|  | Diet Nutrition | Nutrition

Pre-Basic Training Diets

To properly prepare your body for basic training, you need to clean up your diet. It is a good idea to follow an exercise regime during this period, too, but without the right nutrition your body finds it hard to increase fitness levels and maintain muscle mass. There are a few basic rules for proper nutrition. Greg Glassman, founder of CrossFit, says: "Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat."

  1. Drink Water

    • Water is important in maintaining a well-functioning body. You need to drink a lot of water especially when exercising. On days when you do not exercise, aim to drink six glasses of water, or three pints. On days when you do heavy exercise, especially cardiovascular workouts, aim to drink around twice that much.

    Protein

    • Eat around 1 g of protein per pound of bodyweight. Protein is the building block of life, so it is vitally important your protein intake is sufficient to rebuild muscles. This protein can come in the form of meat, eggs, fish, dairy and protein shakes. While soya products are a good source of protein, animal-derived proteins are more easily absorbed by the human body and are, therefore, more effective at building muscle.

    Carbohydrates

    • Eat complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, whole-wheat bread and potatoes. Carbohydrates restore glycogen levels to muscle tissue, and give them the energy to keep exercising. Eating complex carbohydrates restores glycogen levels without raising insulin levels too high. High insulin levels prevent fat loss. Carbohydrates that cause a spike in insulin are sugar, white rice, white bread and pasta.

    Fruits and Vegetables

    • For optimum nutrition, aim to eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables per day. Fruits and vegetables provide the body with vital nutrients. While these foods do not contribute to muscle growth, they are important for providing antioxidants which remove free radicals, and contain vitamins and minerals which are necessary for a well-functioning body.

Nutrition - Related Articles