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As you probably know, the food and nutrients that you consume are very important aspects of gaining muscle, especially when you are over 40 years of age.
If you want to build strength and increase muscle size then it is very important that you eat correctly, and in the right time slots before and after a workout. This is because your body demands the right types of fuel in order to recover, grow and feed your muscles. While many men over 40 do have a good diet, they don`t understand the importance of timing and post and pre workout meals.
Science shows that the time you consume the nutrition following a workout is very important, especially when you want to gain muscle. Additionally, the importance of timing is increased for men over the age of 40, as the process of muscle building is more demanding than for younger men.
Nutrient timing
The timing of your post and pre-workout meals is something that all men over 40 years of age need to take note of, if they want to maximize their muscle-building gains. There are now a number of scientific studies that demonstrate this factor in recovery and muscle building.
As a general rule, there is a window of two to three hours either side of a workout. While the old saying breakfast is the most important meal of the day is certainly partly true, it is not totally accurate for those looking to build muscle. The two meals either side of the workout are the most important meals of the day.
As such, you need to build your day around these two meals in order to ensure that you maximize your time in the gym. If you lift weights but fail to take advantage of your pre and post workout meals, then you will do yourself a disservice and progress much more slowly.
The next few paragraphs will focus on what to eat during these two important meal times.
Pre workout meal
As i was stated above, your pre workout meal should be eaten about two to three hours before your workout. This is important to remember to ensure your body is primed (in an anabolic state), and you have enough energy to give a maximum effort in the gym.
In terms of the foods that you need to eat, there are a number of very important food choices. If you know anything about muscle building, then most of them wont be a big surprise to you. However, they should not be overlooked.
Firstly, you need to have a lean source of protein as the major aspect of the pre workout meal. A good choice of lean protein would be chicken breast or a piece of fish. Ensure that this source of protein is low in saturated fat. You need to have enough protein to ensure that your body is in an anabolic state, which will reduce muscle breakdown, and raise your testosterone level.
You should aim for about 30-40 grams of high-quality whey protein as part of your pre workout meal. If you want to consume a protein shake, then you can do so. If you take this route, then drink whey protein, as this is the highest-grade protein source. Whey`s protein is very high is BCAA`s, which will help to prevent muscle catabolism as you lift weights or workout.
You also need to include a source of slow digesting carbohydrate such as yams, or beans. You can also eat whole-wheat bread, rice or red potatoes. The key is to have a source of slow digesting carbohydrates, so feel free to use another substitute that you enjoy.
It is also important to include a fibrous carbohydrate such as a salad in your pre workout meal. Salads work very well as they keep blood vessels dilated and help blood and oxygen to flow into your muscles.
Keep in mind that a pre workout meal should not be too large so that you don`t feel sick during the workout. The exact amount of food will be down to your current weight and your muscle-building needs.
Remember that the purpose of the pre workout meal is to ensure that you`re primed for a strength workout, and to provide you with a steady source of energy to get you through the muscle-building workouts.
Post workout meal
You should try to consume your post work meal about an hour after exercise. Your post-workout meal should be rich in protein and carbohydrates, and should be fat free. This is because fat can slow down the absorption rate of the protein and carbs into your stomach (i.e. the digestion).
You need to think of your post-workout meal as a delivery system of protein and carbohydrates to your depleted muscles. As such, they need that delivery as quickly as possible. This is why it is best to consume it as quickly as possible. As your muscles are depleted and require a large amount of protein and carbohydrates, your muscles are primed for nutrient uptake.
Many people refer to this time as the window of opportunity. The window reduces over time, and you will miss it completely if you don`t plan for the post-workout meal. If you wait a long time to eat, then glycogen replenishment and protein repair will be negated. Those over the age of 40 years of age need to pay special attention to this post-workout window. It will make the difference between fast and slow recovery times.
With a post-workout meal, many people find it difficult to consume a big meal. As such, it is certainly possible to consume a liquid meal, which is much easier to consume and can actually be taken anywhere with you. Meal replacements and protein shakes are very easy to drink and actually taste good these days. In addition, they provide you with all the nutrients that your body demands following a workout.
With a liquid meal, your digestive system will be able to easily process the nutrients, which is better for rapidly delivering nutrients to your muscles. Another benefit of the liquid meal is that it will be digested and fully absorbed in thirty to sixty minutes, giving your muscles the nourishment they need.
With a meal made from solid foods, it will take two to three hours for the nutrients to reach the muscles. Remember that the faster the protein and carbohydrates reach the muscles, the more your muscles will recover and build muscle. Besides this, recent studies show that people who receive nutrients within an hour after exercise, recover more quickly than those people who receive nutrients three hours after exercise.
Always include protein in your meals.
With both pre workout and post workout meals, you need to ensure that protein is included. Even if you only have a little time to prepare a meal, ensure that you have a source of protein with you (such as eggs, sandwich with lean meat, or a protein bar).
This is the most important ingredient if you want to gain muscle and increase your recovery times. There are a number of reasons for this.
Protein is used by the body to build and repair muscle. Protein is the only nutrient that is directly able to build muscle. Protein consists of amino acids linked together in chains. As your goal is to build muscle, you need protein to build and repair muscles, so this is a critical factor in your diet. It is also important that the right proteins are consumed at the proper times as was indicated earlier.
Protein is also the least likely food group to be converted to body fat, which is a very important consideration for those wanting to build a great physique. Protein helps promote fat loss because it has been shown to increase our metabolism more than any other macronutrient.
Besides repairing and promoting muscle growth, proteins are required for the structure, function, and regulation of the body`s cells, tissues, and organs; and each protein has unique functions. Examples are hormones, enzymes, and antibodies.
Proteins perform important roles for the cell functions within your body and serve as building blocks. Protein is an important component of every cell in the body. For example, hair and nails are mostly made of protein.
As a rough estimate, your protein requirements are going to be 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. To get this figure, take your weight (in pounds) and divide by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms, and then multiply by 1.2 to get your protein needs.
Summary
For those over the age of forty, the post and pre workout recovery meals are hugely important. The most important factor in both meals is protein. Remember that protein helps to maximize the gains from each workout. Without the right amount of protein, you might be losing out on many gains that you could otherwise have had.
By making your pre and post workout meals a permanent fixture in your routine, you will see strength and muscle gains much faster than you currently experience.
