Home / Weight Gain Diets / Bodybuilding Diet Nutrition Resources

Nutrition Resources For The
Bodybuilding Diet

In order to plan your diet effectively, you will need to have a good idea of the nutrition contained in the food you eat. Here's some resources to keep handy...

Nutritional Databases • Bodybuilding Supplement Nutrition Info
Reading Nutrition Labels • Glycemic Index • Nutrient Caloric Values
Weight Gain Diet Formulas • Bulking Diet Calculator
Macronutrient Effects on Bodybuilding Diets

---

Nutritional Database

Nutritional databases give you give you the nutrient breakdown of your foods and help you determine how they fit into your bodybuilding diet. If you aren't satisfied with the results provided in the above data, try these resources:

• USDA National Nutrient Database - Searchable database for most every food out there including brands.
• Calorie King - Large nutrition database of foods including some of the more widespread restaurant chains.
• Calorie Count - Another valuable and free nutrition database.

---

Bodybuilding
Supplement Information

To find the nutritional content of bodybuilding supplements, go to Affordable Supplements, find your supplement and click on the "view nutritional label" link.

To learn more about recommended bodybuilding supplements for muscle building, check out this site's Bodybuilding Supplement Guide.

---

Reading
Nutrition Labels

An important skill to develop to help your bodybuilding diet stay on course will be that of reading food labels. Manufacturer's use food labels to make their products look as nutritious as possible. Some foods offer good bodybuilding nutritional value but others can confuse the issue with terms like "low fat", "low cholesterol", and the like when they are actually a heart attack waiting to happen.

The article, How to Read Food Labels, from Anthony Ellis is highly recommended reading.

---

Glycemic Index

To find the GI values of foods, go to...The GI Database (click on the GI Database link in the left navbar and enter your food).

For more information on the importance of GI values check out the article, The Glycemic Index, Insulin, and Bodybuilding.

---

Nutrient Caloric Values

Macronutrients	Calories Per Gram
Protein	4 calories
Carbohydrates	4 calories
Fat	9 calories

---

Weight Gain Diet Formulas

From the Diet to Gain Weight Page...

Macronutrients	% of Weight Gain Diet
Food to Gain Weight: Protein	20-50% (1-2 grams per lb. of bodyweight)
Food to Gain Weight: Carbohydrates	30-60%
Food to Gain Weight: Fat (EFAs)	20-30%
Water	8 oz. for every 10 - 12.5 lbs. bodyweight per day

1. To find a starting point for the calories you will need to take in daily to gain weight:
   (18-20)(Bodyweight in pounds) = Daily Caloric Intake
   
   
2. To find the daily amount of calories you will need to consume from each nutrient based on your selected percentage ratio:
   (Daily Caloric Intake Goal)(Nutrient ratio %) =
   daily caloric intake from nutrient.
   
3. To find the daily grams of each nutrient to consume:
   
   (Calories for each nutrient) / (Nutrient's calories per gram) =
   Grams from nutrient daily
   

---

The Bulking Diet Calculator

The following calculator breaks down your calorie intake based on your goals and the macronutrient ratios you provide (see above). Use this as a starting point but remember that you must increase your diet if you don't see gains.

		Nutrient	Cals / Gram	% of Diet
Your Weight:	lbs.	Proteins:	4
Goal:	Maintain Low Gain Mod. Gain High Gain	Carbs:	4
		Fats:	9
Daily Calorie Breakdown
	PROTEINS	CARBS	FATS	TOTAL
Calories:
Grams:
Special thanks to Scott S. for providing the Guide with this calculator

---

The Macronutrients and Their
Effects on Bodybuilding Diets

From the pages on Protein, Carbohydrates, Fat, and Water. A brief summary of the main points...

• Protein has 4 calories per gram and should represent 20-50% of the weight gain diet.
• When working out, muscle protein breaks down. This makes it vital to weight and muscle gain goals that the body is provided with enough protein to repair and rebuild muscle.
• Animal protein is a complete protein and best for weight gain purposes.
• Protein should be a part of every meal especially the post-workout meal.
• Carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram and should represent 30-60% of the weight gain diet.
• Carbohydrates provide the body with its preferred source of energy.
• In order to prevent a gluconeogenisis (where the body converts protein into an energy source), enough carbs must be provided to the body to provide sufficient energy.
• Carbohydrate consumption should lean heavily towards complex carbs or those with low glycemic index ratings.
• Fat has 9 calories per gram and should represent 20-30% of the weight gain diet.
• Fat is important to the bodybuilding diet. It helps the body utilize protein as well as many vitamins and minerals.
• Fat consumption should be concentrated on polyunsaturated (EFAs) and monounsaturated fats.
• Water is an important part of the transport system to take nutrients to the muscles.
• A good goal to aim for is one 8 oz. glass of water per 10 - 12.5 lbs. of bodyweight per day.
• The body can dehydrate without noticeable symptoms so you should not wait for thirst to tell you to drink water.

Now that you know what you are putting into your body, how do you keep track of it?

Keeping accurate records of your bodybuilding diet, of what and when you are feeding yourself and how that nutrition is affecting your body, is an important part of training for optimal results. Get some tips on tracking your bodybuilding training program here.

Also, don't miss this Tom Venuto article which teaches you a practical method for calorie counting as well as the rest of the diet articles listed in the Muscle Building Diet Mini-Guide.