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By: MuscleSports.net

Start your bodybuilding nutrition foundation off on the right foot with concrete bodybuilding nutritional fundamentals.
Big ZZZ

When it comes to diet, you always have to eat to grow. Don't be obsessed with the thing you shouldn't eat, as this will stop your growth completely. Keep in mind almost all the diets you see in the magazines are from the professionals or should we say professional writers. Most or almost all are the pre-contest diet of professional bodybuilders, and most time they don't even come close to the off-season eating habits of these individuals. Also bear in mind these diets are used probably only a few weeks at most to loose those last bits of body fat and not to gain muscle mass no matter what the articles say.

Become a Defensive Eater

Avoiding a food for the fear of that food will do more harm than good. Also if you reduce your calories trying to avoid the addition of bodyfat, you will be reducing your energy as well as nutrient pools which includes protein. The main thing is don't stand clear of foods out of the fear that they will somehow ruin your hard earned efforts in the gym, and derail your physique improvement efforts. Start with a new sense of directives following these three simple rules of nutrition.

The Timeless Rules Guide (2024 Update)

1. Macronutrients: The Foundations

Protein: 1g per pound of bodyweight remains a golden rule for athletes, but optimal intake now factors in age and activity level (1.2–1.6g/kg for most) [*Journal of Nutrition, 2023*].
Carbs: Low-carb diets still aid fat loss, but cyclical carb refeeds are now standard for metabolic flexibility [*ISSN, 2022*].
Fats: Saturated fats (e.g., coconut oil) are no longer demonized—but balance with omega-3s (EPA/DHA) is critical for inflammation control [*American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2024*].

2. Supplements: What Stands the Test of Time?

Creatine: Beyond muscle gains, new data shows cognitive benefits (memory, focus) at 5g/day [*Cochrane Review, 2023*].
Multivitamins: Now tailored to genetic testing (e.g., methylfolate for MTHFR variants).
Collagen: Collagen peptides (for skin/joints) and probiotics (gut-brain axis) now join the bedrock list.

3. Meal Timing: Myths vs. Reality

The ‘Anabolic Window’ (post-workout nutrition) is now a ‘garage door’—30g protein within 2 hours suffices for most [*Nutrition Reviews, 2024*]

4. The 2024 Edge

Blood Sugar: Blood sugar monitors (e.g., CGMs) personalize carb tolerance—no more one-size-fits-all rules.

Conclusion - As we said in the opening paragraph when you eat you have to eat to grow, that is one of the most purest fact about bodybuilding. Following these guideline we have given you here will take you a very long way in bodybuilding journey as well as a healthy life. As you can see you don't have to get weird or strange with your eating, you just have to establish a solid foundation!

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