How to gain body mass

Huge number of athletes keeps body mass without problems or tries to lose a few kilos. But, there are also sport disciplines where athletes should increase body mass rapidly. This is primarily related to boys-adolescents, sport branches like: bodybuilding, hockey, rugby and some athlete disciplines; but it is also related to any other athlete and its own individual needs.

There are more conditions that can lead to body mass under optimal. If medicine, social and emotional factors are not considered, genetic factor has a significant influence on body mass.

Theoretically, to gain 450g per week, it is needed to increase energy intake for 1000kcal, along with normal energy intake. Whether it will or won’t come to body mass increase, cannot be surely claimed. Type and degree of physical activity can be changed, way of nutrition, without influence to body mass.

There is very often a wish for body mass increase at young athletes in period of adolescence. It is known that adolescent growth in height is proportional to adolescent lean body mass growth. Muscle mass that mostly makes lean body mass reaches its maximum with the age of 20. Though in one period of growth adolescents are non-symetric in its look due to insufficiently developed muscle mass, and nearly reached body height. Androgene hormones are the most important for periodics and muscle mass growth volume.

Basic principe for increase in body mass is increase in energy intake, while energy consumption should be modified by appliance of basic training type(training with load and resistance).

In order to have successful program for body mass increase(maximum increase in muscle mass, minimum fat component gain), it is necessary to follow next principes:

1. It is needed to determine daily energy needs to maintain existing body mass.
2. Set normal goal for body mass increase in some specified interval. Approximately 1kg per week is thought to be maximum.
3. Analyze and follow body composition during program.
4. To have bigger body mass gain, dream and rest are needed in bigger measure.
5. Energy intake has to be increased.
6. Start proper resistance training that will lead to muscle fibers hypertrophia.

Optimal energy amount should be increased for 20% from determined intake for maintaining existing body mass.

During grocery choice model of pyramide should be respected.

Some of following propositions should be used during nutrition planning:

1. Decrease vegetables and food rich with diet fibers intake, that gives voluminose meals. These nutrition extends time for digestion, felling of satiety, and energy intake is low. Similar is related to food rich with water.
2. Increase intake of food that has high energy and nutritive value.
3. Increase of energy intake will lead to increase in fat and simple sugars intake. Intake of saturated fatty acids should be changed with non-saturated – plant oils.
4. Increased energy intake should be set in 3 main meals and 2-3 baggings.

Groceries that are recommended in nutrition are following:

·         Cereals, like moesli or combination of various cereals with addition of nuts, bananas, chestnuts, dried or any other fruits. Cereals can also in combination with milk increase nutrition value of meal.

·         Beans and legumes contain significant amount of carbohydrates and highly nutritive proteins, so they are recommended in nutrition of the ones who wish to increase body mass.

·         Bigger intake of vegetables is recommended, like peas, carrot, corn and beet; that have significantly bigger energy value than green leafy and vegetables rich with water. Energy value of some kinds of vegetables will be increased by preparing on olive oil or other plant oils.

·         Potato is vegetable that should be extremely present in the nutrition of the ones that wish to increase their body mass. By adding unsaturated fats(margarine and similar) energy value is increased, and intake of harmful saturated fats and cholesterole is being decreased.

·         Salads should be eaten with homemade cheese(from skimmed milk), beans, sunflower seed, tuna or lean meat with the addition of olive oil.

·         Juices from apple, pineapple, grapes, peach and apricots are given advantage compared to orange, grapefruit or tomato due to bigger energy value.

·         Fruit that is recommended due to high energy value is: bananas, pineapple, dates, raisins, apricots…

·         Milk can be used in combination with powder milk. Also, here are drinks like milk-shake or combinations of milk and fruit.

·         Tost can be used with margarine, peanuts-butter, jam or honey.

·         Bread in combination with margarine, mayonnaise or sandwich with salad from tuna, chicken and similar; can be a good bagging.

·         Meat like beef, pork and lamb can contain higher amount of  fats, especially saturated fat acids. Advantage should be given to the chicken and fish meat that contain lower amount of fat.

·         Deserts that are recommended have big nutritive and energy value: cakes from oats flour with raisins, chocolate pudding, fruit compote, fruit yoghurt from skimmed milk, sweet types of bread with addition of honey, banana…

·         Baggings that are done along with main meals should be fruit yoghurt, non-fat cheese, crackers, peanuts, sunflower seed, almond, chestnuts, nuts, mix of cereals, pizza, milk-shake, warm chocolate, bananas, dried fruit, sandwich…

·         Alcohol(beer and wine) in moderate amount stimulates apettite and leads to energy intake. However, alcohol has small nutritive value and cannot change groceries like juices or milk. Alcohol intake before training or competition is not recommended due to diurese stimulation or hypoglycemic effects.

Result of planned increased energy intake at non-trained people initially leads to increase of muscle mass about 1,5kg per month, or 10kg per year. At highly trained athletes increase is smaller and slower.

At some athletes, nevertheless of good done nutrition program, genetic predisposition creates non-significant possibilities for body mass increase. This condition has to be accepted, and training should be directed to abilities important for the sport branch.

Protein supplementation is not needed, unless genetic predisposition limits effects of applied targets, to increase body mass.

= Amount of 25g of proteins	Arginine/25mg proteins	Leucine/25mg proteins
Milk, skimmed 3 cups	1050	2850
Tuna 120g	1800	2400
Chicken breast 90g	1600	2000
Egg white	2650	4200
Twin Labs, 24 pills	1020	3840
Amino Gold, 27 pills	1050	3780
Nature’s best	1320	3900

Use of anabolic steroids, that are derivates of male chormone testosterone, is very efficient in muscle mass increase, along with proper power training. This substances are illegal due to its harmful influences on the organism.

“Athletes’ nutrition”, Marina Djordjevic Nikic