Monday, September 14, 2009

Mini-Fast for Fitness: A Method to Maximimize Fat Loss and Lean Muscle Gain

It's no secret, proper nutrition is the cornerstone to a successful training program, whether the goal is to lose fat or gain muscle. In fact, even if one isn't involved in any sort of structured workout plan, nutritional choices are still very important, and perhaps even more so, as one
�would have to make up for the benefits lost by not exercising. But how one defines proper nutrition is subject to quite a wide range of variables, from different macronutrient (carbohydrates, fats, protein and alcohol) percentages and ratios right down to micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) and water intake. And though those matters can be quite an effort to manage on their own, they aren't the only factors that come into play when one is creating a nutritional plan to support efforts in the gym. Another concern that is debated by nutritionists, trainers, pros and bros is meal frequency.The prevailing belief for both those attempting to gain muscle mass and those trying to shed pounds is that eating many meals (or having three base meals and several snacks) is the ideal set up. This dietary scheme entails eating every two to three hours, and some of the most hardcore followers of this method (usually professional bodybuilders) have been known to set alarms to ensure that food is consumed at exactly the right times. Proponents of this method argue that eating more frequently provides the body with a steady flow of nutrients and also speeds up the metabolism due to the thermic effect of food. While the former may be true, the latter is highly debatable - the thermic effect of a pair of thousand calorie meals should be the same as five four-hundred calorie meals, with the only difference being timing. Of course, the other significant advantage to increasing meal frequency is the regulation of insulin levels in the blood. Smaller, more frequent meals keep insulin levels in check, meaning there is less of a chance of ravenous hunger and after-meal crashes due to rapid swings in blood glucose and insulin concentration.Mini-Fast for Fitness: A Method to Maximimize Fat Loss and Lean Muscle Gain


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