WeakHealth.com

Protein is the best friend of a bodybuilder, you might think. It certainly helps building great muscles, but not if it’s used alone. If you want to fully utilize the benefits of protein, you need to consume the correct amount of carbohydrates as well.

Altough protein products (like protein bars or protein drinks) are very fashionable today, they have no effect if you don’t use them right. Protein has the wonderful ability that any excess amount goes right through your body, and will never be transformed into body fat. This seems to be a negative feature when you eat large amounts of protein, spend hundreds of dollars, but see no results.

You should consume a moderate amount of carbohydrate every day. It will give you the necessary energy you need both in your daily routine and your workout or other sports. Eat at least 5 times a day, and do not avoid foods that are rich in carbohydrate, especially healthy ones, like fruits and vegetables.

(For a limited time, I ate fruits all day, and it gave me such energy for my workout that resulted in great muscle gain. When I cut back on fruits, I noticed that I lost my “appetite” for exercise. I said to myself I need to consume more fruits, not because of they are so delicious, but they give me a “hunger” for doing more efforts in the gym.)

It’s not a big problem if you use protein products, just don’t forget that artificial sweeteners and other shady stuff are often added to them. It’s better if you eat natural proteins, like meat, dairy products or fish.