An Advanced Guide to Building Muscle

To build muscle, two main things are needed:

1) The correct type of exercise; mainly high resistance.

2) Correct nutrition.

It is not our function to advise on exercise, but we can advise on nutrition. Correct nutrition is in two parts:

A) Diet

B) Supplementation

Correct eating is of paramount importance. No amount of supplements, no matter how good, can substitute for this.

A) The main principles of diet are:

¨ Avoid sugars and other refined carbohydrates.

¨ Avoid chemicals; synthetic flavours, colours and preservatives.

¨ Avoid fried foods.

¨ 70% of the diet should consist of complex carbohydrates from potatoes, vegetables, fruit and whole grains.

¨ 20-25% of the diet should consist of protein.

¨ 5-10% of the diet should consist of essential fatty acids of the type found in fish, nuts, seeds and vegetable sources. Saturated fats, of the type found in red meats, are not necessary for health.

To explain the above rules, it needs to be explained that proteins, as most people know, are the major building blocks of muscle and other tissue. It seems obvious from this statement that the major component of food for muscle building should be protein. Not So!!

Muscles are built from protein, and for this reason protein is essential for muscle building. So why isn't protein the only important nutritional requirement in building muscle?

The reason lies in the complexity and versatility of the human body.

A car engine is built from metal and some plastics. The fuel is either petrol or diesel. If the fuel runs short, the metal and plastic part of the engine cannot be used in place of petrol or diesel.

In the case of the human body, if fuel (carbohydrates and to a lesser extent fats) run low, the proteins in the tissues can be used as fuel. So if physical activity takes place in the absence of available carbohydrates in the bloodstream, then proteins will be used. The body will use its own tissues to fuel itself, and muscles will shrink. Carbohydrates don't build muscle, but they prevent them from being cannibalised for fuel.

General Note:

Vegetables, whole grains and fruit supply vitamins, minerals and also fibre for maximum physical efficiency.

B) Supplementation

1) Vitamins and Minerals

Likening the body to an engine, enzymes in the body are responsible for initiating all actions, as are the ignition system and carburation of an engine. Enzymes are made from protein, with different vitamins and minerals forming each enzyme. Vitamin and mineral supplements, containing good levels of all the essential nutrients, are therefore needed to maximise bodily efficiency and growth.

2) Digestive Enzymes

In the case of bodybuilding, greatly increased intake of food is necessary. This food has to be digested. The body's natural ability to produce sufficient digestive acid and enzymes may be overwhelmed, and supplementation with these enzymes may become essential.

3) Anti-Catabolic Agents

As well as maintaining high blood levels of carbohydrates, various substances have been shown to have an anti-catabolic (preventing muscle breakdown) effect.

¨ Branched-chain amino acids: These are the main amino components of muscle. It has been found that even if the blood is saturated with carbohydrate (glucose), the body has a small requirement for the BCAAs as fuel. These will normally be leached out of the muscles. However, if they are in the bloodstream, this will prevent the muscles being used as their source. We therefore recommend supplementation before and after a workout.

¨ L-Glutamine and Ornithine alpha Keto-Glutarate (OKG): Both of these have been found to form an important part of muscle structure, and presence in the bloodstream can reduce muscle breakdown. L-glutamine in particular is nowadays added to the better-quality protein supplements.

4) Anabolic Agents

¨ Arginine/Ornithine: Taken on an empty stomach, last thing at night, has been found to increase release of growth hormone.

¨ Chromium Picolinate or Polynicotinate: Helps increase energy levels by optimising insulin usage. Insulin also has anabolic effects.

Another Aid

Creatine monohydrate is causing a lot of excitement in the athletic world, and rightly so. It is produced naturally in the body, and helps to preserve the activity of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the energy releaser within cells. Briefly, it greatly increases the production of energy, and therefore improves the efficiency of muscles. This increased activity results in extra growth.

Our Recommendations

2) High strength multivitamin/multimineral; our favourite is VM75, plus Solamins and Hy-C.