As a bodybuilder, you invest a lot of time, money, and other resources into making yourself a stronger, healthier, and more powerful version of yourself. In order to really maximize your workouts and your muscle building capabilities, you need to pay attention to your nutrition. It’s critical. What you eat has a direct impact on how you’re able to develop and maintain healthy muscle tissue. If you’re not eating right, all the lifting in the world won’t help you achieve the body that you want.
Protein is one of the easiest parts of your diet. There are lots of options, from steak to chicken to eggs and pork. Are you eating fish, too? Hopefully you are, because there are a number of benefits to including more fish in your diet. Most importantly – it helps you get stronger. And that, after all, is the goal.
Fish Gives You Protein Without Fat
One of the best things about fish is that it’s lean. You don’t have to worry about eating too many calories, which is especially great when you’re on a cutting cycle. Fish carries a lot of dynamic minerals, vitamins, and nutritious ingredients, but it’s not heavy on fat and calories. With fish, you can increase your protein intake without increasing your fat as well. You can keep your carb and calorie count lower, and you can feel lighter and leaner.
When you find yourself hitting a wall or unable to move past a certain point, take a look at your diet. Replace at least three of your meals with fish. You’ll see a dramatic difference, and you’ll be able to move forward and feel better.
Fish Fat is Healthy Fat
While fish is lower in fat that other protein sources, it’s not completely without fat. But, here’s where the news gets even better: the fat you find in fish is healthy. It’s exactly the kind of fat you want in your diet. The omega-3 acids that are found in fish will not be stored in your body the way other types of fats are stored. The fats found in fish are more likely to be burning fat and breaking down what your body needs to nourish muscle tissues.
The fat found in fish will also help your muscles get the nutrients they need, particularly carbohydrates. This will help your muscles grow, and it will also prevent your body from storing fat.
Fish is Good for Your Gut
As you may have heard, gut health is important. It impacts everything from digestion to heart health. It keeps you regular and it can also keep you less likely to develop many types of cancer. Fish breaks down easily in your body. It’s easy to digest, and it won’t get stuck on the walls of your arteries or rotting in your colon.
Animal proteins can be more difficult than fish to digest. If you’ve found that you’re eating and drinking more protein, but you’re having stomach pains, a lot of acid reflux, or digestive issues – try to replace some of that other protein with fish.
Fish is High in Minerals and Vitamins
You will get a lot of vitamin D and vitamin B2 from fish. That’s not all. The mineral content in most fish is higher than in most other food sources. You’ll increase the amount of calcium, selenium, and zinc you consume. That’s good news when you’re building muscle. Muscles need those minerals to stay strong and supported. Your body needs the minerals to produce hormones that trigger muscle growth. They’re also great as antioxidants and to keep you generally healthy.
As a bodybuilder, you want to eat as much fish as you can. It doesn’t have to be expensive. While fresh fish is always best, you can buy it frozen for a lot cheaper. Stock up on salmon, shrimp, haddock, cod, and whatever else you like. Fish is your friend.