Should you consume a Protein Rich Diet on Non-Workout Days?
Intake of a balanced and a nutritionally planned diet is extremely important for muscle building. A good diet plan is one that helps in restoring a positive-calorie balance inside the body, a factor that is highly essential in preventing the muscles from getting damaged due to intensive workouts. One can label a diet program as balanced only when it consists of all the basic nutrients essential for life in the right combination, which means that your diet must be rich in proteins and carbohydrates and low on fats.
Importance of a protein-rich diet during a muscle training program is one aspect that every expert trainer stresses upon. Apart from repair and growth of muscles, proteins play a number of other vital roles in our bodies. However, many-a-times, bodybuilding beginners are not clear as to how mush their protein intake on non-working days should be, when they are taking rest. On rest days, your body is in need of a continuous supply of proteins and amino acids to replenish your muscles.
Proteins help in maintaining a positive nitrogen balance in the body. Positive nitrogen balance is essential as it helps the body in an effective retention of dietary protein and its appropriate utilization for the synthesis of new tissue. Negative nitrogen balance indicates excessive protein degradation, a factor that can be hard on muscle. It is always important to maintain this balance on a non-workout day so that muscles don't get damaged at the time of a workout.
During the rest phase between successive workouts, the physical activity levels are low but the body's repair mechanism is continuing with full force. Proteins are the building blocks of muscle tissues. Therefore, the supply of proteins to the muscle tissues must be maintained on a continuous basis for maximum repair, recovery, replenishment and growth of your muscle tissues.
Therefore, all bodybuilding experts unanimously agree that your protein intake must be maintained at optimum levels even on non-working days.
The high concentration of wastes and toxins (which are produced as a result of the digestion of a protein-rich diet) must be continuously flushed out of the body, which if allowed to accumulate, can cause soreness and painfulness of the worked out area. Ample rest and a well hydrated body can help in flushing out the toxins and in improving muscular strength and tenor. For this, a continuous protein supply must be made available even on non-workout days.
Regular and optimum consumption of high quality dietary proteins is essential for muscle building, irrespective of whether you have done a workout on that day or not. In general, an individual, who is doing muscle building exercises, should consume 0.8 - 1.3 gms of protein per pound of body weight spread over 6 times a day within every 2 - 3 hrs interval. Ideally, you can take a protein shake immediately after a workout.
You can consume almonds, pista or other dry fruits and nuts as snacks between meals to add more proteins to your body. You can add loads of low fat milk, cheese, chicken breast, salmon and tuna, peanut butter, almonds, whey, and eggs to your diet to pump your body with adequate amounts of proteins.
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Professional fitness instructor, Jason Diggs, writes quality, non-biased reviews on the nets top " how to build muscle " instructional programs. His #1 pick goes to muscle gain truth, a highly recognized, extensive bodybuilding course.
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