muscle growth. The static state of muscle tissue during sleep can further strengthen the above effects, thereby achieving twice the result with half the effort.

Many bodybuilding champions have successfully used this strategy. They train twice a day, once before lunch (including nap) and once before dinner (including late nap). In this way, they provide two opportunities for growth hormone secretion and muscle growth in one day, so it's no wonder they are successful.

Strategy 3: Eat multiple meals a day

If athletes often do not eat enough, fat will accumulate in the body. This may sound contradictory, but the fact is that the human body has a strong ability to self-regulate. If it is often not full, the body will react in this way: store fat to provide energy when hungry.

Scientific research shows that the amount of nutrients absorbed by the body from multiple meals a day is greater than the amount of nutrients absorbed from three meals a day. As evidenced by statistics, a group of male athletes consumed a total of 4,700 kcal in three meals a day for three weeks. After that, their daily total calorie intake was still 4,700 kcal, but divided into 17 times. As a result, the food nutrients eaten multiple times are almost completely absorbed, and athletes will not feel hungry during a day's training. The metabolic rate in the body increases and subcutaneous fat is significantly reduced.

Some experts in the United States have also proven this. They asked the athletes to do pedaling exercises. As a result, the longer they pedaled, the faster the metabolism in the body, and the high-calorie foods eaten could just make up for the calories consumed by the body. Experts warn bodybuilders that after each training session, they must supplement some foods with higher calorie content. Otherwise, they will not only feel tired, but also the metabolic rate of the body will decrease, and the protein in the muscles will be consumed in large quantities.

Strategy 4: Pay attention to rice

During bodybuilding training, energy is mainly supplied by glycogen. The most effective way to replenish glycogen is to eat carbohydrate-rich foods before training or competition or at breakfast.

Now, many bodybuilding coaches and athletes have begun to regard eating rice for breakfast as an ideal energy supplement. The reason is that rice digests slowly in the human body, is easier to be absorbed by the body, and has a gentle blood sugar response, allowing the energy supply to be maintained for a longer period of time. In contrast, other carbohydrates, such as bread, potatoes, etc., although they can rapidly increase the blood sugar content in the human body, are followed by a sharp drop in blood sugar content at the same speed, making athletes quickly feel Hungry and powerless.

Strategy 5: Don’t eat sweets on an empty stomach

When a hypoglycemic reaction occurs during training, drinking concentrated sugar water immediately is an effective way to deal with it. However, it would be a big mistake to think of eating sweets on an empty stomach before training to increase your body's glycogen reserves.

Theoretically speaking, after people eat sweets, blood sugar in the body will rise. At this time, the body will release insulin to convert blood sugar into glycogen, thereby returning blood sugar to normal. If you eat sweets on an empty stomach, insulin will be released excessively, causing blood sugar to drop rapidly, and even cause hypoglycemia, forcing the body to release the second hormone - epinephrine, in order to return blood sugar to normal.

The effects of these two hormones can cause dizziness, headache, sweating, and general weakness.

In addition, sweets can only provide calories to the body, but are relatively lacking in nutrients such as vitamin B, fiber, and phospholipids, making the body unable to convert sugar into energy. Too much sugar and insufficient fiber in food can easily eliminate the normal flora in the intestines, and these normal flora can produce vitamins B2, B3, B12 and folic acid. Therefore, eating sweets on an empty stomach will not only cause hypoglycemia, but also cause nutritional deficiencies.

Studies by British physiologists Anna Firth and John Harding have shown that eating sweets on an empty stomach also impairs the absorption of various proteins in the human body. They placed various proteins in a solution with high sugar content and found that sugar would slowly combine with the protein, thus changing the protein molecular structure and reducing the nutritional value of the protein.

Strategy 6: Potatoes and eggs

Mixing high-quality protein with proteins that are low in essential amino acids and high in non-essential amino acids can increase the biological value of the protein. The "potatoes and eggs" recommended by the Germans is this protein food with high biological value.

This meal is a mixture of 250 grams of high-quality potatoes containing 4.5% protein and a medium-sized egg. If the protein in potatoes is less than 4.5%, increase the amount of potatoes consumed proportionally. In addition, due to the high starch and moisture content in potatoes, athletes should reduce or stop eating other staple foods as appropriate when increasing their potato consumption.

Protein powder comes with its own scoop. One scoop for normal times and one and a half scoops for more training. You don’t need to eat like athletes. The most important thing is to supplement food protein. Don't rely on protein powder. Supplements are only supplements. The best protein intake is to prepare food yourself, which also tests your perseverance. Also, protein powder must be washed with water below 30 degrees and the protein will decompose if it is above 50 degrees.