If you've been bodybuilding, you know how important complex carbohydrates are to muscle development. I said complex carbohydrates and not simple carbohydrates because the latter usually just provide a temporary spike then a drop in energy levels which is not good when you are training. Examples of simple carbs include biscuits, honey, jam, table sugar. Your body needs to release energy gradually while exercising and this is where complex carbohydrates come in play. Due to the fact that they take time to digest, they supply energy gradually.
To build muscles, you can't rely only on protein. While protein is the building block of muscles, it's not the only nutrient needed for optimum muscle growth. If you are not eating enough complex carbohydrates, your muscles will feet flat and not buffed.
Complex carbohydrates play an important role in your nutrition. They provide your body with energy to fuel your workouts and for post workout nutrition, they give your muscles the extra edge needed for optimum growth and repair along with your proteins. For your breakfast, you should consider adding complex carbohydrates like oatmeal, wholemeal bread as they are slowly digestible and provide your body energy for several hours. For lunches, sweet potatoes or yams are highly nutritious and should be added to your meals. Here is a sample meal for your training including complex carbohydrates. It's important to note that you should limit your complex carbohydrates intake at night because your body is less active.
Meal 1
Oatmeal, wholemeal bread, some eggs, skim milk, banana/orange
Meal 2
Sweet potatoes, chicken breast, broccoli, 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
Meal 3
Taro, white fish fillet or salmon, green beans/asparagus
Meal 4
Large salad with tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, 1 small potato and turkey breast
It's important to drink water too on a regular basis.
Here are more complex carbohydrates for consideration:
Wholewheat pasta
Brown rice
Brown bread
Wholegrain cereals
Porridge oats
Oatcakes
Kidney beans(Good combination of protein and carbs)
Lentils(Good combination of protein and carbs)
Neglecting on complex carbohydrates will limit your muscle mass development, so be sure to get an adequate supply of carbohydrates daily.
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