A Rational Diet for Bodybuilders

In the 1970s, athletes who lifted weights to compete in bodybuilding bragged about eating a dozen egg whites every morning to help them get enough protein to build muscles. On TV, you would see them devour slabs of meat, stacks of toast, and giant milkshakes in preparation for the first workout of the day in late morning.

In the 1980s and early '90s, protein supplements in the form of powders, gels, and pills skyrocketed in popularity.

Things have changed.

Many of the next generation of musclemen are now told flatly by nutritionists and bodybuilding experts that well-balanced meals will offer enough protein for all but the most intense exercisers. Unfortunately, few are listening.

What is protein?

Proteins are complex organic compounds that are the main component of the body's muscles, tendons, ligaments, and organs. Proteins are made up of amino acids. The human body needs about 20 amino acids to make its proteins. Of these 20, the body can make only 11. The remainder, the nine essential amino acids, must come from food.

Meats, poultry, milk, eggs, and fish supply all nine essential amino acids and are called complete proteins. Vegetable proteins, such as beans and grains, are called incomplete proteins because they do not supply all of the essential amino acids. The body can make complete proteins if a variety of plant foods—beans, grains, vegetables, nuts, and seeds—and sufficient calories are eaten during the day. Vegetarians don’t need to worry about combining specific foods within a meal to achieve complete proteins, because the body will use amino acids from foods eaten at different meals.

If a person's diet has more protein than the body needs, the excess protein is used for energy or is stored as fat. The amount of protein required each day depends on a person's age, health, and diet. Two to three servings of protein-rich food will meet the daily needs of most adults.

It is true that those who exercise need more protein to maintain or build muscles, but just modestly increasing portions of meat, poultry, pork, fish, and certain vegetables will provide virtually all athletes with enough amino acids.

About 12 to 15 percent of your daily calories should come from protein. If you are weight training to increase or maintain muscle mass, you should consume about 15 percent of your calories from protein. Fat intake should be no more than 35 percent of your daily calories. Less than 10 percent of your calories should come from saturated fat

High-protein foods

Egg whites and milk lead the way in having high-quality biologically available protein, followed by meat, fish and poultry.

Red meat is not the bugaboo it once was—partly because grocery stores and other specialty shops now offer extremely lean products (30 percent fat). In fact, most registered dietitians—and even the American Heart Association (AHA)—say that lean red meat is an acceptable part of most diets. Be aware that some "lean" meats, such as mutton, are fatter than other meats, such as beef. Many restaurants do not use lean meat, so ask questions before ordering.

"The best choices include flank steak, London broil, eye of the round and extra-lean ground beef," says Nancy Clark, R.D., a dietitian in Chestnut Hill, Mass. "Besides being protein-rich, lean red meat is an excellent source of iron and zinc."

For poultry, take the skin off and don't fry it. Removing the skin removes most of the fat.

Fish is not only high in protein, but also very low in saturated fat (the "bad" fat that raises blood cholesterol). If you eat locally caught fish, however, check with your department of health to see if any kinds should be avoided because of toxic pollutants.

Go for variety

Try different ethnic recipes, which offer a wide variety of ways to cook meat, chicken, fish, and vegetables. Here are some suggestions: burritos with lean meat; beans and rice; pasta salad with low-fat dressing; and vegetable lasagna made with low-fat cheese.

Whole grains, legumes, vegetables, seeds, and nuts all contain both essential and non-essential amino acids, too. And, according to the AHA, you do not need to consciously combine these foods as "complementary proteins" within a given meal.

Overall, registered dietitians say that a diet emphasizing whole-grain products, vegetables, fruit, beans, lean protein sources, and dairy is best.