Bodybuilding

Bodybuilding is the process of developing muscle fibers through the combination of weight training, increased caloric intake, and rest. Someone who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. As a sport, called competitive bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their aesthetic appearance.

Strategy

In order to achieve muscle growth (hypertrophy), bodybuilders focus in three main lines of action:

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• Resistance weight training
• Specialized nutrition, incorporating extra protein and supplements where necessary
• Adequate rest to facilitate growth

Resistance weight training

Resistance weight training causes microtears to the muscles being trained; this is generally known as microtrauma. These microtears in the muscle contribute to the soreness felt after exercise, called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS. It is the repair to these microtrauma that result in muscle growth (anabolism). Normally, this soreness becomes most apparent a day or two after a workout.

Related Topics:
Microtrauma - Anabolism

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Nutrition

The high levels of muscle growth and repair achieved by bodybuilders require a very specialised diet. Generally speaking, bodybuilders require anything between 500-1000 calories (2000 to 4000 kilojoules) above their maintenance level of food energy while attempting to increase lean body mass. A sub-maintenance level of food energy is combined with cardiovascular exercise to lose body fat in preparation for a contest. The ratios of food energy from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats vary depending on the goals of the bodybuilder.

Related Topics:
Calorie - Kilojoules - Food energy

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Bodybuilders split their food intake for the day into 5 to 7 meals of roughly equal nutritional content and attempt to eat at regular intervals (normally between 2 and 3 hours). This allows greater absorption of nutrients and increases basal metabolic rate. This process is also valuable for those wishing merely to lose fat.

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Carbohydrates

Having a large proportion of the diet come from carbohydrates gives the body enough energy to deal with the rigours of training and recovery. Bodybuilders require complex carbohydrates, which release energy more slowly than simple sugars. This is important as simple sugars cause an insulin response, which places the body in a state where it is likely to store additional food energy as fat rather than muscle, and which can waste energy that should be going towards muscle growth. However bodybuilders do ingest some simple sugars (often in form of pure glucose or maltodextrin) post-workout to replenish glycogen stores within the muscle.

Related Topics:
Carbohydrate - Complex carbohydrate - Insulin - Glucose - Maltodextrin - Glycogen

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Protein

It is recommended that bodybuilders receive 1 to 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight (2 to 5 g/kg) to help the body recover and build. These protein sources should be of a high biological value such as steak, chicken, fish, soy, milk, whey, or egg whites. Chicken, whey, and egg whites are often preferred due to their relatively low fat content. Many bodybuilders prefer to get their daily protein requirement from foods first and then from supplementary protein powders. The key times for bodybuilders to intake protein is immediately following a workout and before going to sleep.

Related Topics:
Steak - Chicken - Fish - Soy - Milk - Whey - Egg white

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Vitamins & minerals

Bodybuilders almost universally take a multi-vitamin each day. Essential fatty acids (including omega-3s), which the body can not synthesize, are also consumed. As with all supplements, it is preferable to get the vitamin and mineral requirement from whole foods, though this is not always convenient.

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Supplements

Main article: Bodybuilding supplements

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Supplements can help muscle gain, although some are unproven and many are ineffective. One supplement which has been proven to help bodybuilders gain and maintain size (without unhealthy side effects) is Creatine. Like all supplements, these only help if used in conjunction with a solid nutritional base and weight training program.

Related Topics:
Creatine - Weight training

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Some bodybuilders may use drugs to gain an advantage over results due to natural hypertrophy, especially in professional competitions. Although many of these substances are illegal in many countries, in professional bodybuilding the use of anabolic steroids and precursor substances such as prohormones are sometimes essential to competing in world-class competitions. Most steroids allow the human body to be in a more anabolic state. Some negative side-effects accompany steroid abuse, such as liver damage and a decline in the body's own testosterone production, which can cause testicular atrophy and possible infertility.

Related Topics:
Anabolic steroid - Prohormone - Liver - Testicular - Atrophy - Infertility

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Human Growth Hormone (HGH) and insulin are also used by some of the larger bodybuilders. HGH is incredibly expensive compared to steroids, though, while insulin is very readily available yet fatal if misused.

Related Topics:
Human Growth Hormone - Insulin

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Overtraining

One of the biggest problems bodybuilders can encounter is when a state of overtraining is reached. Overtraining is the phrase used when a bodybuilder has trained hard over the course of a training schedule and is extremely fatigued due to lack of required rest from previous workouts. This is in most cases very bad for a bodybuilder, as it can decrease muscle growth and inhibit strength gains. Respecting recovery is the most important thing for bodybuilders working out to get big.

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When the human body has undergone intense exercise, the immune system will lag due to the recovery phase it will be consequently undergoing. This means the human body will be more likely to catch a virus or a cold, and nothing cuts through a bodybuilding schedule like a bad cold. This is most important if one encounters overtraining, as the body is extremely fatigued and is really open to sickness. Reaching overtraining is detrimental in all situations.

Related Topics:
Immune system - Virus - Cold

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However, there has been argument to say that overtraining can be beneficial. One article published by Muscle & Fitness Magazine stated that you can "Overtrain for Big Gains". It suggested that if one is planning a restful holiday and they don't wish to inhibit their bodybuilding lifestyle too much, they should overtrain before taking the holiday, so the body can rest easily and recuperate and grow. But in most cases, extreme fatigue from overtraining should be avoided.

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Rest

The third component to extraordinary muscle building is rest. Without adequate rest and sleep the body does not have an opportunity to recover and build. About eight hours of sleep a night is essential for the bodybuilder to be refreshed and ready for the next session. Additionally, many athletes find a daytime nap further increases their body's ability to direct resources toward repairing and building muscle fiber.

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Most bodybuilders train every day (professional bodybuilders several times a day) and it is important that sufficient recovery time (usually 2-3 days) is allowed between training the same muscle groups. Bodybuilders therefore design their training programs to allow time for recovery and growth.

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