Thursday, March 5, 2009

Junk food won't build muscle

By Jon Cardozo

I'm sure you've heard it many times before: if you want to build muscle you must increase your calories. This is because the body needs to get materials to build muscle from your diet.

If you eat about as many calories as you burn, then your weight will stay the same. If you eat more calories than your body burns in a given day, then the surplus will be turned into extra weight. So at this point the formula may seem pretty simple.

You may think that you simply need to eat more to gain more muscle. However, what you eat is very important for your muscle building efforts.

I love fast food restaurants, especially McDonald's. But I have to be honest and state that this is not the healthiest food you could be eating. It depends on what exactly you eat why you're there, but for the most part fast food meals are pretty much junk food.

Also, when you make your food choices you should think about your overall health and not just your desire to build muscle. Spending all day at a fast food restaurant will load your body up with Trans fatty acids (or hydrogenated oils). If you end up clogging your arteries, not building muscle will be the least of your problems.

Sugar is another dangerous food for overall health and for muscle building. Why? Well, your body can only use so much at a time, and it can only store a small amount in the liver and the muscles. The third and most undesirable option is to convert the excess sugar into more body fat!

Because your body cannot store very much glucose, you will most likely end up with a nice chunk of extra body fat. This can make it a lot tougher to see those six packs.

You've probably heard that moderation is key, and it's unlikely that you will completely give up your favorite foods. However, try to focus on good foods like lean proteins and fruits and vegetables. Think of it as a bank account. The more deposits you make (or the more good food that you eat), the more likely is it you can get away with a withdrawal every once in awhile.

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