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As a gym enthusiast, you can easily plan your day according to your workouts but you can’t follow the same thing with your diet plan, which in a way can hinder your muscle gain journey. Getting the best pre-workout meal on the right time can help you work out intensely for a longer duration. The right snacks post-workout can fasten the recovery and help in muscle gain. 

Fuelling your body with adequate nutrition before you hit the gym can improve the intensity and duration of your exercise routine. Eating the right foods before 1 to 2 hours of your workout can boost workout performance, preserve muscle mass, hydrate your body, and help in quick recovery. According to fitness experts, the best pre-workout meal should contain complex carbohydrates and protein. However, there may be variations based on individual needs.

Read on to know what you should eat before going to the gym and what is the best post-workout meal after a workout.

5 Best Pre-Workout Foods to Eat Before Your Workout

Want to know what to eat before a workout? Here is the list of best things to eat before a workout. Try to have your pre-workout meal for muscle gain one hour before you start working out. 

1) Fruits and Oats

Oats and fruits are the good sources of fibre, proteins and complex carbohydrates, which is a good carb and helps in releasing the carbohydrates into your bloodstream slowly. Oats contain Vitamin B that convert carbohydrates into energy and are good for the workout. It is recommended to have at least one cup of oats and fruits at least an hour before you start your workout. Fruits in it increase the fluid content of your pre-workout snack and keep you hydrated throughout the workout. 

2)  Banana and Honey Smoothie

This smoothie contains easily digestible carbs and a good amount of potassium which makes it a perfect pre-workout snack. On the other hand, honey helps in the slow release of sugar to the brain for adequate energy. You can also add some handful of nuts as they contain protein and healthy fats that will keep you feeling satisfied for a longer period. 

3) Sprouts Legumes Salad

Sprouts legumes salad is the most nutritious snack to have before a workout. As they are loaded with vitamin K and C, carbohydrates, minerals, proteins and fibres that release energy slowly over a longer period of time, making it a good pre-workout snack.

4) Fruits with Yogurt

Fruits are loaded with complex carbohydrates whereas Greek yoghurt contains high-quality protein. Fruits give you healthy carbohydrates for quick energy during the workout and the proteins from yoghurt break up slowly and are used up later to prevent muscle damage.

5) Boiled Chickpeas

Chickpeas are easy to make and a protein-loaded pre-workout snack. You can season it with some lemon juice and black salt to make it tastier. You can also try roasted chana in a small quantity.

5 Best Post Workout Foods to Eat After Workout

If you want to maximize your muscle gain and speed up the recovery process then picking the best post-workout meal can maximize your muscle gain and quick recovery. After an intense gym session muscles need to be renourished especially after interval training, weight training, or endurance training lasting 45 minutes or more. 

Fast-acting carbs and proteins consumed immediately after a workout will help ensure that your muscles get exactly what you need to boost the recovery process, replenish energy stores and fully refuel when you next go for a workout. That translates into reduced muscle soreness, improved recovery, stronger muscles and overall better performance. 

If you are confused about what to eat after a workout, here is the list of post-workout meals for muscle gain. Try to have your post-workout meal before two hours of your workout to improve nutrient absorption.

• Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are known to be the best sources of good carbohydrates and are a perfect snack to consume after a workout for a good amount of energy. Though sweet potatoes are high in sugar but the fibre in it lowers the sugar significantly. The fibre content in it also helps you to feel full so that you don’t munch on unhealthy snacks after a workout session. Sweet potatoes contain antioxidant nutrients like beta-carotene that protects the body against free radicals. It is also a rich source of vitamin D and potassium that helps in relieving the muscle cramps and injuries due to workouts. 

• Avocados

A medium-sized avocado contains about 3 g of proteins and 9 g of fibre. They are a good source of vitamin B which helps in burning more fat by boosting the body’s metabolism. It also contains proteins and monounsaturated fat that helps in rebuilding your muscles after a hard workout.

• Protein Shake or Healthy Smoothie

Although real food is a viable option, if you are time-starved or do not have the inclination to rustle up a small meal, you can go for MuscleBlaze Whey Protein Shakes that are healthy and tasty protein shakes or homemade healthy smoothies. Target a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein and try to consume it either during or immediately after your cool-down.

• Cereal with Milk

Cereal with milk is a wonderful post-workout snack as it contains a good amount of carbohydrates, calcium, proteins, and fibre that are essential for energy and muscle recovery. In fact, it replenishes most of the fluid loss during the workout.

• Fruit Salads

Fruits are a good source of natural sugar and healthy carbs, vital to rebuild and re-energize your body post-workout. Fruit salad is one of the best, healthy and tastiest foods you can think of, after an intense workout routine.

You can include different types of fruits (from blueberries to pineapples to peaches) into your salad. As they contain healthy carbohydrates that restores energy levels in the body and number of antioxidants in it help ensure overall recovery.

Therefore, make sure to take the right pre and post-workout snacks to maximize your muscle gain and take your fitness game to the next level.

The episodes of dehydration are common in sports, especially in a hot and humid country like ours. Technically, dehydration means losing water and salts, via perspiration and casts a negative effect on athlete’s performance. To think about it, dehydration in mild form can spell the difference between a gold and silver medal. In an extreme form, dehydration affects vital organs, such as the kidneys, brain and heart, as they require a minimum of water and salt.

HOW AN INTENSE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AFFECTS YOUR BODY

When you start an intense activity, like a competitive sport or running a marathon, your heart rate goes up. You start feeling flushed, which signals the body to resort to its cooling mechanism, sweating.  Meanwhile, as your body continues to tap into the glycogen reserve of liver to fuel the intense exercise regimen you begin to feel thirsty. The intensity of your activity will remain as long as the glycogen reserve lasts but as your tank empties your body is going to switch to burning fat, a less efficient source of fuel and you will feel all the more thirsty.

1.      LOSS OF ELECTROLYTES

The core temperature of our body is 37⁰ celsius to 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. When athletes engage in sports, their heart rate goes up, as a result sweating occurs to maintain the core body temperature, thereby resulting in the loss of body fluids and minerals, such as chloride, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium, collectively known as electrolytes. Calcium is useful in muscle contractions, potassium keeps blood pressure level stable, magnesium stablises protein-fluid balance and sodium along with chloride helps maintain fluid balance.

% Body Weight Lost as Sweat	Physiological Effect
2%	Impaired Performance
4%	Weakness and inability to do muscular work
5%	Heat exhaustion
7%	Hallucinations
10%	Circulatory collapse and heat stroke

2.      DIMINISHED GLYCOGEN SUPPLY

An intense physical activity, like running a marathon or playing a competitive sport diminishes your glycogen stores. Glycogen is the longer chain version of glucose and they are stored in the muscles and the liver. The normal body stores of carbohydrate in a typical athlete are:

70kg male athlete	Liver glycogen 90g and muscle glycogen 400g
60kg female athlete	Liver glycogen 70g and muscle glycogen 300g

 During hard exercise, your body consumes 3-4g of glycogen per minute. If your activity lasts for 2 hours or more, a very large fraction of stored glycogen will be exhausted. If these carbs are not supplied in time, recovery of the muscle and liver glycogen stores after exercise will require 24-48 hours.  

3.      DEHYDRATION

It’s a no-brainer that heavy sweating leads to fluid loss. For a pound (453g) of weight loss due to physical activity, you need to drink 16 ounces (approx. 2 cups) of fluid to rehydrate your body.  How much of the fluid intake will be retained by your body depends on the speed at which it is emptied from the stomach and the rate at which it is absorbed through the small intestine.

Drinking plain water is not good for rehydrating, as it is not retained efficiently. Moreover, it contains neither carbs nor electrolytes. ​

KNOW THE RIGHT REHYDRATING DRINK

Normally, any rehydrating liquid contains dissolved substances, even plain water has minerals. The other such rehydrating liquids like sports drink have glucose with water or antioxidants. Now, going back to the school science lessons, when two liquids of varying concentrations meet, the one with more concentrated solution moves towards the lesser concentrated version. Rehydrating drinks or sports drinks are of three kinds: isotonic, hypotonic and hypertonic.

A hypotonic drink has less liquid concentration than your body. It contains less than 4g of cabs per 100g. It functions well as a thirst quencher, but falls short on energy.  Your body absorbs hypotonic sports drinks more quickly than water and it is ideal for less strenuous sports, primarily recreational in nature. A hypotonic drink quickly replaces fluids lost by sweating. It is suitable for athletes who need to replenish their fluid intake without the additional boost of carbs, like jockeys and gymnasts.

A hypertonic drink generally has more than 8g of sugar (carbohydrates) per 100ml and is thicker than bodily fluids. It is primarily intended to supply energy. Hypertonic drinks are taken up more slowly than water. Hypertonic drinks are helpful for sportspersons who need more energy during their training to top up their glycogen stores. You need to have a hypertonic drink along with a hypotonic drink to replace fluids.

The higher concentration of sugar also makes it ideal for less strenuous, long duration exertions such as studying (the fuel for the brain is glucose), driving, gaming, etc.

BENEFITS OF ISOTONIC DRINKS

Years of research have suggested that the correct concentration of carbohydrate in your drink is about 5 to 7 percent.  An isotonic drink for athletes generally has sugar/ carbohydrates content in this per 100ml, which mimics your body fluid.  Your body absorbs isotonic drink more quickly than water.  Not only these drinks quench thirst quickly but also are an ideal solution for endurance sports.

1.       Replenishes Electrolytes

As compared to hypotonic, hypertonic and energy drinks, isotonic drinks replenish electrolytes in a better way. A 1998 study from Netherlands published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine compared the after effects of a caffeinated drink, a low-sodium mineral water and an isotonic carbohydrate-electrolyte solution on cyclists. Those who consumed isotonic drinks were able to retain more sodium, magnesium and calcium in their bodies, even after urinary and sweating losses.

2.       Faster glycogen top-off

For athletes, glucose remains the quick-acting source of energy, but the drawback is that there is a limited store of this energy in the body. A two-hour intense workout is enough to exhaust the glycogen reserve of the athlete and it takes more than 24 hours to return to its original level. An isotonic drink quickly tops off the glycogen level.

3.        Better hydration

The question remains why you even need such rehydrating solutions. Why can’t plain water do the trick? Since water exits quickly from your system it makes you feel bloated.

4.        Improved endurance

As compared to a placebo, the hydration offered by isotonic drinks is 24 percent higher. The research was reported at the European Journal of Physiology in 1990.

The benefits of isotonic drinks will reflect in your intensity and duration of workout and sports event. Choose an isotonic drink, like MuscleBlaze Isotonic that contains along with sugar, amino acid-like glutamine to speed up your recovery process.

The whole idea that vein-popping muscles can’t be built without egg whites and chicken breast is a misconception. Each individual needs only 1.5g of protein per kg of body weight, which can be easily acquired from a vegetarian diet consisting of milk, nuts, soya and lentils. Moreover, to put it in perspective 100g roasted, broiled or boiled chicken breast (serving size comparable to a deck of cards) provides 164 calories and 31g of proteins.

Again, the basic drawback often highlighted with plant protein sources, is its inability to supply essential amino acids. This is not true. There are many complete protein foods that provide essential amino acids too, and very few people know about such proteins.  MuscleBlaze gets to enlighten you on protein sources required to be included in a vegetarian bodybuilding diet.

1.        Milk and Yoghurt

Milk is an excellent source of high-quality protein making it almost a complete food. The big deal about milk protein is that it is rich in lysine, which makes it an ideal accompaniment for whole grains and their products, many of which are low in this essential amino acid.

Protein Profile:

Whether you take full fat, low fat or non-fat milk, your protein content continues to remain at 8g or higher in a cup of milk including 18 amino acids, both essential and non-essential, only change is seen in the calorie count. Yoghurt instead of milk offers higher protein content; a cup (approx 245g) offers 13g proteins, along with probiotics, vitamin B12, potassium and zinc.

2.       Soy

Soy is high in protein and a lactose alternative for many foods. The key benefits of soya are its high protein content, vitamins and minerals and insoluble fibre. The best known soy product,  tofu  is easily available. Tofu also has 24g of unsaturated fats and a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that when people ate unsaturated fats post workout the blood flow in their arteries increased by 45 percent which led to faster recovery

Protein Profile

Serving Size	Variant	Protein	Calories
A cup (45g)	Soya chunks	24g	160
A cup	Soya milk	11g	127
100g	Tofu	48g	480

3.       Lentils

Lentils are protein powerhouses. The best part about lentils is that they bring together generous doses of protein along with minerals and healthy fibre.  Enriched with soluble and insoluble fibre, lentils keep the dietary tract clean. Being a plant protein, lentils are short on two essential amino acids methionine and cysteine. Both these amino acids are found in abundance in grains. No wonder, lentils are intuitively paired with grains, which make them complete protein combinations, just like meat, but minus blood.  

Protein Profile per 100g of Lentils

• Masur: 25.1g
• Moong: 24.5g
• Urad (Black gram): 24g
• Rajma: 22.9g
• Channa (roasted): 14g
• Bengal gram: 17.1g

4.      Combo Packs

Each time you combine a legume with a grain, you get a complete protein package, replete with 9 essential amino acids that eggs and chicken have.  Whole grains offer methionine and cysteine, which are low in legumes, like beans, peas, lentils and peanuts. When the two meet they become a wholesome protein package. It seems our ancestors were intuitive about this protein deal of grains and legumes and that’s the reason we have such interesting complete protein combinations like rajma chawal, roti daal and peanut butter sandwich. The healthier aspect about such combos is that they contain a rich dose of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants along with proteins and count as a wholesome meal.

Protein Profile:

Dish	Serving Size	Calories	Proteins
Roti Daal	3 Roti and a cup of masur daal (uncooked)	406	26.9g
Rajma-chawal	A cup of rice with a cup of kidney beans	433.7g	10.5g
Peanut butter sandwich	A slice of bread smeared with a teaspoon of peanut butter	180-210	8g

5.       Quinoa

Often people wonder is quinoa a complete protein food? A seed of a leafy plant, like spinach, quinoa is a whole grain and contains all of the essential nine amino acids, which makes it a beneficial food for non-meat eaters. Most whole grains do not contain amino acid lysine but quinoa not only supplies lysine, an essential amino acid, but also remaining eight other essential amino acids in a vegetarian package. You need to rinse quinoa before you cook to remove the bitter coating.

Protein Profile: One cup provides 220 calories and 8g high-quality proteins.  

6.        Buckwheat

Buckwheat flour, popularly known as kuttu ka atta is a staple food during fasting in India. Did you know buckwheat serves as an excellent meat substitute? The protein quality of buckwheat is of high quality with a very good nutritional profile.

Protein Profile: 100g Buckwheat flour serves 12.6g proteins and 10g fiber, though the carb content is on the higher side. 

7.        Spirulina with Nuts

Spirulina, a blue-green algae’s is a high-quality protein source for vegans and provides vitamin B12, a nutrient that often goes missing from a vegetarian plate. Your body does not make vitamin B12 on its own. You need to get it from foods and supplements on a regular basis. Vitamin B12 helps make your DNA and red blood cells. Contrary to popular belief, spirulina is not a complete protein source rather the protein content is in between 55 to 70 percent. Spirulina lacks methionine. Therefore this plant-based protein powder needs the support of any grain or nuts to transform in a complete protein package, along with vitamin B12.

Protein Profile: 4g per tablespoon

As a vegetarian bodybuilder, you need to create your own high vegetarian protein recipes by making the most of the plant foods that offer good source of proteins, like spinach, sundried tomatoes and peas. A cup of cooked spinach has 5g proteins, an equivalent of the protein content in an egg.  A cup of peas has 8g of proteins and the similar quantity of sun-dried tomatoes offer 6g proteins. Additionally, these plant foods contain a whopping dose of vitamins and antioxidants, which make them preferable protein-rich snacks. Going by the research of University of Michigan, it’s not required that you eat all your proteins in one go. Rather, eat a variety of foods with incomplete proteins throughout the day to get the amino acids you need from the diet and don’t forget to pair these proteins with complete sources like soy, tofu, cheese, paneer, yoghurt to get the double whammy.

On your muscle-building journey, get more power from MuscleBlaze Supplements 100% vegetarian and build with confidence

Mesomorph body type is the medium build and such a body type makes ectomorphs and endomorphs envious. Endomorphs are on the heavier side and ectomorphs are thin and lanky ones. Different from both these body types, mesomorphs, the genetically gifted have a naturally lean body.  They neither struggle like the skinny ectomorphs to gain muscle mass nor wage a battle against bulge like endomorphs. Naturally endowed with bigger bones, wider shoulders they put on muscles with ease.  For them, the rule of gymming is simple, lift weights and pack muscles. Born as natural athletes, mesomorphs are usually lean and muscular without trying too hard.

Mesomorph Features

Notable mesomorphs include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, Halle Berry, and Anna Kournikova. Closer home Hrithik Roshan and Bipasha Basu fall in the category of mesomorphs.

• Naturally lean
• Symmetrical build
• Naturally strong
• Medium size bones
• Wide at the shoulders
• Efficient metabolism
• Quick to lose weight or gain muscle
• Respond quickly to exercise

Fitness Goals

No doubt, mesomorphs have an edge in building muscles as compared to ectomorphs and endomorphs. However, their challenge lies in easy weight gain and they need to focus on diet and exercise to remain lean. 

Calorie Needs

The calorie needs of a mesomorph are slightly higher than both the other body types because of the higher muscle ratio. Muscle is a biologically active tissue and requires more calories to maintain. In a mesomorph diet protein needs to be emphasized.

Diet Tips

• A sample meal plan for mesomorphs should have three meals and a couple of snacks per day, each containing ample amounts of proteins, carbs, and fats. 
• Putting it in a simpler way, carbs account for 40-50 percent of the plate, 30 percent will be protein and 20-30 percent will be fat. 
• Experts recommend that mesomorphs eat five to seven meals a day.  Adequate protein consumption is essential, especially for more active people.
• Mesomorphs should consume 1.5g of protein per pound of body weight. They should also eat a higher proportion of carbohydrates to protein.

Mesomorph Workout: Resistance Training

In mesomorph bodybuilding, resistance training is at the core of the training program. 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps with an increasing weight load is required to stimulate your muscles. Try to get pump and start with 3-4 exercises per muscle group.

Mesomorph Workout Training Tips

• Three weight training sessions per week, one each for chest and arms, back and shoulders and legs
• Training in the 8-12 repetition rep range
• 30sec-1 min rest periods between sets
• Enough cardio to stay lean

Mesomorphs Body Weight

For mesomorphs, body weight is just right for resistance training, which means yoga poses works for them. Now, you know how Bipasha Basu sculpted such an enviable body with yoga. Whereas yoga will not help you bulk up, it will certainly tone your body and give your muscles a sculpted look. However, do either weight lifting or yoga, don’t do both together, as you may risk an injury or overtraining.

You need to work on stimulating your muscles and still stay away from overtraining. Rest and eat well for faster recovery.

Whereas ectomorphs can do away with cardio, mesomorphs can’t. In a mesomorph workout cardio is critical as this body type is vulnerable to weight gain. They should work out, at least 30-45 minutes in a day, three to five times in a week. If the body fat is not much of worry, you can keep the cardio to twice a week. If your goal is to lower body fat, then you should include HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) along with steady cardio to blast that fat.

Supplements

For this body type, whey protein is a staple supplement. A pre-workout drink before a workout will give the required energy for a long-lasting workout. Try having casein at bedtime to prevent muscle breakdown. Moreover, you can have a high-quality multivitamin and fish oil to boost your immunity.  

For mesomorphs, it will be difficult to get the bulk and size of Mr. Universe.  They are better off aiming for strength and reasonable bulk.

Somehow, muscle building and meat-eating go hand in hand. Vegetarians are weaklings is a general notion. Well, this is not true. Whether it is bodybuilding or remaining at the top of your game, it is all about commitment, discipline and a dedicated diet regime. Olympian athletes and professional-grade bodybuilders have carved their physique and built stamina on a compassionate diet.

Protein, the building block of muscles is easily accessible from plants. The only drawback is that at times plants do not provide those 8 essential amino acids which the body can’t manufacture on its own and they are a litmus test of the quality of a protein source. If you are a lacto-ova vegetarian (eggs and milk) you easily tide over the concern because both these foods provide those essential amino acids. Vegans need to pair lentils with grains to get the complete package and be a bit more aware of protein sources like quinoa, nuts and hemp. They are equally good sources of proteins and need to get included in the vegetarian bodybuilding diet chart.

TOP 6 VEGETARIAN BODYBUILDERS & ATHLETES IN INDIA

1. K. V Iyer – (A Physician who started the Bodybuilding Revolution in India)

The credit goes to Professor K. V Iyer to start the trend of bodybuilding in modern India. Iyer was a total vegetarian and teetotaler. His food contained lots of grains, vegetables, chapattis, ragi, unpolished red rice, fruits, buttermilk and greens.  In the year 1925, he started his own gym. He was a  physician to the Maharaja of Mysore.

2. Varinder Singh Ghuman – (Biggest Indian Bodybuilder)

In recent times, Varinder Singh Ghuman is an outstanding example of building body through vegetarianism. He started off as a cricketer but bodybuilding swayed him and he rose to become a bodybuilder of international fame.  In 2009, he won the Mr India title and is also the first Asian to get to the top line of Arnold Classic Europe, an international championship of bodybuilding. His perfect physique earned him the brand ambassadorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s signature gyms and food supplements. To fuel his massive muscle mass, Varinder relies heavily on colostrum, the first milk produced by a mammal, post-pregnancy. Colostrum has high-quality proteins as well as growth hormones. Since his father runs a dairy farm, he has easy access to colostrum. Eggs are also a complete no for him. The vegetarian bodybuilding diet of Ghuman consists of yellow dal, chapattis, green salad, curd and lassi.

3. Hira Lal Dhillan – (A Vegetarian since 1997 and crowned Mr Universe in 2011)

8-times Punjab champion, Hira Lal Dhillan won the Mr Universe crown in 2011 and follows the dumbbells on dal route. He did not start out as a vegetarian but shunned meat-eating in 1997 due to spiritual reasons. After leaving meat he was able to gain weight by 10 kg. His diet consists primarily of soya beans, dal, lassi and curd.

4. Sangram Singh – (Indian Wrestler & Health Guru)

Sangram Singh is a celebrity wrestler who was also seen in Big Boss.  As a child, he suffered from arthritis and was wheelchair-bound. It was sheer grit and determination that helped him overcome his ailment and he ended up becoming a professional wrestler and he won a gold medal in 2006 Common Wealth Games in South Africa.

Recently, Sangram was announced as the World’s Best Professional Wrestler by the World Wrestling Professionals, South Africa. He was even signed by PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) as their brand ambassador. Sangram gets his essential nutrients like proteins from milk, curd, dal, vegetables, and nuts. He also takes Ashwagandha powder to improve his stamina.  He works out a lot and his exercise regime includes power yoga, running, cardio and dips.

5. Karuppanan Venkatesan – (Silver Medal Winner who shunned Milk & Rice)

Last year silver-winner at Natural Olympia Bodybuilding Championship, a competition exclusively for vegetarian bodybuilders is a vegetarian bodybuilder. His diet consists of samba wheat. For him, rice and milk are a complete no.

6. Sushil Kumar – (Two Time Olympic Medallist)

Sushil Kumar, a freestyle wrestler and the only Indian to win back to back individual Olympic medals in the 66 kg weight division is a complete vegetarian and he does not even eat eggs. Kumar highlights the benefits of vegetarianism is a simpler palate with restricted choices.

Kumar’s morning meal includes cornflakes, milk, buttered toast and juice. His frugal lunch and dinner consist of 2 chappatis, seasonal vegetables and a bowl of yoghurt. Protein-rich supplements and multivitamins are an integral feature of his diet.

Along with your vegetarian bodybuilding diet, include MuscleBlaze supplements to trigger quick recovery and muscle building, as they are 100% vegetarian and allow you to carve the body of your dreams with a compassionate heart.