Bodybuilding Diet and Nutrition Advice - Bodybuilding Nutrition and Diet Basics

Introduction

A key component of the formula for bodybuilding success is nutrition. Nutrition is what gives us the raw materials for recuperation, energy, and growth. Without a good diet, your dreams of achieving your ideal body will never be reached.

In this article I'll discuss the characteristics of a good bodybuilding diet and also cover the macronutrients that we need on a daily basis, as well as how much, in order to gain muscle and lose fat.

Characteristics of a Good Nutrition Program

1) It should favor smaller and frequent feedings throughout the day instead of large and infrequent ones. Why? Because when you feed your body several times a day, your metabolism increases. Therefore, you burn more fat. Frequent feedings are of particular importance since after three to four hours of no food your body switches to a catabolic state (a state in which you lose muscle and gain fat!).

The body believes that it is starving and it starts feeding itself on lean muscle tissue and it prepares to store calories as fat. Bad scenario! Therefore, in order for your program to work, you will eat between four to six meals (depending gender and goals) a day spaced out at 2 to 3 hour intervals.

2)Every meal should have carbohydrates, protein and fat in the correct ratios. Having a meal that is not balanced (for example is all carbohydrates) won't yield the desired results. Every macronutrient has to be present in order for the body to absorb them and use them properly. Without boring you with the effect of food on the body's biochemistry, let's just say that if you only eat carbohydrates in one meal without anything else, your energy levels will crash in about 30 minutes and your body will be storing any carbohydrates that were not used into fat. Conversely, if you only eat protein, you will lack energy and your body will not be able to turn the protein into muscle because it is difficult for the body to absorb protein in the absence of carbohydrates. In addition, the ratios for each particular macronutrient have to be correct in order to get the results that you want. The ratio of our diet will look like the following:

40% Carbohydrates

40% Protein

20% Fats

Note that for every serving of carbohydrates, you get a serving of Protein. You can use Bill Phillips' Method of creating meals which is to count a portion of carbohydrates as the amount of food the size of your clenched fist and a portion of protein as the amount of food the size of your open palms.

3) The calories should be cycled. I strongly believe in caloric cycling as this will not allow the metabolism to get used to a certain caloric level; something that leads to stagnant results.

Therefore, bodybuilders in search of just muscle mass should follow 5 days of high calories (lean body mass x 15) with two days of lower caloric intake (lean body mass x12). Bodybuilders in search of losing fat while building muscle at the same time should follow 5 days of lower caloric intake (lean body mass x12) with 2 days of higher calories (lean body mass x 15).

Note: If you build muscle and lose fat at the same time you will not gain muscle as fast as you would if you just concentrated in muscle mass. However, you get to get both goals accomplished at the same time.

People interested in body sculpting (which is moderate muscle building with enough fat loss to go down to 10% body fat for males and 12-13% for women) should alternate between two weeks of lower calories (around 2000 for men and 1200 for women) and two weeks of higher calories (around 2500 for men and 1500 for women). These caloric intakes assume a normal activity level that only includes body sculpting training. Those of you involved in activities like marathon running or heavy physical labor jobs need to adjust your calories upwards accordingly mainly in the form of carbohydrates in order to support your higher levels of activity.

What's a Diet?

While the word "diet" brings these images of pain and starvation to most people's mind, a diet is simply the food choices that you make on a daily basis. So if you eat potato chips and sodas all day long, that is your diet.

Regardless of which diet you follow, there are 3 macronutrients that are present in one way or the other in all of them. Understanding what role these nutrients play, how to obtain them, and how much to consume of them on a daily basis will lead you to the bodybuilding and fitness results you have been looking for.

Bodybuilding Nutrition Basics

There are 3 macronutrients that the human body needs in order to function properly. These macronutrients make up your bodybuilding and/or fitness diet.

1) Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates are your body's main source of energy. When you ingest carbohydrates your pancreas releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin is very important because:

A) On a very simplistic level, it takes the carbohydrates and either stores them in the muscle or stores them as fat (assuming that the carbohydrates are not needed for energy at the moment and assuming that both the muscles and the liver stores are full).

B) It takes the amino acids (protein) and delivers them inside the muscle cell for recovery and repair.

Most people that are overweight and are in low fat/high carbohydrate diets got into that condition because they are eating an overabundance of carbohydrates. Too many carbohydrates cause a huge release of insulin. When there is too much insulin in the body, your body turns into a fat storing machine.

Therefore, it is important that we eat no more carbohydrates than necessary and that we eat the right amount of carbohydrates.

Now that we have talked about the importance of having just the right amount of carbohydrates, let's talk about which are the best sources of carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are divided into complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates. The complex carbohydrates give you sustained energy ("timed release") while the simple carbohydrates gives you immediate energy. It is recommended that you eat mainly complex carbohydrates throughout the day except after the workout where your body needs simple carbohydrates in order to replenish its glycogen levels immediately, something that will aid faster recuperation and rebuild of the muscle. Below is a list of good sources of carbohydrates:

Complex Carbohydrates:

There are two types:

1) Starchy: Oatmeal (1 cup dry), sweet potatoes (8 oz baked), potatoes (8 oz baked), rice (1 cup cooked), pasta (8oz cooked), corn (1 cup canned), peas (2 cups cooked). Each serving approximately equals 40-50 grams of carbohydrates.

2) Fibrous: Broccoli (1/2 cup raw), carrots (1 cup raw), cauliflower (1/2 cup raw), green beans (1/2 cup raw), lettuce (5 cups raw), mushrooms (3/4 cups raw), pepper (1/2 cup raw), spinach (3-1/2 cups raw), zucchini (1 cup raw). Each serving approximately equals 6 grams of carbohydrates.

Simple Carbohydrates:

Apples (1 apple), bananas (1 banana), grapefruit (1 grapefruit), grapes (22 grapes), oranges (1-1/2 orange), pears (1 pear), pineapple (3/4 of a cup).
Each serving approximately equals 20-25 grams of carbohydrates.

2) Protein

Every tissue in your body is made up from protein (i.e., muscle, hair, skin, and nails). Proteins are the building blocks of muscle tissue. Without it, building muscle and burning fat efficiently would be impossible. Its importance is paramount. Protein also helps increase your metabolism every time you eat it by 20%! It also makes the carbohydrates timed release, so you get sustained energy throughout the day.

Everybody that is involved in a weight training program should consume between 1 gram of protein to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass (meaning that if you are 100 lbs. And have 10% body fat, you should consume at least 90 g of protein since your lean body mass = 90 lbs.). Nobody should consume more than 1.5 grams per pound of lean body mass as this is unnecessary and the extra protein may get turned into fat.

Good examples of protein are eggs (I use Egg Substitute: 1-1/2 cups liquid), chicken breast (cooked, skinless and boneless: 6 oz), turkey (cooked, skinless and boneless: 6 oz), lean (90% lean) red meats (6 oz), and tuna (6 oz). Each serving size equals approximately 35-40 grams of protein.

3) Healthy Fats

All the cells in the body have some fat in them. Hormones are manufactured from fats. Also fats lubricate your joints. So if you eliminate the fat from your diet, then your hormonal production will go down and a whole array of chemical reactions will be interrupted. Your body will then start accumulating more body fat than usual so that it has enough fat to keep on functioning. Since testosterone production is halted, so is muscle building. Therefore, in order to have an efficient metabolism we need fat.

There are three types of fats: Saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated.

a) Saturated Fats: Saturated fats are associated with heart disease and high cholesterol levels. They are found to a large extent in products of animal origin. However, some vegetable fats are altered in a way that increases the amount of saturated fats in them by a chemical process known as hydrogenation. Hydrogenated vegetable oils are generally found in packaged foods. In addition, cocunut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil, which are also frequently used in packaged foods and non-dairy creamers are also highly saturated.

b) Polyunsaturated Fats: Fats that do not have an effect in cholesterol levels. Most of the fats in vegetable oils, such as corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean, and sunflower oil are polyunsaturated.

c) Monounsaturated Fats: Fats that have a positive effect on the good cholesterol levels. These fats are usually high on the essential fatty acids and may have antioxidant properties. Sources of these fats are Fish Oils, Virgin Olive Oil, Canola Oil, and Flaxseed Oil. We like to refer to these type of fats as good fats.

Twenty percent of your calories should come from good fats. Any less than 20% and your hormonal production goes down. Any more than 20% and you start accumulating plenty of fat. The way that I get my fats is by taking 1 teaspoon of Flaxseed Oil three times a day (I put them in my protein shakes).

Good sources of fat are canola oil (1 tablespoon), natural peanut butter (2 tablespoons), olive oil (1 tablespoon), flaxseed oil (1 tablespoon), and fish oils (1 tablespoon). Each serving size contains approximately 14 grams of fat. Alternatively you can get these fats from good EFA products like Labrada's EFA Lean.

Water

Water is by far the most abundant substance in our body. Without water, an organism would not survive very long. Most people that come to me for advice on how to get in shape, almost always underestimate the value of water.

Water is good for the following reasons:

1) Over 65% of your body is composed of water (most of the muscle cell is water).

2) Water cleanses your body from toxins and pollutants that would get you sick.

3) Water is needed for all of the complex chemical reactions that your body needs to perform on a daily basis. Processes such as energy production, muscle building, and fat burning require water. A lack of water would interrupt all of these processes.

4) Water helps lubricate the joints.

5) When the outside temperature is up, water serves as a coolant to bring the body temperature down to where it is supposed to be.

6) Water helps control your appetite. Sometimes when you feel hungry after a good meal this sensation indicates a lack of water. Drinking water at that time would take the craving away.

7) Cold water increases your metabolism.

In order to know how much water your body needs a day, just multiply your lean body weight by .66. This would indicate how many ounces of water you need in a day.

Sample Bodybuilding Diet For Men

Meal 1 (7 AM)
1 cup of dry oats mixed with water

1 cup of egg beaters

4 caps Labrada's EFA Lean Gold

Meal 2 (9 AM)
Meal replacement packet like Labrada's Lean Body mixed with water or a protein powder like Pro V60 (with around 40 grams of protein) mixed with 40 grams of carbs from cream of rice, grits, or oatmeal.
1 Tablespoon of Flaxseed Oil (Spectrum brand is best)

Meal 3 (12 Noon)
1 cup of brown rice, or medium sized baked potato, or 1 cup of oatmeal

2 cups of green beans, broccoli or any other desired vegetable

6-8 ounces of chicken, turkey, or lean fish

4 caps Labrada's EFA Lean Gold

Meal 4 (3 PM)

Same as Meal 2

Meal 5 (6 PM)

1 cup of brown rice, or medium sized baked potato, or 1 cup of oatmeal

2 cups of green beans, broccoli or any other desired vegetable

6-8 ounces of chicken, turkey, or lean fish

4 caps Labrada's EFA Lean Gold

Meal 6 (8 PM)

Same as Meal 2

Recommended Basic Bodybuilding Supplements For Men

(Essential to take)

Definitely make sure that you cover at least the basics of supplementation which are a Multiple Vitamin and Mineral formula, 3 grams of Vitamin C split in 3 equal servings throughout the day, 200mcg of Chromium Picolinate, and essential fatty acids coming from either fish oils, flaxseed oil, extra virgin olive oil, or Labrada's EFA Lean. Also, for convenience purposes a good meal replacement like Labrada's Lean Body or a protein powder like Pro V60 is a great way to add valuable calories and nutrients to your diet.

Performance Enhancing Supplementation

(Recommended for hard training bodybuilders who want to get the most out of their program}

In addition to those basic supplements, I would also recommend Creatine and Glutamine as these two supplements offer many of the same properties as anabolic steroids (such as increased recovery, increased strength, increased glycogen levels, enhanced immune system and higher nitrogen synthesis) without the side effects as they are not hormones. In addition, Nitric Oxide boosters may be of help as well. (Note: a product that conveniently has all of these items is the Super Charge! Xtreme).

Sample Bodybuilding Diet For Women

Meal 1 (7 AM)
1/2 cup of dry oats mixed with water

1/2 cup of egg beaters

2 caps Labrada's EFA Lean Gold

Meal 2 (9 AM)

Meal replacement packet like Labrada's Lean Body for Her mixed with water or a protein powder like Pro V60 (with around 20 grams of protein) mixed with 20 grams of carbs from cream of rice, grits, or oatmeal.

1/2 Tablespoon of Flaxseed Oil (Spectrum Brand is Best)

Meal 3 (12 Noon)

1/2 cup of brown rice, or medium sized baked potato, or 1 cup of oatmeal

2 cups of green beans, broccoli or any other desired vegetable

6 ounces of chicken, turkey, or lean fish

2 caps Labrada's EFA Lean Gold

Meal 4 (3 PM)

Same as Meal 2

Meal 5 (6 PM)

1/2 cup of brown rice, or medium sized baked potato, or 1 cup of oatmeal

2 cups of green beans, broccoli or any other desired vegetable

6 ounces of chicken, turkey, or lean fish

2 caps Labrada's EFA Lean Gold

Meal 6 (8 PM)

Same as Meal 2

Recommended Basic Bodybuilding Supplements For Women

(Essential to take)

Definitely make sure that you cover at least the basics of supplementation which are a Multiple Vitamin and Mineral formula, 3 grams of Vitamin C split in 3 equal servings throughout the day, extra Calcium (preferably calcium citrate for best absorption), 200mcg of Chromium Picolinate, and essential fatty acids coming from either fish oils, flaxseed oil, extra virgin olive oil or EFA Lean Body Gold. Also, for convenience purposes a good meal replacement or protein powder is a great way to add valuable calories and nutrients to your diet. For more information on this subject please refer to my article on Bodybuilding Supplementation Basics.

Hugo Rivera, CFT, SPN, BSCE, is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, multi-certified personal trainer, industry consultant and fitness expert who not only knows training and nutrition theory, but also applies it on a daily basis as evidenced by the fact that he's always in shape and by his awards and high placings at numerous national level bodybuilding competitions. He is also an internationally known best selling fitness author with a very successful franchise of books called "The Body Sculpting Bibles" which collectively have sold hundreds of thousands of copies.

Force Factor Free Trial Review - How Does Force Factor Help in Body Building & Muscle Development?

Force Factor is muscle-building supplement, which claims to enhance your strength and endurance through its main ingredient Nitric Oxide. Nitric Oxide (NO) is usually produced in our body, which helps in communication of cells. It also increases the blood flow and oxygen supply in our body, which consequently pumps up our muscles.

This unique quality of Nitric oxide is the basis of this supplement. The ability to heal injuries, create endurance and bestow strength is the unique selling proposition of this supplement.

Importance of Force Factor in Bodybuilding

* Force Factor promises to create more mental awareness through this product. The blood and oxygen supply to our muscles can be stimulated by consuming this supplement which can be extremely beneficial for adding those extra muscle mass.

* A healthy nutrition and a rigorous workout session is mandatory for muscle development. This supplement should be consumed between your workouts and diets for attaining an electrifying physique.

* The main ingredients of this supplement are Nitric Oxide, Argenine, L-Argenine Monohydrate, L-Citruline, Calcium Phosphate and Di-Pottasium Phosphate.

* Nitric oxide helps in boosting Argenine. It also boosts power and endurance in our body. This supplement benefits your strength training exercises.

* Nitric oxide gives you high performance in your workouts and decreases your recovery time. It is touted to be the key for unlocking success.

* It is always advisable to combine force factor with protein supplements for achieving fast results. Even lightweight exercises can provide you higher muscle mass through this diet.

* This product claims to show results after the completion of a month.

* Force Factor free trial can be easily procured by paying minimal shipping charges of $4.99. It also offers a 30-day money back guarantee.

Benefits of Creatine Monohydrate - Important for High-Intensity Exercise Performance

Creatine monohydrate is one of the most widely used forms of creatine, a nitrogen-containing organic compound which is naturally produced by the body. It is a very important substance because it supplies the body with the energy it needs by increasing the production of adenosine triphosphate, the substance that transports energy within the cells needed for metabolism.

In a pilot study conducted among both young, healthy subjects and patients suffering from neuromuscular diseases, creatine monohydrate supplementation was shown to have increased body weight, hand grip, dorsiflexion, and knee extensor strength.

If you are suffering from either Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, Huntington's disease or the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, creatine monohydrate may be able to help in increasing your muscle strength and nervous control.

Creatine supplementation is popularly used to enhance sports performance, and has been successfully tested in the treatment of neuromuscular, neurological and atherosclerotic diseases. Creatine plays a key role in brain energy stability by acting as buffer for adenosine triphosphate and its regulator, adenosine diphosphate. Another experiment conducted by the Macmaster University in Hamilton, Ontario found that short term creatine monohydrate supplementation enhances high-intensity exercise performance in both males and females.

It was also shown that males that took whey protein supplements while on resistance training exhibited significant improvement in knee extension peak torque and gained more lean tissue mass than males engaged in training alone. Males that took a combination of whey protein and creatine monohydrate showed a much greater increase in lean tissue mass and bench press than those who supplemented with only whey protein or placebo.

In an experiment conducted by the University of Sydney among 45 young adults to test how oral creatine supplementation would enhance intelligence test scores and memory performance, the results show that indeed, creatine supplementation has significant positive effect on a person's intelligence and memory. This result clearly indicates that brain energy capacity plays a key role in enhancing brain performance, intelligence and memory.

Creatine plays a key role in cellular energy metabolism and can potentially play a role in protein metabolism. With regular supplementation of creatine monohydrate, young healthy men and women may experience a higher intensity exercise performance, increased skeletal muscle volume and phosphocreatine concentration, and increased fat free muscle mass.

Recent study also revealed that creatine monohydrate supplementation protects against neuromuscular as shown in laboratory animal models of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and after ischemia. A low concentration of phosphocreatine content has also been noticed in skeletal muscles of elderly patients and of patients suffering from neuromuscular disorders.

For more information about this high-intensity exercise performance-enhancing supplement, log on to: http://purebulk.com/creatine-monohydrate-powder

Does Nitric Oxide Work? A Nitric Oxide Supplement Review

Lately, I've been hearing alot of buzz about No2 and it's possible effects on building muscle.

No2 has been around for a couple of years and there has been plenty of people who have tried this particular supplement with mixed results.

For those of you who don't know what N02 is, let me give you a bit of background.

No2 stands for nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is supposed to relax the smooth muscle in the walls of very small arteries called arterioles.

When a muscles contracts and it's blood vessels are dilated, a "puff" of gas appears for a brief instant and than dissapears. This gas settles into the underlying smooth muscle cells causing them to relax which allows a surge of blood to pass through more easily.

This gas is called nitric oxide.

You see, everytime you do a couple sets of curls and you feel that expanding feeling in your bicep, it means that nitric oxide was released into the smooth muscle, causing an extra surge in blood to your muscles. It gives your muscles that full feeling and that"puffy" look.

However, once you finish your workout, your muscels slowly loose the blood that it accumulated during the workout and it slowly goes back to normal. Of course, the pump is one of the best feelings you can get and too lose it, well, sucks. So, the man who brought creatine to the fitness world, Ed Byrd, gives you Hemodilator N02.

This stuff is supposed to help release nitric oxide at different times of the day to keep your muscles feeling pumped. What Ed Byrd managed to do was create a delivery system called phyex 9 which is supposed to help stimulate the release of nitric oxide at different times during the day. Certainly a beautiful concept for just about everyone out there who weight trains. Who doesn't want a constant pump...Maybe just walking down the street?

Well, I heard alot about no2 and it got my attention. So, I decided to give this supplement a shot. I have to admit, this stuff is not cheap. At $80 bucks a pop, it's kind of steep for the everyday working, weight trainer. Today, there are a whack of nitric oxide supplements out there and they all cost about
the same.

Now, I had my doubts. You see, this supplement uses arginine as it's main nitric oxide delivery mechanism. That is, arginine is supposed to cause the nitric oxide reaction which will produce the"pump". Now, back in the mid 80's, I vividly remember a supplement called"Inosine" which was supposed to do the same thing as No2. It was supposed to cause the small artieries to expand which would cause more blood flow into
the muscle.

Well, as a young, wide eyed teenager looking for a miracle supplment, this fit the bill. I bought a bunch of inosine in the hopes that it would help me build more strength and power. The result? A couple of hundred dollars down the toilet. I still see adds for inosine and I still shake my head.

So, after a bit of research I decided to give this particular supplement a shot and see if the results were as good as they claimed on the label. I choose to use the Hemodilator No2 for my nitric oxide supplement review.

According to the label, it reads "NO2 generates a PERPETUAL PUMP, Helps Boost Strength, Augments Peak Power, Delays Muscle Fatigue"

Well, does it do all that? First off, according to the label, they performed a clinical trial of this supplement at Baylor University. According to the results, there was a 300% increase in bench press strength for those who were taking Hemodilator compared to those who were taking a placebo (fake), over an eight
week period.

Also, the group taking the Hemodilator gained more endurance and power than the placebo group over the same 8 week period.

So, how did I fare with this supplement? Now, I'm just finishing up my third bottle and the results have not been mind blowing. Maybe I was expecting too much from this supplement but I haven't gained as much as I would have hoped. There has been a slight change from the pumps I get in the gym but they are not perpetual. The pumps stay in the gym.

In terms of strength, I gained a little bit in some of my compound movements but not as nearly as much as I would have if I would have taken creatine. For endurance, I can't say I noticed any thing at all. In terms of overall power, I would say that it has increased...But not 300% or even 20%.

Did I get my monies worth? That's a hard one to say. I mean, would have I gotten the same results if I didn't use the supplement? Probably not. The thing I noticed most about this product was the pumps in the gym. Like I said before, pumps are the reason I mainly go to the gym.

Am I happy with this product? I guess you can say that I'm "ok" with it. However, when I take the supplement Xpand, which is a combination of the nitric oxide booster arginine and tri-creatine malate, I simply explode! Maybe the combination of nitric oxide and creatine compliment each other more so than regular creatine or straight arginine.

In terms of side effects, I didn't experience anything. Just remember, huge doses of arginine can be toxic. However, there are some reports of users experiencing diarrhea nausea with relatively high doses.

Now, do I recommend this product? If you do not want to take a product such as creatine, I would have to say yes. It does work and will produce some results provided you have a well laid down eating plan and steady lifting habits. Just remember, you have to be on it for at least 8 weeks to see any sort of results.

However, next to a good creatine product such as SAN V12 or Dymatize Xpand, I would have to say no. These products
are so much better and the results are more immediate and dramatic.

So there you have it. A personal nitric oxide supplement review.

What Every Major League Muscle Building Program Should Have

Muscle building is a long process that takes months for obvious results. First of all, if you're not looking forward to getting into the gym any more, that may be a sign. It is true, you have to decide what you want to do and since you want to build muscle, you need to increase overall caloric intake.

One more very important ingredient in a muscle building diet and every muscle building program should go over is water. While you are working out in the gym you are stimulating your muscles but it is only when resting that your muscles get a chance to recover. Once you know exactly why you should never listen to that "buff guy" at your gym, you'll have an unfair advantage over all the rest who hang on his every word.

Weight Training

Weight Training Periodization Learn how to incorporate weight training periodization into your training and you will unlock all of your muscle building potential. We will go against the grain and gain weight fast. Guess how many people perform weight training exercises correctly.

Protein Tip: To promote a positive nitrogen balance, use approximately 1 to 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day from a combination of high protein foods and supplements. If you want to succeed and build muscle mass fast you have to follow some basics principles and the first one is lift heavy weights with low repetitions, usually about 70-80 percent of your max strength this will put a lot of pressure on the muscle and give them a really good workout. A great muscle building program is based around this princible.

Nutrition

Don't try and get big off of mc Donalds' or you'll end up harshly over weight and in worse shape then you were to start out with. This male hormone is what builds muscle and it needs protein, carbs and fat if you want to build muscle.

There are some major key parts to a successful muscle building program. One major aspect of body building includes diet and nutrition. There is so much conflicting information out there when it comes to the topic of building muscle, and sometimes it can be very difficult to know where to start.

Building Mass

Mass plus strength doesn't always equal increased speed. With a little intelligent bodybuilding training, you can build muscle mass and gain weight fast. A solid muscle mass building program won't take anything more than a little intelligence and a few extra hours a week to implement so.

Yes, the foods you choose will be one of the deciding factors as to the kind of mass you want to gain. A diet high in quality nutrients will produce much better results for building muscle mass and maintaining body fat levels than a diet high in fat and processed foods. If you can do this, while training hard and heavy, you will gain quality muscle mass while maintaining current body fat levels. Choice of food is the real key to building lean muscle mass. I suggest you do the following: Find your starting point; Multiply your body weight by 20 to get your base starting caloric intake for adding mass.

Muscles

Some elite athletes perform special exercises specific to their sports to improve the neural stimulation of their muscles, and many do weight training to build more muscle. Besides making muscles bigger, anabolic steroids may help athletes recover from a hard workout more quickly by reducing the amount of muscle damage that occurs during the session. In fact, these studies show that supplemental andro stenedione doesn't increase testosterone and that your muscles don't get stronger with andro use. Creatine monohydrate is a compound produced by your body that helps release energy in your muscles. Creatine helps muscles make and circulate more adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Creatine is stored in your muscles, and levels are relatively easily maintained.

These are some Muscle building and weight lifting tips that work. You can try following these techniques for excellent muscle building. Ensure that you don't listen to every piece of advice you hear in the gym or read on a message board. In case you are planning to get involved in muscle building, just ensure that you create your training in such a way that it includes all muscle groups. Most beginners and even a lot of seasoned gym goers can't. It also can't hurt to talk to your doctor before choosing any muscle building supplements as well.

What Exactly is Nitric Oxide? Why is It Such a POWERFUL Bodybuilding Supplement?

What is Nitric Oxide anyway?

The chemical compound nitric oxide is a gas with a chemical formula NO. It is an important signaling molecule in the body of mammals including humans, one of the few gaseous signaling molecules known. Nitric oxide (NO) is not nitrous oxide (N2O) or with nitrogen dioxide (NO2). (Formal definition courtesy of Wikipedia)

What is L-arginine (the key ingredient used to produce Nitric Oxide)?

L-arginine is an amino acid found in grains and fish, meats, supplements and passes through the intestine into the blood. From the blood, it enters endothelial cells, (these are the layer of cells lining the inside of the blood and lymph vessels of the heart) where it is used to produce nitric oxide.

L-arginine can be found in many foods such as meat, poultry, dairy products, and fish. The body also uses arginine to produce nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels. For this reason, it has been used to treat cardiovascular disorders such as heart failure, intermittent claudication, impotence, female sexual dysfunction, and interstitial cystitis. (Formal definition courtesy of Wikipedia).

It can also be used as an ergogenic aid to supplement bodybuilding and sports endeavors.

L-arginine supplements cause a delayed release of Nitric Oxide into the blood. Ed Byrd (the creator of NO 2) called this the "pHyser3" effect of creating a sustained hemodilation or blood flow in the body.

How does this help with bodybuilding?

Nitric Oxide helps with a sustained blood pump in your body. The blood vessels that deliver muscle building agents (nutrients, creatine) to your muscles are "forced open" for an extended period of time throughout the day. This means quicker recovery, enhanced muscle gains, greater strength, more endurance due to the prolonged pump NO2 provides. You know how you feel "pumped up" after a workout? Nitric oxide helps perpetuate this muscle pump effect.

Are there other health benefits to Nitric Oxide besides bodybuilding?

There is evidence that nitric oxide can prevent heart disease and stroke. The vasodilation effect nitric oxide helps protect the blood vessels from dangerous constriction. This increases the blood vessel flexibility to blood can circulate at a lower pressure. Nitric oxide may also help control platelet function, reduce artery plaque and even lower cholesterol.

Nitric oxide supplements is available at most supplement and health nutrition stores. Here are five nitric oxide products I would recommend:

-Nitrix by BSN. Nitrix has quickly gained the reputation as the world's top Nitric Oxide (NO) supplements.

-NO-xplode by BSN. NO-xplode uses both creatine and nitrix oxide to help you explode you bodybuilding regimen.

-A-AKG by Pro-line. This is perhaps the most economical priced nitric oxide supplement I could find.

-Mid-Cycle by Fizogen. Mid Cycle effectively enhances nutrient uptake, increases cell-signaling vasodilation and promotes improved muscle torque and intercellular energy levels.

-Cold Fusion by Legal Gear. This bodybuilding supplements is especially appropriate for serious athletes looking to maximize muscle gains with NO2. Cold fusion has twice as much NO per serving than any other nitric oxide product.

What Is Glutamine? Discover Its Energy-Giving And Wound-Healing Properties

Glutamine is the most abundant non-essential amino acid that is naturally produced by the body. It is called non-essential amino acid because it can be naturally produced by the body, not because it is not an important element.

It is produced in the body by the action of the enzyme glutamine synthetase which assists in the condensation of glutamate and ammonia to ultimately form glutamine.

It is found in abundance in the skeletal muscles and in the blood. The largest amount of glutamine is produced in the muscles, accounting for 90% of the total amount synthesized by the body. It is also produced in small amounts in the lungs, in the brain and in the liver. However, since the liver takes much of its glutamine supply from the gut, its role in glutamine metabolism has purely been regulatory rather than being part of its production.

The organs that benefit greatly from the production of glutamine are the kidney cells, cells of the intestines, the active immune cells and the many cancer cells.

It plays a key role in the different functions of the body such as in the manufacture of proteins by serving as an important precursor of nucleic acids, nucleotides, and amino sugars, it promotes an acid-base balance in the kidneys by producing urinary ammonia, it serves as a source of cellular energy by serving as respiratory fuel for rapidly growing cells such as lymphocytes, it transports nitrogen between tissues, and promotes carbon donation required to efficiently carry out the citric acid cycle. It is one of the few amino acids that can directly cross the blood-brain barrier.

Extensive study on glutamine and its important uses has been undertaken for the past 10 to 15 years and the results show that it is useful in the healing of wound after surgery, in the treatment of burns, injury, trauma, and in the treatment of the side effects of cancer treatment.

It is also popularly marketed as a supplement that promotes muscle growth and development during weight lifting, body building and endurance and other sports activities.

It is also believed that oral supplementation of glutamine may increase the Human Growth Hormone in the blood by simulating the functions of the anterior pituitary glands.

It is also believed that glutamine significantly reduces the healing period after surgery. Studies show that hospital confinement after abdominal surgery is greatly reduced by feeding the patient intravenously with substances containing high amounts of glutamine.

Studies show that patients who are on glutamine supplement demonstrated an improved level of lymphocyte count; an improved permeability of the intestines especially among patients who have just undergone surgery and; and an improved balance of nitrogen content in the body among patients recovering from surgery under parenteral nutrition.

You can get your daily supply of glutamine by eating foods rich in glutamine such as beef, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, dairy products, wheat, cabbage, beets, beans, spinach, and parsley. Minimal amounts of free L-glutamine can also be found in certain vegetable juices and fermented foods, such as miso.

In the field of research, glutamine is usually mixed with the culture medium in cell culture.

More interesting facts about glutamine and how it can benefit your body can be obtained at: http://purebulk.com/l-glutamine