Bodybuilding and the Mediterranean Diet

The Seven Basic Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet in Bodybuilding

Introduction

As we move into the 21st century, more and more men and women are getting involved in bodybuilding. To be successful in bodybuilding, a person needs to coordinate an ambitious exercise routine with a proper diet regimen. In the end, bodybuilding success depends as much on what you do to your body in a gym as it does on what you put into your body at home.

Certain routines and diet plans have been shown to be directly beneficial to the goals of bodybuilders. A regimen that contains the elements of healthy eating that are essential for a dedicated bodybuilder is found in the Mediterranean diet.

The Mediterranean diet is a perfect choice for a passionate bodybuilder for seven basic reasons.

1. Bodybuilding and fruits and vegetables

Nutrition experts believe that a typical diet should include at least five servings of fruits and vegetables over the course of any given day. A bodybuilder needs more than twice this amount of fruits and vegetables. In this sense, the Mediterranean diet is ideal. In the Mediterranean diet, a person usually consumes more than ten generous servings of fruits and vegetables throughout the day.

In bodybuilding, it is recommended that the fruits and vegetables included in the diet be eaten raw. (Steamed vegetables are acceptable. However, over-steaming can result in the loss of some of the nutrients naturally contained in fruits and vegetables.)

2. Bodybuilding and raw foods

Various raw foods, including fruits and vegetables, are also high in antioxidants. Antioxidants “clean up” oxidants that can form in the body. Oxidants are the negative byproduct of oxygen being burned within the body for energy. Antioxidants help a bodybuilder on many fronts, including decreasing muscle atrophy which can be a major problem in a bodybuilder as they age.

3. Benefits of protein for the bodybuilder

Protein is the essential ingredient needed to build body mass, which is the ultimate goal of building the body in training. Through the Mediterranean diet, a person interested in pursuing a healthy course of bodybuilding can ingest protein through lean meats and whole grains.

4. Adopt a diet low in saturated fat

Saturated fats are destructive to any reasonable bodybuilding routine. Obviously, one of the ultimate goals of bodybuilding is to remove unnecessary and unwanted fat from the body.

While working out is a safe way to shed fat, it is also important for a bodybuilder to choose a diet course that is low in saturated fat. The Mediterranean diet fits perfectly into this bill. Although a person who follows the Mediterranean diet ingests calories from fat, mainly from the olive oil that is used extensively in the diet, what is ingested is not saturated.

5. Meet the energy demands of the active bodybuilder

A person following the Mediterranean diet draws calories and “energy foods” from three main sources:

— carbohydrates

— protein

— unsaturated fat

The key benefit of the Mediterranean diet lies in the fact that it is balanced and draws energy in proper proportions from these three dietary sources. Because the diet is balanced by definition, your body doesn’t end up running “out of whack.” Through the Mediterranean diet, you can get the extra energy boosts needed for body building without causing your overall calorie and energy levels to end up out of balance.

6. Bodybuilding and moderate portions

The key to establishing a beneficial diet to advance your body building goals is to eat in moderation at each meal. Also, a bodybuilder should choose to eat smaller meals throughout the day. Instead of the standard three full meals a day, a bodybuilder is best served by eating six smaller, evenly spaced meals throughout the day.

7. The balance of the diet is always the key

In the end, the reason the Mediterranean diet is so beneficial for bodybuilders is precisely the same reason it’s a perfect healthy eating plan for “average people.” The Mediterranean diet is a solid plan because it consists of healthy foods eaten in balanced and appropriate proportions throughout the day.