The high-level diet and exercise plan provided by the American "Muscle Development" magazine can help you naturally promote the secretion of hormones in your body.
1. The relationship between meat and male hormones
First of all, other conditions being equal, meat in the diet is beneficial to increasing male hormones in the body and promoting muscle growth. This is evidenced by the physiques of carnivorous and vegetarian athletes. Meat, especially animal meat, can promote muscle growth and has been confirmed by many studies. Some studies have also found that vegetarians have 18% lower blood androgen levels than meat eaters.
2. Hormones and exercise
In order to verify whether the above results also appear in athletes, researchers from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark conducted similar experiments on vegetarian athletes. They found that not only did vegetarian athletes have lower blood hormone levels than ordinary athletes, they also dropped even lower one hour after exercise. So is vegetarianism bad? That cannot be said. A vegetarian diet can be great for your health, but if you want to maximize hormone levels in your body, it can be difficult. The only solution is to eat lean meat.
In order to develop clearer muscle lines, bodybuilders often limit fat intake, so that the normal functions of the body are affected. A low-fat diet should undoubtedly be promoted, but to what extent is it appropriate? Is there a compromise point that can maintain hormone levels in the body while reducing body fat? The answer is yes.
3. Research on fat intake
Normal people’s dietary fat intake should not exceed 30% of total caloric intake. Therefore, excessive intake of fat simply for the purpose of increasing hormone levels in the body will have adverse effects on physical health. Researchers tested the effects of dietary composition with different percentages of ingredients on hormone levels in the body.The fat content ranges from a very low 10% to a very high 40%. They found that a more suitable range is about 25%-30%. And if you switch from a diet with very low fat content (about 10%) to a slightly higher fat intake, the effect will be very good. Researchers also found that not only the fat content can affect the body's hormone levels, but also the type of fat. The most relevant fat types are monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and saturated fatty acids (SFA).
Monounsaturated fatty acids are very beneficial to health, including reducing serum cholesterol and preventing heart disease. There are two types of diets that contain more monounsaturated fatty acids.
①Mediterranean diet-the main feature is that the main source of fat is olive oil. There are also plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as high-fiber cereals.
②Sea fish diet-Sea fish contains a large amount of omega-3 fatty acids. It prevents blood clots from forming in blood vessels and protects the heart from coronary heart disease. Eating plenty of omega-3s should be accompanied by vitamin E.
As for saturated fatty acids (found in animal fats and oils), we should limit them in our diet because they can lead to coronary heart disease. There is no need to sacrifice our health just to add a few millimeters of muscle fiber.
The art of reasonable and balanced nutrition. Exercise and a balanced diet work together on muscles to encourage them to grow and recover from fatigue. Unfortunately, some bodybuilders and sports enthusiasts do not pay enough attention to diet. They think that training and exercise can lead to a strong body. If you want to gain a "body", you must strictly follow the diet plan just like you do exercise, and eat several times a day to ensure that your muscles can get the nutrients necessary for growth.
First meal: breakfast
Since there is no food supply overnight, the body is in desperate need of calories, especially carbohydrates, to provide energy for the first few hours of work. Complex carbohydrates "burn" very slowly and provide long-lasting energy, making them a better choice. Such as oats, steamed buns, bread, etc.
Of course, you also need to consume protein to maintain a continuous flow of amino acids in the blood, which helps prevent muscle catabolism. You can take half or one portion of whey protein nutrients or protein-enhancing nutrients, mixed with liquid food such as milk or soy milk.
Second meal: morning snack
About 3 hours after breakfast it is time to eat again. This is one of the smaller meals of the day. It only needs to provide the body with energy supply for the rest of the morning and maintain a continuous flow of amino acids in the blood. It can add some protein in moderation. Whey protein nutrients (or amino acid nutrients), creatine nutritional knowledge and glutamine nutritional knowledge. You can also take fruits. Fruit is also a good source of fiber, vitamins and minerals, which are often lacking in most bodybuilders' diets.
The third meal: lunch
Lunch focuses on protein and vegetables. Protein foods such as chicken, beef, fish, etc. are good choices during the muscle-building phase because they can provide additional calories (fat) in addition to protein. If you have consumed too much fat, you can take oil-absorbing nutrients after meals. As for carbohydrates, you can choose any complex carbohydrate you want, such as potatoes, rice, and pasta.
The fourth meal: snack before training
Like the morning snack, the main purpose of this meal is to ensure a continuous flow of amino acids in the blood. It should take in creatine nutrients and glutamine nutrients about half an hour before training.
The fifth meal: after training and dinner
This meal consists of two parts. The first is whey protein nutrients (or amino acid nutrients) and branched-chain amino acid nutrients taken within 30 minutes after training. Whether you're trying to build muscle mass or lose body fat, this is the time to consume simple carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores depleted during training. The ideal way is to consume protein and carbohydrates in a ratio of 1:2. It is necessary to ensure sufficient amino acids to rebuild muscles, but not to slow down the absorption of simple carbohydrates due to excessive protein intake. Gaining nutrients are the best choice.
The second part is dinner one hour after the snack. It mainly consists of solid food, which should include a complex carbohydrate (such as rice, potatoes) and high-quality protein (such as steak), and eat a lot of vegetables;
The sixth meal: Late night snack
The most important part of this meal is protein to ensure that the body provides amino acids during sleep. It is mainly amino acid nutritional knowledge or glutamine nutritional knowledge. Most bodybuilders avoid carbohydrates completely at night because they are more easily converted into fat during rest.