A
proper diet is important in any bodybuilding routine. Our body needs
ample protein, an abundance of vitamins and minerals, carbohydrates and
water to put it in an anabolic (muscle building state). Men and women
have different body chemistry and slightly different requirements for
building muscles. Women have much less ability to produce testosterone,
which is an essential hormone needed for either sex to build muscle,
that's the reason why a female bodybuilding diet must address what's
different in their muscle-building chemistry.
How To Design An Anabolic Diet
In
order to design a diet that puts your body in an anabolic state; you
must have just enough of, or more of the essential nutrients necessary
to accomplish that goal.
Since
women produce less testosterone than men, it's important to encourage
your body to make more testosterone, while not encouraging more estrogen
production, which is counter-productive to muscle building.
Limit Estrogen Products
While
opinions differ on the subject: Soy products contain excessive amounts
of plant estrogen and any serious female bodybuilding diet will limit
the amount of soy products (including soy protein supplements).
Animal Proteins
Animal
proteins, especially red meat contain creatine and glutamine, which
help speed up recovery time, immune system function and nitrogen
processing in the body. All of this amounts to an increase in your
body's anabolic response and testosterone production.
Calcium Supplementation
Along
with decreased testosterone production and increased estrogen levels, a
woman's body needs more calcium to maintain bone density. Obviously we
need strong bones to support our muscles, so make sure a good supplement
containing calcium citrate is included in any female bodybuilding diet.
Water
This
one should go without say, but it's worth a mention: Drink 8 glasses of
water a day. You'll have to experiment to see how much is comfortable
for you (and how often you want to spend making a trip to the bathroom),
but drink as much as you comfortably handle. You need water to allow
your muscles to work at their peak during a workout and promote proper
digestion.
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