NUTRITION FOR FAT LOSS, MUSCLE GAIN AND STRENGTH

This series of articles, in six parts including this introduction, is intended to help people arrive at informed decisions about their nutrition requirements and program for fat loss, muscle gain and building strength so that they can avoid making mistakes. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice or medical treatment.

INTRODUCTION

We are given to believe that supplements are key to fat loss, muscle gain and strength. Supplements are important but there are other factors such as calories intake, macronutrients, micronutrients and timing that are very important. Let us explore the facts without any prejudice.

MUSCLE

Muscle is a soft tissue. Muscle cells contain protein filaments of actin and myosin that slide past one another, producing a contraction that changes both the length and the shape of the cell. Muscles function to produce force and motion. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle

STRENGTH

Strength is the amount of force a muscle can produce in a single effort. It is the measure of a person’s exertion of force on physical objects.

FACTORS TO LOSE FAT, GAIN MUSCLE & BUILD STRENGTH

The factors that influence gaining muscle and strength are:

1. Calories Intake
2. Macronutrients – proteins, lipids (fats) and carbs
3. Micro Nutrients – vitamins and minerals
4. Timing – time of nutrient intake
5. Supplements – protein, creatine, beta-alanine etc.

CALORIES

Calories intake determines whether the body will gain weight or lose weight. We need a minimum intake of food energy to sustain our metabolism and to drive the muscles. We derive food energy from carbohydrates, fats and proteins as well as from organic acids, polyols, and ethanol present in the diet.

Some diet components such as water, minerals, vitamins, cholesterol, and fiber provide little or no food energy but are necessary to health and survival for other reasons. Many governments require food manufacturers to label the energy content of their products, to help consumers control their energy intake.

We can calculate calorie intake for bulking (eating more calories than you need, in order to put on weight, then building muscle via resistance training), cutting (eating fewer calories than you burn (and probably doing more cardio in order to lose the fat), or body recomposition phases. Further we can make adjustments to calorie intake if things don’t proceed as planned.

We will discuss food energy, how to calculate maintenance calorie needs, how to adjust calories for specific goals in another article.

NUTRITION

Nutrition is the science of how the nutrients in food affect the health of the body. Food consists of nutrients including protein, carbohydrate and lipids (fat). All these not only offer calories to give energy to the body but each nutrient plays a specific role in maintaining health. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutrition

MACRONUTRIENTS

Macronutrients are nutrients that we consume in relatively large quantities compared to vitamins and minerals, and which provide us with energy. There are three principal classes of macronutrients: carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Fat has a food energy content of 9 kilocalories per gram and proteins and carbohydrates kcal/g.

As stated above, calories intake determines whether weight is gained or lost, however, macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate and fat) determine whether that change is muscle mass or fat. What this means is that taking macronutrients in the right proportions helps us reach fitness goals faster and better.

MICRONUTRIENTS

Micronutrients are another group of nutrients our body needs. They include vitamins and minerals needed by the body in very small amounts. However, their impact on a body’s health are critical, and deficiency in any of them can cause severe and even life-threatening conditions.

Vitamins help in energy production, immune function, blood clotting and other functions. Minerals play a role in growth, bone health, fluid balance and several other processes.

TIMING

Timing (also commonly called nutrient timing) at its most basic level means eating a specific nutrient in a specific amount at a specific time for a specific reason. It is about eating foods at strategic times in order to achieve fitness outcomes. Timing is important for muscle growth, sports performance and fat loss.

As for example, protein timing is consuming protein around the time of workout. Ingesting protein right before or right after workout makes amino acids (leucine in particular) available to muscles when they need it most.

SUPPLEMENTS

Supplements are manufactured products intended to supplement one’s diet by taking a pill, capsule, tablet, powder or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients either extracted from food sources or that are synthetic in order to increase the quantity of their consumption.

Supplements are taken for physique and performance, as well as for general health.

WHICH IS MOST IMPORTANT?

Which factor is the most important for losing fat, gaining muscle and building strength? There are five factors to consider as described above. We will not rush to any conclusion. We will discuss each factor in a separate article and we will derive conclusions at the end of the series. Are all factors equally important or some are more important than others? Find out more as we share a new article after every some days.

Email your Name and WhatsApp No. to info@abhifit.com if you want to receive a notification whenever we publish a new article.

Many female and male clients have greatly benefited from Abhinav. You can see some of his client transformations here.

You’re welcome to contact Abhinav to achieve your fat loss, muscle & strength gain and figure / physique transformation goals!

Get Fit Now!