Many aspiring athletes initially look for the diet which can help them gain lean muscle mass and body weight improving athletic performance. Athletes in some sports like weightlifting, power lifting or cross fit require more strength and energy.
A healthy weight gain goal is 1 to 2 kgs a week. Gain weight gradually to avoid gaining all the fat and no muscles. Let’s first understand the nutrients of importance of gaining weight efficiently:
Nutrients of Importance:
Eat a variety of healthy foods during regular meals and snacks which
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- Carbohydrates:Carbohydrate is the main source of energy your body uses during exercise. The amount you require depends on your activity, gender and your current dietary recall. Usually, athletes require approx. 6 to 10 grams of carbohydrates /kg body wt.
- Fat: Fat is important because it provides energy and vitamins. Minimum 20 to 25% of energy should come from good sources of fat.
- Protein: One of the most important nutrients which supports muscle building, repair and improve the immunity. The amount of protein you need is only slightly higher than the amount suggested for people who do not exercise. Endurance athletes need 1.2 to 1.4 grams for each kilogram of body weight per day. Athletes who do strength training (such as lifting weights) need 1.2 to 1.7 grams for each kilogram of body weight per day.
Weight gaining can be a tricky one especially for those who looking for lean muscle mass and not the fat mass. For the athletes who gain lean muscle in a healthy way, they need to follow the following tips:
- Focus on increasing muscle and not the fat, ass. Hence, your weight should not drastically increase but slowly and gradually. It should be not more than 1 – 2kgs per week.
- Consult your dietician to understand your total calorie and protein requirement and appropriately include natural sources of weight gainer or mass gainer supplement required.
- Weight gainers sometimes can be misleading; it can also provide you fat along with protein and calories. Hence, check the label to understand the total fat and protein ratio. GNC Weight Gainer provides 4.5 grams of fat with 73 grams of protein. Hence, fat content is very much minimal as compared to the other leading brands.
- Make sure to have small but dense meals every 2 to 3 hours or 6 to 8 small meals. Your meal should be nutrient dense and not calorie dense.
- Weight lifting should be done in sets of 8 to 15 repetitions for muscle growth, or in sets of 4 to 6 repetitions to develop strength and power.
- Allow good amount of rest time to help recover your muscles between the training sessions.
