The right nutrition for strength training: you should pay attention to this!

As a strength athlete you don't get the best results with just a few hours in the gym. Outside of that too, you will have to stimulate your body to recover optimally. Correct nutrition is an essential factor in this!

But what is good nutrition for strength training? Which macros do you need, and in what quantities? Are Supplements Helpful to Maximize Muscle Growth? You can read it all in today's blog!

Nutrition during strength training

Why is nutrition such an important part of life as a strength athlete to begin with? Very simple: if you want to build muscle mass, you will have to provide your body with the necessary nutrients. If you don't, muscle building is simply impossible.
Why is nutrition such an important aspect of life as a strength athlete to begin with? Very simple: if you want to build muscle mass, you will have to provide your body with the necessary nutrients. If you don't, muscle building is simply impossible.

In addition, you also want to perform as well as possible during training. What you eat affects your energy levels and the effort you can make. It is therefore also essential to watch your nutrition for an optimal growth stimulus!

A first rule of thumb for nutrition in strength training is that you should eat enough calories. The ideal amount to gain weight is then about 10 to 20% above your energy consumption. You can easily calculate how much that is with our online tool (where you can also sign up for a free nutrition plan).

The reason for this calorie surplus is simple: your body needs more energy to build new muscle tissue. This also means that as an advanced athlete you cannot lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. If you want both, you will have to alternate between periods with a shortage and a surplus.

One last important note: you don't just need those extra calories on training days! It is precisely when you rest, your body is busy with recovery â € “and that also costs energy. So a little less is fine, but make sure you are at least in a calorie surplus at the end of the week.
One last important note: you don't just need those extra calories on training days! It is precisely when you rest, your body is busy recovering â € “and that also costs energy. So a little less is fine, but make sure you are at least in a calorie surplus at the end of the week.

You get the calories from the three macronutrients: proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Of these, proteins related to strength sports are mentioned the most. That is right, because proteins consist of amino acids, which form the building blocks of your (muscle) tissue in your body. So it's important to get enough of this!

Fortunately, if you do not exercise very intensively, that happens almost automatically. You then need about 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. The more fanatic you do strength training, the more that becomes. About 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is recommended for the most active athletes.

You get proteins from both animal and vegetable products. Animal proteins are, for example, meat, fish, eggs and dairy. Vegetable proteins can be found in legumes, whole grains, nuts, soy and some vegetables.

The importance of healthy fats is often underestimated. Yet, just like proteins, they are essential for strength training! For example, you need fats to make the hormone testosterone, which plays an important role in the development of new muscle tissue.
The importance of healthy fats is often underestimated. Still, like proteins, they are essential for strength training! For example, you need fats to produce the hormone testosterone, which plays an important role in the development of new muscle tissue.

You can eat about 1 gram of fat per kilo of body weight every day, assuming you are not very overweight. Note that most of those fats should be of the healthiest unsaturated kind. It is not recommended to get more than 10% of your daily calories from saturated fat.

Unsaturated fats are found in olive oil, avocado, nuts and fatty fish. Saturated fats are for example in meat, dairy and coconut

Nowadays carbohydrates are often known as fatteners, but that is unjustified. They are important energy suppliers, which your organs and especially your brain cannot do without. It is of course important to choose slow carbohydrates as much as possible. This way you prevent too high peaks in your blood sugar.
Nowadays carbohydrates are often known as fatteners, but that is unjustified. They are important energy suppliers that your organs and especially your brain cannot do without. It is of course important to choose slow carbohydrates as much as possible. This way you prevent too high peaks in your blood sugar.

Your daily amount of carbohydrates depends on the total number of calories you want to eat. It is best to calculate the number of calories from proteins and fats first, and then 'fill up' the rest with carbohydrates. People with a higher energy requirement will therefore eat relatively more carbohydrates!

You get slow carbohydrates from whole grains, vegetables, fruit and legumes. Fast carbohydrates are in honey, syrups and anything with added sugars.

If you eat mostly fresh and unprocessed food, you will soon be getting enough vitamins and minerals. An extra supplement is usually not necessary here. So don't be fooled by alarming talk - it usually comes from producers who want to avoid expensive pills themselves!

Many people think that nutrition in strength training is also about supplements. And indeed many manufacturers try to make you believe that as a strength athlete it is impossible to achieve results without their powders and shakes. However, that is not so bad! Most supplements have little effect.

Taking unnecessary remedies is not only expensive, it can also be unhealthy. For example, many herbal preparations contain no active ingredients, but traces of heavy metals. And drugs that affect your hormones often have unwanted side effects. So it is better to avoid such products.

Finally, there is often a lot of fuss about the number of meals you should eat. The good news is, it doesn't matter. If you get your calories more easily with six small meals, you should especially choose that. However, the traditional three meals are fine too. Keep the following two points in mind:

It is unwise to eat just before training: you can exercise less intensively with a full stomach. Of course you do need enough energy! It is therefore best to eat a good meal about two hours before your workout. This way you will no longer be full, but you will not be hungry either.

If you have just trained, your body needs energy and nutrients. This way, the recovery - and thus the growth - of your muscles can be started immediately. Therefore, make sure you get a good portion of proteins and carbohydrates within half an hour after training. For example, a protein shake with a banana works, but a wholemeal sandwich with chicken fillet is just as good.

So there are quite a few things to take into account when it comes to nutrition in strength training. A good method is to eat according to a feeding schedule. This way you don't run the risk of accidentally eating too many or too few calories, or the wrong ratio of macros.

Make sure that in a strength training nutritional plan you not only include main meals, but also snacks. This will make it as easy as possible for yourself to really stick to your schedule!