It has to be a diet that fits the nutritional need of the sport in which we participate. The diet plan has to take two things into account; a) At what level we train and b) At what level we compete (on amateur or professional level)

A diet for strength training, bodybuilding and even fitness has to be healthy and nutritious. But what exactly is healthy and nutritious? A diet well suited for weight training aiming at building strength and perhaps to add some extra muscle must cover all our body's needs. Furthermore, the diet must contain all the macro nutrients able to compensate for our body’s additional requirements when working out.

If we are going to the gym a few times a week to lift weights, besides our sport, there's a few things we have to be aware of. If you are not a nutrition expert, seek advice at some competent dietician or personal trainer, who will be able to put together a workout diet plan, which will suit your needs and goals.

The regular dietician or nutritionist has valuable understanding when it comes to helping normal people. However when it comes to athletes, sports people etc who have very special nutritional requirements, a sports nutritionist will be of better help.

Sports nutritionist recommends for the average athlete or sportsman that 15% of the total energy is derived from protein and approximately 60% of the total energy consumption is derived from carbohydrates. The rest, about 25% of the total daily energy should come from fat, preferably the healthy unsaturated fats from vegetable sources.

Even though these approximate guidelines are used widely, a diet for workout and training still has to be adapted and individualized to accommodate the type of sport, level of training and competition.

For bodybuilding and weight lifting an intake of 25% protein is often recommended. If you find it hard to get enough protein through your normal daily meals, there are supplements that will help. Protein powder and drinks containing concentrated whey, soy or even hemp protein are available at most gyms nowadays. Otherwise you can easily find and buy good supplements on the Internet.

Some nutritionists even favour higher amounts of protein for strength training. Higher ratios of protein in the diet are also used during a fat burning cycle to prevent loss of muscle mass.

Even though for most people it’s not strictly necessary to use supplements, it’s advised for those who lead a busy life and have a demanding workout schedule to take an additional multivitamin and mineral supplement. A nutritious and sufficient diet is based on a combination of daily healthy eating habits and the right kind of supplements to fit our specific needs.

Of course you don't need a dietician to help you construct your diet and meal plans, if you know how to do it yourself. You need to know how to determine your body's exact needs, plus calculate the right energy ratios between protein, carbohydrates and fat. It's important that you get the nutrients in the correct ratios. If you find it difficult and time consuming to calculate your body's needs and design your meals with the correct ratios, there are some programs for PC that will do the job for you. A neat little program called MuscleCalc can be downloaded at: www.musclex.dk/musclecalc/. This program will calculate your exact daily requirements and even design perfect combined meals with only a few clicks.