Editing Bodybuilding (section)

=== Nutrition ===
The high levels of muscle growth and repair achieved by bodybuilders require a specialized diet. Generally speaking, bodybuilders require more [[Food energy|calories]] than the average person of the same weight to provide the protein and energy requirements needed to support their training and increase muscle mass. In preparation of a contest, a sub-maintenance level of food energy is combined with [[cardiovascular exercise]] to lose [[body fat]]. Proteins, [[carbohydrates]] and fats are the three major macronutrients that the human body needs to build muscle.<ref>{{cite web|title=Major Nutrients in Food|work=WebMD |url=http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/major-nutrients-in-food-topic-overview|access-date=August 27, 2013|archive-date=September 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130905081801/http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/major-nutrients-in-food-topic-overview|url-status=live}}</ref> The ratios of calories from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats vary depending on the goals of the bodybuilder.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Manore MM, Thompson J, Russo M | title = Diet and exercise strategies of a world-class bodybuilder | journal = International Journal of Sport Nutrition | volume = 3 | issue = 1 | pages = 76–86 | date = March 1993 | pmid = 8499940 | doi = 10.1123/ijsn.3.1.76 | s2cid = 38151979 }}</ref>

==== Carbohydrates ====
[[Carbohydrate]]s play an important role for bodybuilders. They give the body energy to deal with the rigors of training and recovery. Carbohydrates also promote secretion of [[insulin]], a hormone enabling cells to get the [[glucose]] they need. Insulin also carries amino acids into cells and promotes [[protein synthesis]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Skinner|first=Rob | name-list-style = vanc |magazine=Scholastic Coach and Athletic Director |title=Nutrition for Muscle Mass|date=March 2002|volume=71|issue=8|page=3 |id={{ProQuest|208050071}} |department=Sidelines |issn=1077-5625}}</ref> Insulin has steroid-like effects in terms of muscle gains.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Dimitriadis G, Mitrou P, Lambadiari V, Maratou E, Raptis SA | title = Insulin effects in muscle and adipose tissue | journal = Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice | volume = 93 | issue = Suppl 1 | pages = S52-9 | date = August 2011 | pmid = 21864752 | doi = 10.1016/S0168-8227(11)70014-6 }}</ref> It is impossible to promote protein synthesis without the existence of insulin, which means that without ingesting carbohydrates or protein—which also induces the release of insulin—it is impossible to add muscle mass.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Miranda L, Horman S, De Potter I, Hue L, Jensen J, Rider MH | s2cid = 6649224 | title = Effects of contraction and insulin on protein synthesis, AMP-activated protein kinase and phosphorylation state of translation factors in rat skeletal muscle | journal = Pflügers Archiv | volume = 455 | issue = 6 | pages = 1129–40 | date = March 2008 | pmid = 17957382 | doi = 10.1007/s00424-007-0368-2 }}</ref> Bodybuilders seek out [[Glycemic index|low-glycemic]] [[polysaccharide]]s and other slowly digesting carbohydrates, which release energy in a more stable fashion than high-glycemic sugars and starches. This is important as high-glycemic carbohydrates cause a sharp insulin response, which places the body in a state where it is likely to store additional food energy as fat. However, bodybuilders frequently do ingest some quickly digesting sugars (often in form of pure [[Glucose|dextrose]] or [[maltodextrin]]) just before, during, and/or just after a workout. This may help to replenish [[glycogen]] stored within the muscle, and to stimulate muscle protein synthesis.<ref>{{cite web|last=King|first=Michael W.|name-list-style=vanc|title=Substrates for Gluconeogenesis|publisher=IU School of Medicine|url=http://web.indstate.edu/thcme/mwking/gluconeogenesis.html|access-date=March 11, 2007|archive-date=June 21, 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000621005841/http://web.indstate.edu/thcme/mwking/gluconeogenesis.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Protein ====
[[File:Protein_shake.jpg|thumb|Protein milkshakes, made from protein powder (center) and milk (left), are a common [[bodybuilding supplement|supplement]].]]
The motor proteins [[actin]] and [[myosin]] generate the forces exerted by contracting muscles. [[Cortisol]] decreases amino acid uptake by muscle and inhibits protein synthesis.<ref>{{cite book | vauthors = Manchester KL |chapter=Sites of Hormonal Regulation of Protein Metabolism|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EgMwXpQRGQ8C&pg=PA229|pages=229–98 |veditors = Munro HN |year=2012|title=Mammalian Protein Metabolism, Volume 4|publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-0-323-14257-1}}</ref> Current recommendations suggest that bodybuilders should consume 25–30% of protein per total [[calorie]] intake to further their goal of maintaining and improving their body composition.<ref name="LambertCP">{{cite journal | vauthors = Lambert CP, Frank LL, Evans WJ | s2cid = 17233384 | title = Macronutrient considerations for the sport of bodybuilding | journal = Sports Medicine | volume = 34 | issue = 5 | pages = 317–27 | year = 2004 | pmid = 15107010 | doi = 10.2165/00007256-200434050-00004 }}</ref> This is a widely debated topic, with many arguing that 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day is ideal, some suggesting that less is sufficient, while others recommending 1.5, 2, or more.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2004 | author= Samantha Heller|title=Protein: a guide to maximum muscle: confused? Let us separate the gristle from the meat.(Nutrition) |website= Men's Fitness |publisher=HighBeam Research|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-114819458.html|access-date=2023-02-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703013711/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-114819458.html |archive-date=July 3, 2013 | url-status=usurped | url-access= subscription }}{{better source needed|date=July 2023| reason = subscription required to deadlinked site}}</ref> It is believed that protein needs to be consumed frequently throughout the day, especially during/after a workout, and before sleep.<ref>"Your nutrition problems solved; This month: pre- and postworkout nutrition, calculating protein intake and adding simple carbs".
''FLEX Magazine'', January 2005</ref> There is also some debate concerning the best type of protein to take. Chicken, turkey, beef, pork, fish, eggs and dairy foods are high in protein, as are some nuts, seeds, beans, and lentils. [[Casein]] or [[Whey protein|whey]] are often used to supplement the diet with additional protein. Whey is the type of protein contained in many popular brands of protein supplements and is preferred by many bodybuilders because of its high [[biological value]] (BV) and quick absorption rates. Whey protein also has a bigger effect than casein on insulin levels, triggering about double the amount of insulin release.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Burd NA, Yang Y, Moore DR, Tang JE, Tarnopolsky MA, Phillips SM | title = Greater stimulation of myofibrillar protein synthesis with ingestion of whey protein isolate v. micellar casein at rest and after resistance exercise in elderly men | journal = The British Journal of Nutrition | volume = 108 | issue = 6 | pages = 958–62 | date = September 2012 | pmid = 22289570 | doi = 10.1017/S0007114511006271 | doi-access = free }}</ref> That effect is somewhat overcome by combining casein and whey.

Bodybuilders were previously thought to require protein with a higher BV than that of [[soy]], which was additionally avoided due to its alleged [[estrogenic]] (female hormone) properties, though more recent studies have shown that soy actually contains [[phytoestrogens]] which compete with estrogens in the male body and can block estrogenic actions.<ref name="MikeFalcon">{{cite web|last=Falcon|first=Mike | name-list-style = vanc |url=http://www.maxmuscle.com/index.cfm?fa=article&doc_id=116&subcat=science|title=Estrogens, Testosterone & Phytoestrogens|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061025023850/http://www.maxmuscle.com/index.cfm?fa=article&doc_id=116&subcat=science|archive-date=October 25, 2006|website=maxmuscle.com}}</ref> Soy, [[flax]], and other plant-based foods that contain phytoestrogens are also beneficial because they can inhibit some [[pituitary]] functions while stimulating the liver's P450 system (which eliminates hormones, drugs, and waste from the body) to more actively process and excrete excess estrogen.<ref name="TestosteroneSyndrome">{{cite book| first1 = Eugene | last1 = Shippen | first2 = William | last2 = Fryer | name-list-style = vanc |title=The testosterone syndrome: the critical factor for energy, health, and sexuality: reversing the male menopause|publisher=M. Evans|location=New York|year=1998|isbn=978-0-87131-829-9|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/testosteronesynd00euge}}{{page needed|date=May 2015}}</ref>

==== Meals ====
Some bodybuilders often split their food intake into 5 to 7 meals of equal nutritional content and eat at regular intervals (e.g., every 2 to 3 hours). This approach serves two purposes: to limit overindulging in the cutting phase, and to allow for the consumption of large volumes of food during the bulking phase. Eating more frequently does not increase [[Metabolic rate|basal metabolic rate]] when compared to 3 meals a day.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Verboeket-van de Venne WP, Westerterp KR, Kester AD | title = Effect of the pattern of food intake on human energy metabolism | journal = The British Journal of Nutrition | volume = 70 | issue = 1 | pages = 103–15 | date = July 1993 | pmid = 8399092 | doi = 10.1079/BJN19930108 | doi-access = free }}</ref> While food does have a metabolic cost to digest, absorb, and store, called the [[thermic effect of food]], it depends on the quantity and type of food, not how the food is spread across the meals of the day. Well-controlled studies using whole-body calorimetry and [[doubly labeled water]] have demonstrated that there is no metabolic advantage to eating more frequently.<ref name="BellisleF">{{cite journal | vauthors = Bellisle F, McDevitt R, Prentice AM | title = Meal frequency and energy balance | journal = The British Journal of Nutrition | volume = 77 | issue = Suppl 1 | pages = S57-70 | date = April 1997 | pmid = 9155494 | doi = 10.1079/BJN19970104 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name="TaylorMA">{{cite journal | vauthors = Taylor MA, Garrow JS | s2cid = 19686244 | title = Compared with nibbling, neither gorging nor a morning fast affect short-term energy balance in obese patients in a chamber calorimeter | journal = International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders | volume = 25 | issue = 4 | pages = 519–28 | date = April 2001 | pmid = 11319656 | doi = 10.1038/sj.ijo.0801572 | doi-access =  }}</ref><ref name="pmid18053311">{{cite journal | vauthors = Smeets AJ, Westerterp-Plantenga MS | title = Acute effects on metabolism and appetite profile of one meal difference in the lower range of meal frequency | journal = The British Journal of Nutrition | volume = 99 | issue = 6 | pages = 1316–21 | date = June 2008 | pmid = 18053311 | doi = 10.1017/S0007114507877646 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

==== Dietary supplements ====
{{Main|Bodybuilding supplement}}
The important role of nutrition in building muscle and losing fat means bodybuilders may consume a wide variety of [[dietary supplements]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Philen RM, Ortiz DI, Auerbach SB, Falk H | title = Survey of advertising for nutritional supplements in health and bodybuilding magazines | journal = JAMA | volume = 268 | issue = 8 | pages = 1008–11 | date = August 1992 | pmid = 1501305 | doi = 10.1001/jama.268.8.1008 }}</ref> Various products are used in an attempt to augment muscle size, increase the rate of fat loss, improve joint health, increase natural testosterone production, enhance training performance and prevent potential nutrient deficiencies.