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There are a lot of bodybuilding nutrition facts that are often overlooked by amateur bodybuilders and other individuals who are not engaged in bodybuilding. One of these is the importance of eating healthy food as bodybuilding nutrition is about more than just calories and carbohydrates. If you are not eating healthy food, there is a good chance that you will be consuming a high amount of calories and a low amount of healthy nutrients that will only harm your body. This is especially the case if the food you’re consuming is prepackaged and sold in large quantities as snacks. Not only does it make it easy to lose track of what you are eating, but it also makes it hard to exercise because you will not know if you’ve consumed too much or too little.
There is an added benefit to eating healthy food because it has a direct and noticeable effect on your bodybuilding performance.1 The reason why this is so important to understand is that bodybuilding nutrition is all about working out and gaining muscle mass and strength. It is not some vague theoretical idea about what you should and shouldn’t eat in order to get bigger and stronger. The importance of eating healthy and making sure that you are eating healthy food all the time comes from the fact that it will help you in your workouts and competitions.2
In conclusion, it is very important for bodybuilders to make sure that they are eating healthy and nutritious foods. These include natural and organic foods that will provide you with a well-balanced diet that will provide the right amount of vitamins and nutrients that will help you gain muscle and strength while keeping you from getting too much fat and calories. It’s never been more important to take note of the importance of eating healthy eating for bodybuilders everywhere. In fact, it is becoming the “rule” instead of the exception when it comes to proper bodybuilding nutrition.
How Long Should Rest Days For Bodybuilders Be?
There are a number of different rest days which are given to bodybuilders depending on how much rest they need between workouts. Obviously, bodybuilding requires more than just exercise. Your diet, sleep pattern, and water intake all come into play during your bodybuilding training so it’s no wonder that bodybuilding pros like to know exactly how long each of their bodybuilding rest days should be.3
For example, when working out, your body will need several days of rest in between workouts. If you work out hard on a Monday and do a Tuesday workout as well, your body will need a day of rest so it can repair the damage caused by the workout. Bodybuilding bodybuilders know that they have to consume healthy protein sources on bodybuilding rest days as well, such as chicken breast, eggs, fish, nuts, and tofu, as well, drinking plenty of water.4
The Benefits of a Recovery Day
It takes more than just six months to see the benefits of a recovery day. As your bodybuilding program matures, your body will go through stress throughout your workout program, which can shorten the recovery period. One of the best things you can do to ensure your recovery is to follow a strict nutritional plan. To maximize the benefits of a recovery day, follow your regular eating schedule but make those few subtle changes.5
Keep caloric intake on pace, especially as your body is recuperating and recovering from your previous workouts. One easy way to do this is to take time to snack. Since your body is recuperating and building muscle, you should keep your caloric intake at an even level with that of your recovery day. You can easily accomplish this by leaving a healthy meal or snack outside as you are preparing for your next workout, or having a quick post-workout snack during your workout session. Recovery days allow bodybuilders to get home after grueling days of training and give their bodies a break, which is beneficial in the long run.
Best Foods To Eat On A Recovery Day
Recovery days are the best days to get back into shape. These days, it’s hard not to find plans and programs that require you to eat foods that are specifically designed to speed up your body’s recovery process. It seems like every magazine you open includes a new recovery plan or technique, promising amazing results by eating certain foods.6 Although many of these methods and plans may work, some can be harmful to your body and can even cause harm to your health in the long run.
So what foods should you be eating? The truth is that there are so many different foods that work on various body types that it’s almost impossible to name them all. For example, if you’re an ectomorph, then you need to be eating foods that are low in carbohydrates and high in protein. These types of foods help speed up your recovery because they force your body to burn muscle for fuel. On the other hand, if you’re an endomorph, you need to be eating foods that are high in carbohydrates but low in protein. These types of foods will help slow down your body’s metabolic rate, which is why it’s ideal for someone who’s working out.7
High Protein Foods
One of the best foods to eat on a recovery day is protein. Protein is essential for your bodybuilding diet because it provides the building blocks of muscle. If you can’t eat enough protein, no matter how much you work out, then you’re going to be fighting through muscle pain and taking long breaks from the gym. In fact, the only way to recover properly is by adding more protein into your diet. So make sure you’re taking a protein supplement, and eat foods high in protein like chicken, whey, eggs, and yogurt.
If you have any protein bars or supplements, stock up on these, as well as some protein shakes. Protein helps your body to repair muscle tissue and is an important supplement for muscle recovery. As with all recovery foods, make sure you don’t overdo it with the protein–you want to give your body what it needs, but not overload it. Stick with healthy proteins like chicken, fish, eggs, and beans.
Carbs and Fruits
Some of the best foods to eat on a recovery day are fruits and veggies. Fruits and veggies are filled with vitamins and minerals that your body needs, and will make you feel fuller quicker than other foods. Also, because they’re lower in calories, they’ll help you recover faster.8
When it comes to carbohydrates, try to stick with carbs that are slow-burning. Low carb diets have been proven to be effective for those who need a quick boost for a recovery day. Keep in mind that if you need more carbs, your workouts should allow you to do so, but you shouldn’t go over the top with them. Pasta and bread are great foods to eat, because they’re low in carbs and fill you up, but don’t eat too often. These kinds of foods will keep you energized and won’t make you feel hungry during your workouts.
Image Credits
Jersey Girl Talk / October 13, 2013
Fit Woman Eat / 2021
A Sweet Pea Chef / 2021
1 “Healthy Eating — A Detailed Guide for Beginners – Healthline.” 5 Jul. 2016, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-eating-for-beginners Accessed 14 Jul. 2021.
2 “Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight | Healthy Weight, Nutrition, and ….” https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/index.html Accessed 14 Jul. 2021.
3 “Water: How much should you drink every day? – Mayo Clinic.” 14 Oct. 2020, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256 Accessed 14 Jul. 2021.
4 “8 Reasons to Take a Rest Day – ACE Fitness.” 19 Dec. 2018, https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/blog/7176/8-reasons-to-take-a-rest-day/ Accessed 14 Jul. 2021.
5 “Rest Days: How Get More Out Of Your Day Off – SWEAT.” 6 Feb. 2020, https://www.sweat.com/blogs/fitness/rest-days Accessed 14 Jul. 2021.
6 “Fueling a Rest Day — Hungry for Results.” 27 Jan. 2020, https://www.hungryforresults.com/all-blog/rest-day-nutrition Accessed 14 Jul. 2021.
7 “Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) Calculator | ACTIVE.” https://www.active.com/fitness/calculators/bmr Accessed 14 Jul. 2021.
8 “What are the healthiest fruits? Nutrition and benefits.” 13 Feb. 2019, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324431 Accessed 14 Jul. 2021.
