Nutrition in weight training
Many people are probably haunted by the myth in connection with strength training that a sufficient amount of protein is needed to build muscles. However, this is only partially true. After digestion, proteins are broken down into their components, the amino acids, from which muscles can be built up again in the body.
The general recommendation is to consume 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. In order not to ingest too little protein, recommendations of up to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight also apply in some cases. Recommendations beyond this are considered incorrect, however, as studies have shown that this does not result in increased muscle growth.
Surplus proteins or amino acids can even be converted back into carbohydrates or fats by the body. The more similar the proteins are to the human muscle protein, the greater their value is. Vegetable protein sources have a lower valence than animal protein sources.
The amino acids required for muscle synthesis can be divided into those that the body can produce itself, so-called non-essential and those that must be supplied to the body from outside. In addition, there are dietary supplements that contain the so-called branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs for short). These are amino acids that are the body’s preferred choice for muscle synthesis.
Even normal protein-containing foods contain these amino acids in sufficient form, but not in such a concentrated form as in the aforementioned dietary supplements. Carbohydrates are the second important component that makes up our food. With regard to weight training, carbohydrates serve on the one hand as a supplier of energy, but also ensure the release of the hormone insulin by increasing the blood sugar level.
Insulin has an anabolic effect: this means that it helps the body to build up carbohydrate stores, so-called glycogen, but also to build up muscles by encouraging the body to release growth hormones and to absorb amino acids into the muscle. It is therefore advisable to couple the intake of proteins with carbohydrates in order to induce insulin release.At this point, however, it should be noted that the use of insulin belongs in the hands of doctors and, if used improperly, can lead to hypoglycemia and, in the worst case, to coma or death. The third substance that makes up food is fats: however, these are far from being as bad as their reputation.
Fats are an important component of the body’s own hormones, but they also serve the body to produce synovial fluid, the so-called synovial fluid, without which joint problems can occur. They are also an important component of our sex hormones. Fatty acids – the component of fats – can also be distinguished from those which our body can produce itself in case of deficiency (non-essential), which can only be supplied by food, so-called essential ones.
The fourth group of caloric food components are alcohols. Alcohols serve the body only as a high-caloric energy source, but otherwise have effects that are rather obstructive to strength training. Alcohol, for example, impedes the efficient absorption of other food components due to its slow intestinal passage and the strain on enzymes for digestion.
