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The Four Basic Nutrients – By USN
A good diet consists of four basic nutrients: water, carbohydrates, proteins and fats. By consuming the correct level of intake for each, we allow our bodies to function in the best and most effective way.

1. Water
Did you know the human body is two-thirds water? The very fact that this forms the basis of our bodies underlines its importance.

Water is an essential nutrient that is involved in every function of the body:

• It helps transport nutrients and waste products in and out of the body
• It is necessary for all digestive, absorption, circulatory, and excretory functions

You should aim to drink at least 2 litres of water per day.

2. Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates, or carbs, supply the body with its main source of energy. We can divide them into two main groups: simple and complex carbs. Simplex carbs, sometimes called sugars, include fructose, sucrose, and lactose as well as several others. Complex carbs on the other hand have a different molecular structure and are generally recommended to be more regularly consumed in preference to simple carbs. These include vegetables, whole grains and cereals.

3. Protein
Protein is fundamental for growth and development. It provides the body with energy, and is needed for the manufacture of hormones, antibodies, enzymes, and tissues. When protein is consumed, the body breaks it down into amino acids, the building blocks of all proteins. These amino acids are designated essential and nonessential. In the case of the latter, this does not mean that they are unnecessary, but rather that they do not have to come from the diet because they can be synthesized by the body from other amino acids. Other amino acids are considered essential, meaning that the body cannot synthesize them, and therefore must obtain them from the diet.

4. Fats
Although a reduced-fat diet is highly advocated, the body still does need some fat. Fat is, in short, the most concentrated form of energy for our bodies. Fats are composed of building blocks called fatty acids. There are three major categories: saturated, polysaturated and monosaturated

Saturated fatty acids are found primarily in animal products, including dairy items, such as whole milk, cream, and cheese, and fatty meats like beef, veal, lamb, pork, and ham. The liver uses saturated fats to manufacture cholesterol therefore excessive dietary intake of saturated fats can significantly raise the blood cholesterol level

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are found in greatest abundance in corn, soybean, safflower, and sunflower oils. Certain fish oils are also high in polyunsaturated fats. Unlike the saturated fats, polyunsaturated fats may actually lower your total blood cholesterol level

Monounsaturated fatty acids are found mostly in vegetable and nut oils such as olive, peanut, and canola  Male adults should aim to consume between 90-100 grams of fat per day and females around 60 grams.

2: Over-Training Will Hinder Results
The muscle building process works according to the overload > recover > adaptive growth cycle (read more at www.sci-mx.co.uk). In a nutshell, you exhaust and slightly ‘damage’ muscle when weight training, and your body works to recover and strengthen the muscle so that it can cope better when you do it again. If you train too often, you interfere with this process. Train each muscle group once a week and no more!

3. Train Each Muscle Group Equally
Even if your priority is to get big arms and shoulders, you must also train other muscle groups. An imbalance will eventually lead to postural problems, and let’s face it, it doesn’t look good. So if you want big arms and chest, train your arms and chest really hard on the day you do them, but don’t neglect other muscle groups.

4. Keep Your Sports Nutrition Plan Regular
One of the best ways to ensure that you don’t skip servings is to buy a few extra shakers, measure a serving into an empty shaker and take it with you to work, university, or to the gym. When its’ time to take a serving, just add the right amount of water, shake and drink. If you are really busy and struggle to remember what to take at what time, try Sci-MX’s complete all-in-one, Omni-MX. One daily serving contains the optimum quantities of the most important muscle building aids.

5. Try To Do A Few Sessions In The Morning
Training in the afternoon or evening is fine, but your body’s natural biorhythms have evolved to be the most active in the morning. If it is possible for you, try to do a few sessions in the morning. We find that the gym users and athletes that we work with tend to keep up their training better by mixing their training between morning and evening sessions.

THE FACTS
When it comes to breakfast eating too little can put your body in a muscle wasting state, muscle tissue is broken down, your metabolism slows down and so prevents fat from burning.

THE FIX
Eat more carbs at breakfast to sustain blood sugar levels which helps stop using up protein thus preventing muscle mass. When you sleep your body is in fasting mode and it turns to your muscles for fuel. Begin your day with 80-100g of carbs such as porridge with sugar, as the fast carbs from the sugar will get to your liver quickly and stop muscle breaking down, while the slow carbs from the oats will give you enough energy for the day. Take with 30-50g of protein.

DIET BREAK #2 – GOING TOO LOW ON PROTEIN.

THE FACTS
Dieticians would recommend 200g of protein a day but this is not enough if you are training most days of the week. Protein is needed for muscle repair as well as building muscle so protein levels need to be higher.

THE FIX
Your protein intake needs to be at a minimum of 1g/1lb of bodyweight every day. For hard gainers, this may need to be as high as 1.5g/1lb. getting this amount of protein through whole foods is tough, that’s why most bodybuilders ingest a couple of protein shakes daily, if not more.

DIET BREAK #3 – GRAZING ON SIMPLE CARBS.

THE FACTS
If you are gaining a lot of muscle but a lot of fat too, your choice of carbs might be a problem. You might be eating too many simple carbs. It may be best to stick with slower digesting carbs like yams, sweet potatoes, porridge and wholemeal bread as they tend not be stored as fat as much as refined and other  types of carbs.

THE FIX
If you want to pack on a lot of mass, eat all the porridge, sweet potato and whole grains you can but keep simple carbs such as white bread, cakes and other types of sugars to a minimum. This is true except for after workouts, where it is recommended to consume 40-100g of fast absorbing carbs to begin the muscle recovery process as soon as possible.

DIET BREAK #4 –EATING UNBALANCED MEALS

THE FACTS
Try and have a balance of protein and carbs at every meal. Eating a meal too high in carbs compared to protein will result in an increase in blood sugar levels which may be followed by a blood sugar crash. This should be avoided as it leads to a decrease in energy and limits fat burning. However when protein is present in large amounts eg. When drinking a whey protein shake and nothing else post workout, the amino acids aren’t being absorbed as effectively into the muscles because of the lack of insulin in the blood.

THE FIX
Try and keep meals fixed to a ratio of 1:1 protein to carbs with a moderate amount of fat mixed in. Up the carbs if you have a fast metabolism.

DIET BREAK #5 – GOING FAT FREE

THE FACTS
Eating fat can make you fat but so can carbs and protein if eaten in excessive amounts. If the goal is to get lean or to build mass, then fried foods are out. Healthy fats such as whole eggs, salmon, lean red meat and olive oil provide the building blocks for hormones that regulate both growth and fat burning.

THE FIX
This does not mean you need to eat red meat at every meal, but try and eat 1-3  egg yolks a day; eat lean beef regularly as the saturated fat in beef will raise testosterone levels; cook with or use olive oil on salads and snack on plain nuts such as almonds, walnuts, peanuts or peanut butter. 15-30% of your daily nutrient intake should come from healthy fats.

DIET BREAK #6 – INCONSISTENCY

THE FACTS
Remain focussed, in bodybuilding you have to be consistent and eat the right way every day. Nobody gets their physique over-night, so if you want to add quality mass and burn away body fat remember it does take time, but you will eventually reach your goal.

THE FIX
Do not follow a good days eating with a bad one or a good breakfast, good lunch, good snacks with a glutinous dinner. If you need to give yourself a cheat day once week to keep yourself sain then do so, but try and stay focussed until that day.

DIET BREAK #7 – EATING TOO MUCH BEFOR BEDTIME

THE FACTS
Your metabolism slows down at night compared to earlier in the day when you are more active so calories consumed later in the day are likely to be stored as body fat. This is especially true when eating carbs late at night.

THE FIX
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat before going to bed – just steer clear of carbs. Before bedtime consume 20-40g of slow digesting casein protein (in powder form mixed with water) this will provide your muscles with a steady flow of amino acids while you sleep to help keep you anabolic and not catabolic.

DIET BREAK #8 – NOT HAVING A DEFINED GOAL

THE FACTS
You need a set goal. It needs to be tangible, specific and clear. Simply saying you want to be bigger and leaner isn’t enough. Maximising needs a different nutritional approach, that’s why bodybuilders follow different diets off season and pre-contest.

THE FACTS
Set a goal for yourself. Whether it be 10lb of 20lb – once you reach that goal set yourself another one. If gaining that weight was easy then set a goal on the heels of that to gain 10lb or (20lb) more. Have an appropriate action plan; Make sure you’re eating sufficient protein and doing the other things needed to gain mass, including taking in the right amount of carbs and fats, as well as muscle-building supplements.

1. Vitamin A (Retinol)
Named after the retina of the eye, retinol is an oil soluble vitamin that is essential for vision (especially night vision), the skin and mucous membranes, cell growth, reproduction, and normal immunity. Sources of this vitamin are liver and fish liver oils. Beta-carotene, the precursor of Vitamin A, can be found in carrots and dark green leafy vegetables. One large carrot for example contains 18 000 IU of beta-carotene, which is more than three times the RDA of 1000mcg RE (retinol equivalents). It takes 6 mcg of beta-carotene to yield 1 mcg RE of vitamin A.

2. Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)
Thiamin is water-soluble and should be consumed daily. Thiamin is involved in the supply of energy to the body from carbohydrates. Sources of Thiamin are whole grains that are mostly processed to such an extent that most or all of the Thiamin is lost. A survey done by the United States Department of Agriculture showed that 45% of all Americans are Thiamin deficient. This may be good enough for the average couch potato, but not for someone leading an active lifestyle trying to improve his energy production. The RDA for Thiamin is only 1.5mg per day, but even at 500mg per day, no toxicity was found in studies. A healthy guideline to be used by active individuals to maintain the Thiamin status in your body, will be 50 – 200mg / day.

3. Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
Riboflavin is another water soluble B-vitamin. Its main function is to help the mitochondria of muscle cell to produce energy. This means that it works in close relationship with Thiamin in the energy supply chain.Sources of Riboflavin include meats, poultry, fish, and dairy products in amounts that vary substantially. Again, the processing of food can destroy up to 80% of Vitamin B2.The RDA for Riboflavin is 1.7mg per day, but athletes can use 25-200mg per day.

4. Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
In the body, the amino acid “Tryptophan” is converted to Niacin. Niacin increases the use of glycogen in the production of energy to working muscles, and therefore is in higher demand by individuals that take part in physical recreational activity. However, mega-doses of Niacin do cause glycogen to be used quicker, but it blocks the use of fatty acids for fuel. When glycogen depletion then occurs faster than normal, fats are also unwilling sources of fuel. The RDA for Niacin is 19mg per day but athletes can take 30-100mg per day. Should you experience a flushing, burning or itchy sensation, you may have OD””d, but within reasonable amounts (100mg) should not be toxic. It is highly resistant to food processing, and at RDA level, rarely deficient.

5. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
Pyridoxine functions at the level of protein-, amino acid-, and hemoglobin synthesis. It is also important for the enzyme “glycogen phosphorylase”, which adds a phosphor molecule to glycogen to use it for fuel. It is thus important for energy supply, as well as muscle and blood formation. You get Pyridoxine from wheat germ, chicken, fish, and eggs. Although it is available in these common food sources, 33% of households in the USA were found to be Pyridoxine-deficient. Both the demand for energy and protein synthesis increase the need for Pyridoxine. The RDA is 2.0mg per day, but if you need to put on muscle mass, and you train 3 hours or more per day, you can double that figure. Over dosage of 100mg or more for years may cause nerve damage.

6. Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
Yet another water soluble vitamin that is needed in the making of fatty acids and glucose, which forms the main sources of fuel for the body. It is also essential for the making of steroid hormones and neuro-transmitters in the brain.It is widely found in foods and the RDA is only 6mg per day, but once again it will not satisfy the needs of an athlete. You may want to consume 20mg to 200mg, which make supplementation the easiest way out. Should you develop burning hot spots on your feet, and your sleeping pattern become disturbed, you might be overdosing a bit.Pantothenic Acid supplementation of 2.0g per day has shown to reduce lactate build-up by 17% and oxygen consumption by 8%.

7. Folate (Folic Acid)
Folate forms part of vital coenzymes that control amino acid metabolism. Insufficiency of folate will therefore inhibit growth of new muscle and blood cells.Folate is widely found in dark leafy vegetables, legumes (beans), and egg yolk. It is still found to be deficient in many populations because it is very susceptible to food processing and storage, which can kill up to 80% of the vitamin.Although the official RDA is set for 200mcg per day, it used to be 400mcg, which will still does not satisfy the need for repair and growth in active individuals. Studies has even shown that 211mcg per day is deficient for sedentary people, let alone activity driven junkies. It is recommended that at least 800mcg per day should be taken, although studies indicated no adverse effects with a dosage of 10,000mcg per day for four months.

8. Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin)
This vitamin is an essential part of the coenzymes essential for all cells, especially cells with a rapid turnover, like red blood cells, the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, and bone marrow cells. Deficiency is uncommon, which is lucky because it will wipe out your nerves, and make you raving mad before it kills you.Unfortunately for vegans, Vitamin B12 is only available in animal foods. 8 to 10mcg or more per day should be enough, although athletes taking 10,000 times the RDA showed no sign of toxicity.

9. Biotin
Firstly, as part of the B-complex vitamins, it forms part of two important enzymes, pyruvate carboxylase and acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase. These two are essential for gluconeogenesis (formation of new glucose) and fatty acid synthesis, which forms two of the major fuel sources for the body. Secondly another coenzyme called 3-methylcrotonyl coenzyme A carboxylase is essential for the breakdown of branched-chain amino acids, which means without it the body cannot break down these amino acids to use them again as building blocks for muscle.Deficiency of Biotin will speed up the balding process, and leave you skinny and weak. Active people should take 300 to 5000mcg daily, even though the RDA specifies only 30-100mcg.The best food sources for Biotin are liver, sardines, egg yolk, and soy flour. Raw egg whites as used by some bodybuilders contain Avidin, which binds biotin and make it useless for the body.

10. Vitamin C (Ascorbate)
This is certainly one of the best-known vitamins that is regularly found on chemist shelves in different forms. The general application of Vitamin C is to fight off scurvy by helping to form collagen, the white fibres of your skin, bone, and connective tissue. You only need 30mg of Vitamin C per day to prevent scurvy, but for active individuals the key function of Vitamin C lies in its antioxidant functions. You may use between 2 and 12 grams of it per day if you lead a very active lifestyle, which would help you to stay healthy and fight off the aging process.Citrus contains Vitamin C in varied dosages, but just to be on the safe side, supplement it regularly throughout the day to prevent acute shortages. But don””t only use the general Ascorbic Acid1 form of the vitamin; also use a combination of Calcium Ascorbate2, Magnesium Ascorbate3, and the fat soluble Ascorbyl Palmitate4. Overdosing with ascorbic acid alone will certainly cause diarrhea.

11. Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol)
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is synthesized in the skin when exposed to direct sunlight. It is important for bone growth and the mineral balance in the body. The RDA is 10mcg and because it is fat soluble, it can build up to toxic levels in the body if only four times the RDA is taken.Fortified milk and dairy products contains plenty Vitamin D, and it is seldom insufficient in our diets.

12. Vitamin E (D-alpha-tocopherol)
The main function of Vitamin E is as an antioxidant, but food processing destroys most of the vitamin E in food. Athletes could take 400 to 2000 mg alpha TE (alpha tocopherol equivalents). Vitamin E deficiency can lead to anemia even with ample supply of Iron around, and it is also required for the metabolism of Vitamin B12 and Zinc. This means that inadequate supply of Tocopherol will result in weak and damaged red blood cells. As athletes induce more damage to blood cells and muscle cells, there is an increased demand to combat free radical damage to muscle during and after exercise. It thus makes sense to supplement Vitamin E together with folate, zinc, cobalamin, pyridoxine, and Ascorbate.

13. Vitamin K (Phylloquinone)
This fat-soluble vitamin is essential to make blood clot, which makes it important for athletes because of their continual hemolysis (blood loss) caused by exercise.Fresh green leafy vegetables are the best source providing 50 to 800mcg per 100 grams. The flora in the human gut also produces some Vitamin K. Physical trauma like strenuous exercise increases the need for Vitamin K, although it is uncertain how much is needed. 80 to 100mcg should be sufficient, and since it is oil-soluble will build up to toxic levels if over-dosed.

14. Choline
Choline is not a vitamin and your body can make it. Most of your choline comes from your diet, and it is an essential part of lecithin (phosphatidyl choline). Lecithin in turn is important for the health of all the cell membranes. In the brain, choline forms part of the neuro-transmitter acetylcholine which improves your anabolic drive and memory. Your diet should include about 300mg, which should be met by the normal diet.

15. Inositol
Myo-inositol, which is its form in the body, forms part of the lipids in your cell membranes. It is also important for normal calcium – and insulin metabolism. Although it is uncertain how much should be supplemented, some athletes are given 50 – 500mg per day.

16. Coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinone)
Coenzyme Q10 is essential for virtually all energy production, by transferring electrons in the energy cycle in the mitochondria (furnace) of the cell. It also helps to maintain immunity, helps with normal heart function, and is a potent antioxidant.CoQ occurs in many foods like polyunsaturated vegetable oils, which the body converts to CoQ10. Activity junkies with their high energy turnover, may need extra CoQ10.CoQ10 has been associated with increased exercise tolerance in heart patients, and well trained athletes showed an improvement of up to 12%. This makes CoQ10 an important consideration for athletes seeking performance.

Macro Elements
96% of the body consists of the following five macro-elements:

1. Oxygen
2. Hydrogen
3. Nitrogen
4. Carbon
5. Sulfur

The above is well supplied in the water we drink, the food we eat, and the air we breathe.

Micro Nutrients
The next level of macro-minerals needs more attention as far as supplementation goes:

1. Calcium
2. Magnesium
3. Phosphorus
4. Sodium
5. Potassium
6. Chloride

And for the sixteen trace elements, supplementation is crucial. These elements work in synergy, which means that even though some are needed only in a few millionths of a gram per day, they are just as important as those you need a lot of.

Macro-Minerals

1. Calcium
About 1.9% of the body weight in a lean athlete, consists of calcium, of which 99% is in bones. The remaining 1% moves about controlling impulse conduction in nerves, muscle contraction, and so on. This traveling 1% has to be kept between narrow margins (8.7 to 10.7 mg/dl of blood), which means if you don`t eat it, you eat away your own skeleton to make up for it! Stress fractures are a common sign of calcium deficiency.

Calcium is found in dairy products and green leafy vegetables. Calcium in grains and cereals are bound by phytates, so it cannot be absorbed, so does oxalates in spinach, rhubarb, cocoa, chocolate, and coffee.

The best time to supplement calcium is at night. Calcium will only be transported to the bone, if you do regular exercise, and have adequate supplies of magnesium, silicon, fluoride, zinc, copper, boron, manganese, phosphorus, and Vitamin D. The RDA for calcium is 1 200mg per day, and most diets do not supply that. The maximum bone mass and bone strength is achieved between ages 18 and 35, so you should use this time to accumulate as much as possible. Both strenuous exercise as well as high protein intake can lead to calcium loss, which also needs to be replaced. Active people therefore should supplement calcium on a continuous basis.

The answer is not simply to indulge in mega doses of calcium, it puts stress on the kidneys causing kidney stones, inhibit iron and zinc absorption, and disrupt the synergy of mineral use in the body. Supplementation can be anything between 400 and 1600mg per day.

2. Magnesium
Of the 20 to 30 grams of magnesium in the body, 60% resides in the skeleton, and 40% in soft tissue. Magnesium forms part of over 300 enzymes in the body, and it is essential for the burning of glucose as fuel, muscle contraction, genetics, etc.

The best food sources are legumes (beans) and whole grains. Unfortunately the germ and outer layers of grains which usually gets lost, contains 80% of it. The RDA for magnesium is 350mg for males and 280mg for females. Athletes lose a lot of magnesium in energy production and sweat, so anything between 400 and 1200mg per day is used.

3. Phosphorus
700 of the 800 grams of phosphorus in the body is contained in the bones. It is also important for energy production in the making of ATP and creatine phosphate. Is also contributes to the metabolism of red blood cells. Fish, meats, milk, and whole grains supply it. Some phosphorus is also added through food processing. Phosphorus levels are hard to measure and as far as is known, need not be supplemented in general.

4. Sodium
Sodium, potassium and chloride are the three main electrolytes in the human body. Sodium is the main positively changed electrolyte outside the cells. It is added so much during food processing that shortages are scarce. The RDA is 0.5 grams per day, but we end up eating up to ten times that. Except for ultra endurance events, no one really needs additional supplementation of sodium.

5. Potassium
Potassium is the main cation (positively charged electrolyte) inside the cells that interacts with sodium and chloride in the conduction of nerve impulses and other functions.

Most of the fresh foods we eat, have a much higher potassium content than sodium, even seafood that grows in a high sodium medium, contains 24 times more potassium than sodium. Processing and preservation reverses this process, resulting in a detrimental overload of sodium in canned and preserved foods. Fresh tuna contains 100 parts potassium and 20 parts sodium, where canned tuna is still 100 parts potassium, with a whopping 330 parts sodium! Freshly grounded wheat flour is 120 parts potassium and 1 part sodium, but whole wheat bread gives only 100 parts of potassium for every 570 parts of sodium! The overall ratio of potassium to sodium in fresh food is 7:1, but in the normal refined diet it is reversed to about 1:2.

The easiest way to overcome this problem if you need salt on your food, is to use a potassium salt in stead of the normal sodium chloride (table salt). The RDA for potassium is 3500mg per day, and the normal diet supplies only 2500mg. Lots of potassium is lost through hemolysis and sweat in athletes, and need to be replaced. Active people need to supplement 100mg to 500mg per day to replace losses. Even up to 5 grams per day may not be toxic, but may cause nausea.

6. Chloride
On the opposite end of the scale from sodium and potassium (cations), lies chloride, which is the main anion (negatively charged electrolyte) outside the cells. It mainly comes from the chloride bit of sodium chloride, or table salt. With the two actions, these three electrolytes control fluids and electrolyte balance inside and outside the cells. Overload, and not deficiency, is the main problem with chloride. The minimum requirements are only 750mg per day.

Trace Elements

1. Iron
Iron is widely available in whole grains, vegetables, meats, and eggs. Heme iron that is found in meat, has the best bio-availability to the human body at about 10%. Non-heme iron from vegetables is poorly available at only 1%. Vitamin C aids the absorption of Iron, and calcium, fibre and antacid inhibits it.

The main function of Iron lies in the hemoglobin of red blood cells where it transports oxygen as oxy-hemoglobin. It is also involved with enzymes and additional iron gets stored in the bone marrow and liver.

Active individuals need about 20 to 30mg of iron per day, and you can supplement about 10 to 25mg per day.

2. Zinc
Zinc is essential for enzymes, sperm production, and other bodily functions, but to us athletes, a very important function of zinc lies in the production of testosterone, and cell growth stimulation.

The best sources are meats, eggs, and seafood. The RDA of 15mg may fall short for athletes because exercise causes loss of zinc, which you may want to supplement daily with 15 to 50mg.

3. Copper
Again, copper is also needed for many enzymes, including those that produce nor-adrenalin, one of your get-up-and-go hormones. Organ meats and seafood are your best sources. The Copper requirements for humans are still unknown, but the RDA handbook recommends 1.5mg to 3mg per day. People who train need more nor-adrenalin, so you may want to take more copper by supplementing with 0.5mg to 3.0mg per day.

4. Manganese
Manganese in the body is needed for proper bone and cartilage formation, and for normal glucose metabolism. It is naturally supplied to us through whole grains and black tea, which may not be adequate for athletes with their greater turnover in bone and soft tissue. The RDA is 2.0mg to 5.0mg per day, which an athlete can use on a supplementation basis.

5. Chromium
A lot of hype was made about this element in recent years, with enough proof to back it up. Chromium is essential for normal glucose metabolism, insulin metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, and muscle growth. It thus gives you better glucose tolerance and makes you more insulin sensitive.

The best food sources are whole grain and shellfish, but gets destroyed easily by processing and storage. Our average intake is somewhere around 25mcg and 33mcg, but according to the RDA handbook we need at least 50mcg to 200mcg per day. That makes it one of the most deficient minerals in the modern food supply. The body needs sugar to deal with exercise and to digest sugar, so you may want to take 200mcg to 800mcg of chromium picolinate per day if you are active.

6. Selenium
Selenium works with Vitamin E as part of an enzyme to destroy free radicals, thus acting as an antioxidant. Selenium and Vitamin E deficiency can result in many diseases, including heart disease.

Sources of selenium are seafood and meats, and an RDA of 55mcg to 70mcg is required. If animals were bread on selenium-poor soil, they would not produce any, making supplementation the easy way out. Athletes may use the form L-selenomethionine to acquire between 200mcg and 400mcg per day. But remember that mega-doses of selenium is toxic and anti-ergogenic.

7. Iodine
Your thyroid hormones control all energy in the body, and they are dependent on Iodine for production. That makes it very important to have this one right. We used to see pictures of people living in remote places with huge sacks hanging from their throats, as the thyroid try to grow bigger to try to increase the thyroid hormone production. In the end this also led to mental retardation. The problem occurred in areas where the iodine content in the ground, on which crops were grown and animals were bread, was poor in this element.

This problem is mostly solved today by iodized salt, which supplements iodine into our diets. Natural sources include seafood of any kind. Most people get more than the RDA of 150mcg of iodine per day. Athletes may take 50mcg to 200mcg of the element daily, but too much iodine leads to acne.

8. Boron
The application of Boron in sport comes from its involvement in the production of some natural steroid hormones in the body that are involved in calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium metabolism in bone, and muscle growth. Clinical research suggests that adequate boron status is necessary for normal testosterone production. Before you get all excited, the key word here is adequate, so more than sufficient will only interfere with the metabolism of other nutrients like phosphorus and riboflavin.

Athletes seeking the anabolic advantage may want to take an additional 3.0mg to 6.0mg of Boron citrate and Boron aspartate per day.

9. Molybdenum
Dietary molybdenum forms part of three essential enzymes. No one knows how much is needed or how to measure it in the body, but the RDA recommends 50mcg to 250mcg per day. Toxicity starts only at 10mg per day, and athletes can supplement with 40mcg to 150mcg per day.

Other Trace Elements: Silicon is essential for bone growth, cobalt is an essential part of Vitamin B12, Fluoride is needed for teeth and bones, and Nickel is essential for growth. Other Trace Elements: Silicon is essential for bone growth, cobalt is an essential part of Vitamin B12, Fluoride is needed for teeth and bones, and Nickel is essential for growth.

First Thing in the Morning
10-20g whey + 10-20g soya
Between Meals (mass gain)
40g casein, small amount of slow-digesting carbs
Pre-workout
10g whey + 10g soya
20-40g slow-digesting carbs
Between Meals (get lean)
10g whey + 10g soya
Post-workout
20-30g whey + 10-15g soya
+10-15g casein
20-40g casein
Bed Time
40-100g fast-digesting carbs
Small amount of healthy fats but no carbs

RULE #1 – KNOW WHEN TO EAT YOUR PROTEIN AND WHEN TO DRINK IT
The best protein you can get comes from meat, poultry, dairy, seafood, beef and eggs. Our bodies are built to extract protein from whole-food animal sources which remains the most natural and best way for us to get the nine essential amino acids that our bodies can’t produce. However, there are times when whole-foods are not the best option for protein such as first thing in the morning, before workouts, after workouts, some in-between snacks and before bed when shakes are a better option. Still, the majority of the meals you eat each day should consist of whole-food proteins.

RULE #2 – WHEY PROTEIN FIRST
Whey is a critical protein powder. It is the fastest digesting protein you can buy, which means it’s perfect when you need to slam amino acids into your muscles – such as when you wake and pre and post-workouts. Whey has a high proportion of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), the most critical ones for stimulating muscle growth. Whey is also good at boosting muscle protein synthesis particularly around workout time. The peptides found in whey have been shown to enhance blood flow which can bring muscle boosting nutrients to muscle cells.
Look for a product that contains at least some protein isolate which digests more quickly than whey protein concentrate. Try a whey that contains hydrolysates, which are whey proteins broken down into smaller fragments – it digests faster than isolate but costs more.  Take a look at USN Muscle Fuel Anabolic.

RULE #3 – CASEIN COMES NEXT
Casein like whey is derived from milk but while whey is fast digesting, casein (particularly micellar casein) digests extremely slowly.  When casein shake hits your stomach digestive enzymes find it difficult to break it down. It can take hours for the enzymes to breakdown the casein (up to 7 hours) giving you a steady stream of amino acids throughout this time. This slow steady release of amino acids helps to stop the breakdown of muscle that normally occurs when you wait a long time between meals. Your body needs amino acids at all times to function properly even when you’re asleep and so will turn to your muscles to get them, casein helps prevent this from happening.
Research has shown that casein can help build muscle in addition to slowing muscle breakdown. One study found that men who drank a post-workout shake containing both whey and casein for 10 weeks gained significantly more muscle mass than men who only drank a whey shake alone.

RULE #4 – DON’T FORGET THE SOYA
Research shows that soya increases muscle mass just as well as whey does. Genistein is a soya phytooestrogen which increases the amount of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) produced by blood vessels. NOS uses arganine to convert to NO, the presence of genistein results in higher NO levels. Soya protein powder is high in both arginine and genistein, which makes it perfect for boosting NO levels. Soya is ideal as a pre-workout drink as it increases blood flow to the muscles but the same mechanism can also improve muscle recovery after workouts. Research also shows that soya can aid fat loss, particularly from the waist and abs. This is probably because the peptides in soya both decrease hunger and influence the brain to keep the metabolic rate elevated even when on a lower-calorie diet.

RULE #5 – START THE DAY WITH PROTEIN POWDERS
When you awake your body is suffering from catabolism meaning your body is literally eating your muscles. To stop this from happening you need some fast-digesting protein to get amino acids into the blood stream to replace any muscle protein lost during the night. It is recommended to take 20-40g of half whey, half soya protein first thing in the morning.

RULE #6 – KNOW HOW MUCH PROTEIN POWDER IS RIGHT FOR YOU
You can’t overdose on protein powder but you can over-indulge. You need 1-1.5g of protein per pound of body weight per day.
For those trying to add only lean muscle mass and keep bodyfat low or lose bodyfat,  20g of protein powder will be adequate at all times except immediately after workouts when it should be increased to 40g. For hardgainers who have difficulty adding muscle mass, those who are looking to put on a lot of mass without too much concern for bodyfat, 40g of protein powder will work except before and after workouts. Before lower level of protein powder to 20g and after workouts raise it to 60g.

RULE #7 – PREPARE WITH PROTEIN POWDERS
Before workouts you want a 20g dose of fast-digesting protein powder within 30 minutes of training. A mix of half whey and half soya is best because they’re fast digesting and enhance blood flow to the muscles. The BCAAs from whey are also used as fuel by the exercising muscles; these allow you to train harder and for longer.

RULE #8 – SLEEP ON PROTEIN POWDERS
When you’re sleeping you’re not eating so your body breaks down muscle protein to use as fuel. You want something slow releasing at night. Immediately before bed take 20-40g of casein protein powder, one containing micellar casein is best.

RULE #9 – RECOVER WITH PROTEIN POWDERS
Immediately after workouts you need a fast digesting source of protein to help advance muscle synthesis and greater muscle growth. Take 40-60g of whey protein powder, this is fast digesting and has high levels of BCAAs which stimulates protein synthesis.
Consider adding some soya to this shake as besides being a fast digesting protein that boosts blood flow to the muscles by increasing NO levels, soya offers potent antioxidant properties that make it better at aiding muscle recovery than either whey or casein. Also consider adding casein to your post-workout shake as this is known to boost muscle growth. The best bulk boosting blend would be ½ whey, ¼  soya and ¼ casein.

RULE #10 – PROTEIN POWDERS MAKE GREAT IN-BETWEEN MEAL SNACKS
Whether you’re trying to gain mass or get lean, drinking protein shakes in between meals is a great snack option. Your goal however will determine the type of protein you should use. To get lean take 20g of whey protein shake as whey protein makes you feel fuller than other proteins or simple carb shakes. Drinking whey protein in-between meals allows you to get the protein your body needs to support muscle mass, while helping keep your calorie intake low. To further your fat loss efforts, swap ½ of the whey protein for soya. Those trying to put on mass need to increase their calorie intake and should have a 40g casein shake between meals. Casein allows you to get ample protein without feeling too full so you’ll eat plenty at your next meal.

RULE #11 – BEFRIEND YOUR BLENDER
Plain protein shakes can become boring so jazz them up by adding extra ingredients. Before workouts in addition to your 20g of fast digesting protein, you need 20-40g of slow digesting carbs, eg. Eat an apple with your shake or throw in a banana, oats or wheat germ.
After workouts in addition to 40-60g of protein powder you need 40-100g of fast digesting carbs. Try blending your protein with Gatorade. At bedtime add some healthy fats to your casein shake to further slow the digestion of this protein. Add a tablespoon of flaxseed or 25g of walnuts.

RULE #12 – HAVE FUN WITH FLAVOUR
You need to find a flavour of protein shake that suits your palate. There are plenty of flavours to choose from eg. Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, banana cream pie, toffee and milk chocolate – there’s a taste for everyone.

If you’re a hard-core bodybuilder who trains for at least an hour a day you will need 19-20 calories per pound of bodyweight on training days, and that’s just to maintain the muscle you have. You actually need to eat 2 or 3 calories per pound of bodyweight more than this (21-23 calories) to gain mass. On rest days you’ll need 16-18 calories per pound of bodyweight to maintain your muscle mass. Sticking to this will ensure that you gain lean muscle without excess body fat on rest days.

2 – CARB UP
Carbs are very important for packing on mass. They drive up levels of insulin and also load your muscles with glycogen, the stored form of carbs. This is important for 2 reasons: First glycogen keeps muscles big and full by pulling water into muscle cells and filling them up like water balloons. Secondly, muscle levels of glycogen are an important indicator of whether you have enough energy to build muscle or whether you need energy (by breaking down muscle protein) to fuel your body’s functions. When your muscles are full of glycogen, as happens during a high carb diet, your body has the energy needed to grow; when energy levels are low, the body breaks down muscle for use as fuel.

On workout days, shoot for about 2.5g of carbs per pound of bodyweight. On rest days you won’t need as many carbs – halfyour intake to 1-1.25g of carbs per pound of bodyweight. For most meals choose slow digesting carbs such as oats, wholemeal bread and sweet potatoes.

3 – GET FAT
You must boost your fat intake when on a mass-gain plan. Athletes that eat a higher-fat diet end up with higher testosterone levels. Testosterone is a critical anabolic hormone for pushing muscle growth. Healthy fats such as those found in salmon, walnuts, olive oil and peanut butter help joints to recover.

When you’re on the Winter Mass Attack plan, you should be training with heavier weights and greater intensity, which can     stress your joints. Taking in plenty of healthy fats can help protect your joints and allow them to recover from heavy training.     On training days, your fat intake should comprise at least 25% of your total daily calorie intake; on recovery days, move up to about 35-40% of your total daily calorie intake.

4 – POUND THE PROTEIN
For mass gaining, take in 2g per pound of bodyweight on workout days and 1.5g on rest days. Taking in ample amounts of quality protein is critical for mass gain. Of the three macro-nutrients, only protein builds muscle. Protein sources are eggs, beef, chicken, beef, fish and dairy products along with addition of protein powders. Getting protein from whey and casein shakes is a convenient way to boost your intake, and at certain times of the day it’s the best source of protein for your needs (see rule 7).

5 – CUT BACK AT REST
In the previous rules we call for cutting back food intake on rest days. Calories drop by about 2-3 per pound of bodyweight     and carbs are slashed in half. Even protein drops a little (mainly due to not drinking pre and post workout shakes). Watch your calorie intake on rest days as your body requires less energy when it’s not working. If you ingest the same amount of calories on rest days as you do on workout days, you run the risk of gaining some fat with your newly developed muscle.
However, increase your fat intake on rest days, so your body doesn’t compensate for a deceived calorie deficit. If you focus on getting extra healthy fats (see rule 3), you will not only help to keep body fat off, but will also enhance joint recovery.

6 – WAKE UP FAST
When you wake up in the morning your body is in a catabolic state ie. Your body is literally eating your muscle protein for     fuel. To stop this process you need to eat ASAP. Forget about showering or cleaning your teeth. Head straight to the kitchen and don’t even think about eating whole foods – they take too long to digest. You need 2 things: the fastest-digesting protein and the fastest-digesting carb.

For protein that means whey protein isolate, or whey protein hydrolysate which is even faster-digesting than isolate. This will rapidly supply your body with protein to use for energy, sparing your muscles from further breakdown. The amino acids from  the whey that are not used for fuel will go to your muscle fibres and rebuild that was broken down at night and that will put     you in an anabolic state.

For fast-digesting starch the answer is waxy maize starch. Research shows that these carbs digest even faster than sugar. Getting carbs into your bloodstream fast is as important as protein for stopping the catabolic onslaught when you wake up in the morning. With your liver glycogen totally depleted by your nights fast, waxy maize starch will rapidly signal your body to     stop cannibalising itself. This is why we suggest you get in a liquid breakfast as soon as you awake, and then 30-60 minutes later, a whole food meal – your 2nd breakfast.

7 – MIX UP YOUR PROTEIN BEFORE AND AFTER WORKOUTS
Within 30 minutes before workouts you need rapidly digesting protein such as whey as this maximises muscle protein synthesis. Whey also contains peptides (small protein fragments) that enhance blood flow to your muscles. This can increase the delivery of hormones and nutrients to your muscles during workouts and enhance your muscle pump.
Also consider adding some Soya to your pre-workout shake. Not only is Soya protein isolate fast-digesting, but research shows that genistein, as Soya hytoestrogen, increases nitric oxide levels. And since Soya is rich in arginine, it is a great way to further boost blood flow to your muscles during the workout.

Research has shown that whey protein taken immediately after workouts rapidly increases muscle protein synthesis and as a result, muscle growth. The spike it causes in insulin levels not only helps to further boost protein synthesis, but also blunts cortisol levels. This catabolic hormone competes with the anabolic hormone testosterone and increases muscle breakdown. Blunting it keeps you in a more anabolic state and promotes faster recovery from the workout and better muscle growth.

You should also consider mixing some casein protein into your post-workout shake. As casein is as slow digesting as whey is fast, it has been found to boost protein synthesis after workouts. Researchers in the U.S. have found that in a 10 week study involving trained lifters who took a post-workout shake of combined whey and casein protein, gained significantly more mass than those taking a shake with just casein.

8 – SLOW DOWN YOUR CARBS BEFORE WORKOUTS AND SPEED THEM UP AFTER WORKOUTS
As stated in rule 2, for most meals you should select slow burning carbs.This is also the same for the pre-workout meal.     Research shows that when athletes eat slower-digesting carbs, they not only have more energy and less fatigue during exercise, but they burn more fat during training and experience less huger throughout the day. Within 30 minutes of your workouts, eat slow burning carbs, such as a piece of fruit, wholegrain bread  or oats, along with your protein shake.
The meal that you have immediately after your workout should consist of fast-digesting carbs such as waxy maize starch. This will spike levels of the anabolic hormone insulin, which drives the carbs you eat into muscle cells, where they will be stored as glycogen to be used for your next workout. Insulin helps amino acids get into the muscle cells to build muscle protein. It is also critical to the delivery of creatine to the muscles (see rule 10) and increases muscle protein synthesis, one of the major processes by which muscle fibres grow.

Normally, you want to keep insulin levels in check for a variety of reasons, but immediately following a hard training session is one time when an insulin spike is desirable.

9 – SLEEP ON IT
When you are asleep, you are fasting. When you have no food in your digestive tract, your body turns to your muscle fibre for protein to fuel your body. A slow digesting protein such as a casein protein shake or cottage cheese and healthy fats such as walnuts, are your best choice before you go to bed. These foods help slow digestion a steady supply of amino acids for fuel, therefore minimising the body’s tendency to use muscle.
A protein shake containing micellar casein can take up to 7 hours to digest. This means that your body gets a steady stream of amino acids throughout most of the night, preventing it from breaking down your muscles.

10 – SUPPLEMENT MASS

In addition to using whey, casein and Soya protein as well as waxy maize starch, there are certain special supplements that you need to take to ensure that you gain the mass you wish during this wintertime programme.Branch-chain amino acids -

• BCAAs comprise of the three main amino acids which are leucine, isoluicine and valine. These are the three most important amino acids for repairing and building muscle tissue.  Leucine is the most critical of the three, as research shows that this amino acid can turn on protein muscle synthesis by itself. It’s still best to take all three together as they work in synergy to provide a multitude of benefits that include muscle growth, increased energy during workouts, blunting of cortisol which is a catabolic hormone that inhibits testosterone and increases muscle breakdown and decreases the onset of muscle soreness. Take 5-10g of BCAAs with your first breakfast (protein shake), your pre-workout and post-workout shakes and with dinner.
• Creatine – Is one of the most effective supplements you can take as it can help you gain upwards of 10lbs of lean muscle and boost your strength in the gym by at least 10%. Take 3-5g of creatine with your pre and post-workout shakes.
• Beta-alanine –The body combines the amino acid beta-alanine with another amino acid called histidine to form carnosine. Research shows that when muscles have higher levels of carnosine, they have more strength and endurance and that athletes taking beta-alanine increase muscle strength significantly, allowing for heavier lifting and more muscle growth. Research also indicates that trained subjects who take beta-alanine as well as creatine, gain more muscle and lose some body fat, as compared to those taking creatine alone. Take 1-2g of beta-alanine or carnosine with your pre and post-workout shakes.
• NO boosters – Nitric oxide is a molecule that has the ability to widen blood vessels, which allows more blood flow and oxygen to the muscles, along with more nutrients and anabolic hormones. This means greater energy during workouts, with an advanced muscle pump, muscle recover and better growth. NO boosters do not actually contain NO but the amino acid arganine, which is readily converted to NO in the body. Research has shown that subjects given arganine show increased muscle strength and muscle growth as well as decreased body fat. Look for an NO that provides 3-5g of arganine and consider NO boosters that provide other ingredients that enhance arganines ability to increase NO (such as citruline, Pycnogenol and American ginseng). Take one dose in the morning before breakfast, one dose about 30-60 minutes before bed.
• Carnitine – Not only used as a fat-loss supplement, carnitine is also known as an anabolic supplement. It helps to enhance muscle growth through a number of mechanisms by increasing testosterone levels after workouts and increasing the number of testosterone receptors inside muscle cells which allows more testosterone to stimulate muscle growth. It has also been found to increase the ability of insulin-like growth factor 1 to stimulate muscle growth. It can also increase blood flow which means it provides similar benefits to NO boosters. Take 1-3g of carnitine with your first breakfast (protein shake), pre and post-workout shakes and with dinner.