10 Q&A on muscle and diet: How to eat to grow muscle?

Since the publication of Random Talks on Wade's Law Series, many netizens have been asking questions about exercise and diet. This paper summarizes and answers ten common questions about muscle training and diet arrangement, and invites experts to discuss them further.

Question 1: I am thin. How to eat when exercising muscles?

A: This question is too general. Even professional fitness instructors need to give more accurate advice according to the specific situation of everyone's diet and body. Generally speaking, however, thin people tend to consume lower total calories. Including many thin people who claim to be able to eat, after accurately calculating their diet, they found that their total calories were not high. Of course, being thin is better than being fat. There is no need to eat too much because you are thin.

My suggestion is, on the basis of the existing normal diet, add some protein and carbohydrates before exercise, such as an egg sandwich, to prevent muscles from consuming protein energy due to insufficient blood sugar. Add some protein after exercise, such as a cup of yogurt. Add some high-protein foods, such as nuts and lean meat, before breakfast and bedtime. In addition, the exercise mode should focus on strength exercise, and choose a larger weight (each group should do 8~ 12 times at most). Finally, it needs to be explained that some people's muscles are difficult to develop like bodybuilders because of genetic influence; But it is within everyone's ability to add a few kilograms of muscle to the existing level and make themselves stronger.

Question 2: Do you have to eat protein powder to supplement protein?

A: Muscle growth needs protein's participation. When protein comes from high-quality protein (protein powder comes from whey protein, and protein of eggs and milk is also high-quality protein, but if it is replaced with tofu, chicken feet and pig feet, the effect will be reduced), muscles can't be distinguished. As an ordinary exerciser, it is enough to supplement some high-protein foods such as meat, eggs and milk on the basis of normal diet to meet the needs of muscle growth. However, most protein powders in the market are plant proteins, and there are also high-priced whey proteins. Even the ridiculously high beef protein isolate (1 kg several thousand yuan) is generally uneconomical, and its taste is not good, and its quality is far lower than delicious and healthy boiled eggs, low-fat milk and lean meat. Some people choose protein powder for two reasons: first, it saves trouble, saves cooking links, and does not need to bother to remove fat from food; The second is to follow the trend, everyone is eating, and it is unprofessional not to eat. In fact, the standard of professional athletes is the result of practice, not the variety or brand of protein powder they eat.

Question 3: Why do you have to eat more meals a day when you have gained muscle?

A: Studies have shown that, in terms of muscle building effect, it is indeed better to take protein in small doses for many times than to take protein in large quantities at one time. But bodybuilders divide their daily food intake into 5-7 times, not so much to gain muscle as to gain less weight. Because the calories of three meals a day are relatively high, the body may convert excess calories into fat and store them; Eating less and eating more will help stabilize blood sugar and reduce fat accumulation.

For most ordinary people who want to gain muscle and lose fat, properly control the amount of dinner, add a little protein-rich meal before and after training, and add a little protein before going to bed to avoid muscle loss during sleep. This will turn three meals a day into n meals a day.

Question 4: Can protein gain muscle after eating too much?

A: If the answer is yes, it's too easy to be a muscle star. Protein is indeed an indispensable nutrient for muscle growth, and it was once held to a high position. In 1970s and 1980s, some athletes even consumed 1 1,000 grams of protein every day to pursue muscle growth. In fact, a large number of athletes' relevant data show that protein is not enough, and excessive intake of protein will not bring more benefits, and even damage health. At present, most bodybuilding coaches will recommend that you consume1.5 ~ 2g protein per kilogram of body weight every day, but this suggestion is based on the training intensity of professional athletes. Ordinary people only need to supplement some high-protein foods on the basis of their current diet.

Question 5: Can you lose weight without dinner?

A: I can tell you for sure that if the other two meals remain the same, you can lose weight without eating any main meal-you can lose weight by reducing your calorie intake by one third. But in daily life, it is rare to see a person can reduce one meal without changing the other two meals. Some people don't eat dinner, and even eat very full at noon to ensure that they are not hungry at night. It is conceivable that this will not only fail to lose weight, but also increase the burden on the stomach; As a result, blood sugar fluctuates more violently, so more calories will be converted into fat. At the same time, from the previous day's lunch to the next day's breakfast, if you don't supplement for nearly 20 hours, your muscles are likely to be lost, which is not worth the loss.

Question 6: Do you want to eat a diet without sugar, salt, oil and water?

A: The questioner must have regarded the day when professional bodybuilders lose weight before the competition as his life. Say sugar first. Eating less monosaccharides and controlling the total amount of carbohydrates are of course beneficial to reducing fat. However, training also needs energy, and proper carbohydrates are still necessary. At this point, the healthy diet standard of bodybuilders is not much different from that of ordinary people-try to ensure the stability of blood sugar, and the carbohydrates in the diet are mainly complex carbohydrates. Talk about salt. A low-salt diet is good for anyone's health. For bodybuilders who pursue physical beauty, the additional benefit is that they can reduce excess water in their bodies. However, I am afraid that few people can tolerate a salt-free diet (there are indeed bodybuilders who can eat a sodium-free diet for a long time, such as Zhang Xia, a famous female bodybuilder in Shanghai, whose salt basically comes from vegetables and fruits). Oil-free is an outdated saying. Among them, healthy fat and fat-soluble vitamins are essential nutrients for human body. Good fat will not only make you fat, but also help you keep and improve your figure. Not drinking water is probably the most ridiculous statement. Drinking more water is good for anyone's health. Indeed, some coaches will ask athletes not to drink water during training to avoid excessive sweating and hypothermia; However, there are also reports that bodybuilders died suddenly due to lack of water.

Question 7: Can vegetarians exercise their muscles?

A: Theoretically, you can also get all the amino acids needed for muscle synthesis by eating beans and grains, but it seems that people who are not vegetarians can also become professional bodybuilders (excluding some foreign self-proclaimed "vegetarians" who eat eggs and dairy products but not meat). It is found that the effect of protein in beans on muscle growth is obviously inferior to that of high-quality animal protein, which may be due to the estrogen contained in beans. If a vegetarian wants to gain some muscles through exercise and grow stronger, it can still be achieved; But if you want to have developed muscles, you still need to give up this vegetarian habit.

Question 8: I am a girl. What if the developed muscles are ugly?

A: This question is probably the most talked about by professional fitness coaches. First of all, it is impossible for a girl to develop the muscles of a bodybuilder. Generally speaking, there are three kinds of muscular women: 1. They have experienced unimaginable hard training; 2. Take hormone drugs; 3. Have genes that few people have. Usually, strength training will only slightly increase the muscle mass of girls, but at the same time it can bring various benefits such as straightness, compactness and symmetry. In addition, with the development of society, the view that girls should be weak, quiet and fair is gradually out of date; Girls with healthy sunshine, no fat and some muscular lines are becoming more and more popular. So, girls, lift dumbbells and barbells boldly.

Question 9: What effect does smoking and drinking have on long muscles?

A: This question reminds me of a joke: A fitness enthusiast asked the coach, "Can I smoke and drink while exercising my muscles?" The coach said, "No."Another person asked, "Can people who drink and smoke exercise their muscles?" The coach said happily, "Of course!" On the surface, the coach's two answers seem contradictory, but they are not.

Smoking will not only cause various diseases, but also affect the blood circulation of the body and hinder blood supply to muscles. Drinking will affect the absorption and utilization of nutrients, make the body retain water and affect the body shape. If you train with a hangover, the risk of accidental injury will also increase greatly. Smoking and drinking will also make your physical strength obviously worse, and you can't even bear the heavy training.

Fitness is for health, while maintaining health while damaging health, of course not. People who drink and smoke use fitness to make up for their injuries. Although it is also very contradictory, talking is better than nothing. It is true that some bodybuilders smoke and drink, but bad habits are not the reason for their muscular development.

Question 10: Should I eat meat if I want to lose weight rather than gain muscle through exercise?

A: Actually, on the contrary, the most important thing for bodybuilders to lose weight is the intake of high-quality meat. To control diet, we must first control the food that is most likely to get fat, that is, too much oil and carbohydrates. Chicken breast, aquatic products, lean beef and other high-quality meats are not only low in calories, but also provide high-quality protein to avoid muscle loss during weight loss. Moreover, such food can also bring a sense of fullness, avoid excessive hunger, and it is difficult to persist. Exercise combined with a reasonable diet instead of excessive dieting can help you lose weight healthily.