- NO SPARK - By Wyatt Myers Your arms are puny, your energy is low and your six-pack resembles a beer keg. Your problem? Your diet. Turn things around with these nine nutritional strategies Any bodybuilder who has worked out regularly knows the feeling — that plateau of weight that’s impossible to push past, the muscles that just won’t get any bigger, no matter how hard you try. And sometimes, it can be even more serious. Headaches in the morning. Persistent aches and pains. Diminishing energy levels. Or worse. While the occasional slump in energy levels may be inevitable, it doesn’t mean we have to like it. So we asked you, our readers, to come up with the most persistent nutrition- and workout-related problems you face. Then, we rounded up four nutrition experts to help us sort out the answers. The good news is this: the solution to a fatigue-proof workout might be as close as your fridge. #1 I have trouble getting out of bed in the morning. This may not seem like a training-related problem, but when you think about it, if you can’t get out of bed, then you’re going to have a heck of a time going to the gym. Larrian Gillespie, author of The Gladiator Diet (Healthy Life Publications, 2001) says the issue here may be testosterone. “Eating foods that lower testosterone will affect your sleep, so avoid them,” she says. Reducing consumption of these foods — including alcohol, foods high in fat and plant foods high in phytosterols — “also increases your ability to make testosterone, which builds muscle,” she adds. Of course, you may also need to give your body a safe jump-start in the morning. Jeff Volek, a professor at the Human Performance Lab at the University of Connecticut, says supplementing with the amino acid L-theanine (take the recommended dosage of 200–500 mg in the morning) will “promote mental and physical relaxation, decrease stress and anxiety and promote concentration, without inducing drowsiness.” And the good ol’ cup of coffee never hurts, either. “Caffeine is a relatively safe and effective stimulant,” states David L. Katz, author of The Way to Eat (Sourcebooks, 2oo2). “Combine coffee or a caffeine supplement [ingested in the morning] with an extra hour of sleep and you’ll be running on turbo power.” #2 My energy levels crash in the afternoon. Few things can put a damper on your workout faster than the overwhelming urge to take a nap. Here, the solution may be to ditch certain foods (or stop eating them) at certain times of the day or altogether. “The best way to end the post-meal slump is stopping the problem with the meal — namely, too much food all at once,” notes Katz. “Avoid the big midday meal, and you avoid the big post-meal crash.” Chris Aceto, author of Everything You Need to Know About Fat Loss (NutraMedia) recommends trying a casein-based protein drink for lunch instead. “Proteins exert an uplifting effect on the brain and nervous system, whereas carbohydrates do the opposite,” he explains. “And casein digests slowly, giving you the uplifting effect throughout the entire afternoon.” #3 I haven’t been getting a good pump at the gym. Two big ingredients need to be present for you to see big muscles: water and carbs. “If you’re dehydrated and the cellular water content in your muscles is reduced, the muscle pump will be reduced,” says Volek. “And low-carb diets, while effective at burning fat, can cause muscles to look flat and not pump as well.” Avoid foods high in fat before your workout — research shows high-fat meals decrease blood flow to exercising muscles. Aceto recommends taking 5 grams of an arginine supplement before training to increase nitric oxide production, which enhances blood flow to muscles. #4 I get headaches when I get up in the morning. Waking up with your head throbbing is probably caused by one of three things: low blood sugar, dehydration or caffeine withdrawal. “Not skipping breakfast, staying well-hydrated and having a cup of coffee can help,” advises Volek. Immediately after waking, down half a litre of water followed by a high-protein, moderate-complex-carb breakfast (egg whites and porridge or wholemeal toast are great) with your morning coffee. #5 I still haven’t developed a six-pack. There’s no easy solution here, but a disciplined approach will get the job done. No matter how many crunches you do, it’s your bodyfat levels that dictate your ability to see your abs. So how do you drop bodyfat levels? Ditch those carbs. “In a recent study in my lab, we found that a very low-carb diet led to a threefold greater loss of fat around the trunk than a low-fat diet in overweight men,” states Volek. “Supplements might help, too. Green tea and Enova oil have some research to support fat-burning effects.” #6 I’m excessively sore the day after a workout. Aside from the standard non-nutritional approaches (“ice, massage and stretching”), Volek says that supplementing with both carnitine (2–4 grams a day) and vitamin E (800 IU daily) have been shown to help. Aceto suggests adding vitamin C (500 mg a day) to the mix to ease soreness. Katz says the best approach is proper hydration. “Also, try taking in some bicarbonate of soda before a workout. This will buffer lactic acid and reduce soreness.” Try mixing about 2 tablespoons with at least a litre of water. #7 My endurance isn’t increasing. While nutrition plays a major role in bodybuilding, increasing your endurance for better workouts and improved heart health “is all about conditioning,” says Katz. “The solution lies in your weight-training and cardio regime.” That said, food still plays a supporting role in helping you go the extra mile. “Nutritionally, it’s important to eat enough calories to support the extra energy expenditure,” says Volek. Make sure you choose to get those extra calories from healthy foods, such as “sweet potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal, beans, eggs, fish and poultry,” adds Katz. #8 I’m not getting bigger, and I’ve hit a wall in the amount of weight I can lift. Aside from the standard training advice (“increase weights, fewer reps,” says Katz), you should focus on two big components to get bigger: protein and creatine. According to Volek, how and when you ingest this protein is more important than how much. “Several small protein meals are better than a couple of big ones,” he states. “And small amounts of quality protein before and after your workout will help stimulate protein synthesis. Whey protein is a good choice since it’s absorbed quickly.” Try about 20 grams before and 40 grams immediately after workouts. And don’t forget about creatine. “More than two dozen studies indicate that creatine supplementation augments adaptations to resistance training.” #9 I’m trying to lose weight, but I crave carbs all the time. “A healthy diet should contain plenty of the right kind of carbs,” says Katz. “Stick with whole grains along with fresh and dried fruit and vegetables. If you do this, carbs are your friends.” If you’re still reaching for the Mars Bars, supplements can help. Aceto recommends 5-HTP (50–100 mg), and Volek suggests both glucomannan (1–2 grams one hour before meals) and white kidney bean extract (1–2 grams about 30 minutes before meals). All three have been shown in studies to reduce carb cravings and block carbohydrate absorption, resulting in a less-chubby you. M&F Wyatt Myers is an editor and freelance health writer living in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. This article is for information purposes only. Weider Publishing Ltd does not accept liability for the effect of reported supplements or products, legal or illegal. It is the responsibility of the individual to abide by the dosage allowances specific to their country of residence. Always consult a doctor before commencing supplementation or changing dosage.

Home