The seven essential benefits of the Mediterranean diet in bodybuilding
introduction
As the 21st century progresses, more and more men and women are getting involved in bodybuilding. To be successful in bodybuilding, a person must coordinate an ambitious workout routine with an appropriate nutritional plan. Ultimately, success in bodybuilding depends as much on what you put into your body in a gym as it does on what you put into your body at home.
Certain diet routines and plans have been shown to directly benefit bodybuilders’ goals. A regime that incorporates the elements of healthy eating essential to a dedicated bodybuilder can be found in the Mediterranean Diet.
The Mediterranean diet is the perfect choice for a passionate bodybuilder for seven fundamental reasons.
1. Bodybuilding and fruits and vegetables
Nutrition experts believe that a typical diet should contain at least five servings of fruits and vegetables over the course of a day. A bodybuilder needs to more than double that amount of fruits and vegetables. In this regard, the Mediterranean diet is ideal. On the Mediterranean diet, a person typically consumes up to ten generous servings of fruits and vegetables throughout the day.
In bodybuilding, it is recommended to eat the fruits and vegetables included in the diet raw. (Steamed vegetables are acceptable. However, over-steaming can result in the loss of some nutrients naturally found in fruits and vegetables.)
2. Bodybuilding and raw food
Various raw foods, including fruits and vegetables, are also high in antioxidants. Antioxidants “clean out” oxidants that can build up in the body. Oxidants are the negative by-product of oxygen being burned in the body for energy. Antioxidants support a bodybuilder on many fronts including reducing muscle atrophy which can be a significant problem for a bodybuilder as they age.
3. Benefits of protein for the bodybuilder
Protein is the essential ingredient needed to build body mass – which is the ultimate goal of bodybuilding in training. The Mediterranean diet allows a person interested in pursuing a healthy bodybuilding course to consume protein through lean meats and whole grains.
4. Embrace a diet low in saturated fat
Saturated fats are detrimental to any sane bodybuilding routine. Obviously, one of the ultimate goals of bodybuilding is to remove unnecessary and unwanted fat from the body.
While exercise is a surefire way to eliminate fat, it’s also important for a bodybuilder to choose a diet course that’s low in saturated fat. The Mediterranean diet fits this bill perfectly. Although a person following the Mediterranean diet consumes calories from fat – mainly from olive oil, which is used liberally in the diet – the fat consumed is not saturated.
5. Satisfying the energy needs of the active body builder
A person following the Mediterranean Diet gets calories and “energy food” from three main sources:
– Carbohydrates
— protein
— unsaturated fat
The main advantage of the Mediterranean diet lies in the fact that it is balanced and derives energy from these three food sources in appropriate proportions. Because nutrition is balanced by definition, your body doesn’t work “out of balance”. The Mediterranean Diet allows you to get the extra boost of energy needed for bodybuilding without throwing your overall calorie and energy levels off balance.
6. Bodybuilding and moderate portion sizes
The key to beneficial nutrition for promoting bodybuilding goals is eating in moderation at every meal. Additionally, a bodybuilder should choose to eat smaller meals throughout the day. Instead of the usual three meals a day, a bodybuilder is best served by eating six smaller, evenly spaced meals throughout the day.
7. Balanced diet is always the key
Ultimately, why the Mediterranean Diet is so beneficial for bodybuilders is precisely why it’s a perfect healthy eating plan for the “average” person. The Mediterranean diet is a solid plan because it consists of healthy foods consumed in balanced, appropriate proportions throughout the day.
Thanks to Ray Darken