Bedrock Nutrition: Protein to Carb Ratios

By: MuscleSports.net

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Bodybuilding Nutrition For Size, Strength, Porformance....

When you go to grab a book on nutrition or talk to most traditional nutritionist you will get a nutrient ration somewhere around these numbers: 50-30-20. These numbers represent the rations of nutrients you should be eating for a healthy diet. We're talking 50% carbohydrates, 30% Protein, 20% fats. Now I am the first to say that if most Americans were to stick to these ratios we would be in allot better health as a nation. These ratios though good for the average Joe need some massaging for the ever training bodybuilder. These rations for a growing bodybuilder aren't going to get you where you want to go.

Fueling the Anabolic Body:

When training for muscle growth we here at MuscleSports.net usually advise most to follow a ratio of 60-40-10. This ratio works is great for those on the younger side - between 18-30 years of age. As you grow older or get into training at a older age you should adjust your carbohydrates down to allow for better nutrient absorption. For example if your starting to get into training at age 40 your ratio would look something like 30-50-20. This ration lets the older bodybuilder derive a good amount of his/her energy from healthy fats instead of carbs which can easily be stored as excess body fat. Use our starting guide below to help you adjust your Protein-to-Carb Ratio:

Age 18-30: Ratio - 60-30-10 Younger athletes tend to burn hotter so more carbs helps to spare muscle mass catabolisms.
Age 30-40: Ratio - 50-40-10 Slight adjustment for those getting older help keep you lean, strong and healthy.
Age 45-55: Ratio - 30-50-20 Switching over to a more fat and protein diet help alleviate inflammation within the body and keeps your hormone level higher with the use of healthy fats.
Age 55+: Ratio - 25-50-25 Following a diet more concentrated on quality protein source and good fat with minimal carbs reduces the effect of age related problems.

Quality vs Quantity

As with all things bodybuilding it not what you do, but how you do it that counts. Your food choices are absolutely NO exception to the rule. On of the hardest thing to get across to those trying to gain muscle mass is that you need to eat allot yes , but you also need to eat good food. Gorging yourself at the local smorgasbord board restaurant everyday may add pounds on to your body, but I can almost guarantee those pounds come with allot of useless fat on of them. Eating like this (high cholesterol protein, and sugar laden carbs) no matter a restaurant or fast food joint will only set you back if followed for to long of a period of time. You need to eat clean food and plenty of it.

Start by eating quality protein or carbs, sources like - chuck steak, whole eggs, whole or raw milk, cod, salmon, water packed cam tune, ground beef 80/20 lean, natural peanut butter, avocados, organic coconut oil, grape seed oil, flax oil, frozen vegetables (green beans. carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, rice, oatmeal, and many many other natural extremely nutritious foods. Click this link: HERE to get our shopping list and just start there.

Conclusion - Figuring out you protein to carb ratio is a tricky thing to do, and it does take time and adjusting to get it right. Using our guide to give yourself a set point makes it a bit easier but you will still need to play with the amounts to find your one and only sweet spot. We all have one, and when you find it loosing body fat and adding size just becomes a matter of how much you wanna eat. Bye!

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