It goes without saying that nutrition is a crucial element for anyone starting an exercise habit. I would even go as far as to say that one of the first things to be considered when contemplating a body building routine is your nutrition. The two, body building and nutrition go shoulder to shoulder. Within the body building nutrition, you need to pay attention to two aspects: frequency of meals and meal ratios



Frequency Of Meals

The main goal of body building nutrition is to stimulate the assimilation of the nutrients into the growth of lean muscle, clearance of body fat and the diminishment of water retention. A good way to do this is to increase your meal frequency, meaning smaller but more frequent meals. In practice you can eat every two and a half to three hours. This higher frequency keeps your metabolism going and ensures that your body's engine never stalls. Not only is the frequency of the meals important but also the characteristics and composition of the meals.

Additionally to a higher frequency, it will also be important to plan your meals in a strategic way. As stated before, body building and nutrition go shoulder to shoulder, but also in regards to when the meals and nutrients should be ingested. The intake of calories should be geared towards the times of exercises: more intake when doing the routine and less in times of inactivity.

Constituence and Composition Of Meals

Frequency of your meals is not the only thing that relates body building and nutrition. The composition of your meals is another relating factor between the two. The most important factor here is the arithmetical proportion of carbohydrates and proteins in your nutrition. The ideal ratio would be 40% carbohydrates, 40% proteins, and 20% fats. As for fats preference should be given to the fats found in lean meats or in plant oils. Proteins consist of amino acids and these amino acids are assimilated by the body to form muscle tissue. Carbohydrates produce the energy needed to get going during a workout. And although fats have been attributed with a bad name, they too are a fundamental element. They work in two key parts in the body: the protect essential organs by procuring a cushion around them and they also work as an insulator and coating for nerves. Needless to say that a smart body builder makes sure that his nutrition contains enough fats.

Did I hear you say water?

Body building and nutrition can't go without water, it is again one of the important and essential constituents and indeed water is critical to your body building excellence. Water has many uses for every person but certainly for a body builder: it can help in cooling the body down after an intense workout. Water also flushes out any toxins that build up in the body. Making sure you get plenty of water controls the appetite and some research shows that cold water helps to spruce up metabolism.