Right, well i’m really down at the moment as i haven’t been to the gym in over a week due to not being very well… makes me so angry when i can’t go. I convince myself i am losing size every day that goes by.
Anyway, think i’m going to be back next week so will hit it hard, as only 6 and a half weeks untill my holiday. Reason i am writing a blog entry today really is that a couple of people have asked why i drink protein shakes all the time and how they help so thought i would write my thoughts on this and see if any of you out there agree with me or have anything to add.
I was constantly told when i started training that not only can i just weight lift but i have to really concentrate on my diet too - Without the correct nutritional diet then your training could really be affected and your body could suffer. One of the main things i began to learn was how important carbohydrate and protein intake was.
Research has shown that carbohydrate intake within two hours of and during endurance exercise is essential to building adequate glycogen stores for continued training. I usually stuff my face with loads of pasta and rice to get enough carbs down me but sometimes i eat Maxim energy bars if i can’t get a proper meal. Many people also forget that eating carbohydrates is also essential after sport - you will have used up almost all your energy stores (depending on how intense you effort was of course), and your body has to recover and repair itself and in order to do this, the body has to have enough energy to supply and repair the damaged muscle tissue
It’s not just energy and fuel that your body needs. After exercising your muscle tissues have been damaged and need to repair and to do that the body has to take on more protein. As far as i understand, protein contains amino acids which are the building blocks of muscle. The protein is essential to help repair and build your muscles. I try and eat loads of protein druing the day… i practically live on cans of tuna! However, after training some experts say you have a 20 minute window to get enough protein down you to repair the damaged muscles. This is why i constantly carry around a protein shake. I drink Maxim Whey protein as this is the only shake i have tried that actually tastes normal and not like powder!
There are different types of protein you can take and the jury is still out on which one works best. Some poeple take Creatin which is the body’s natural source of protein - also found in red meat, and others, like myself, take Whey protein which is also a great natural source.
So basically you need to take on extra protein and carbohydrates to bulk up which is what i was focused on. However, now i am cuting my carbohydrate intake as this is supposed to help shred but keeping my intake of protein at a high level to keep building muscle.
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