Better Nutrition Fuels Better Workouts

Do You Know How To Keep Your Muscles Strong?

You might think that the answer would be exercise. Of course you are right. Good exercise on a regular basis will keep you strong and limber, and give you that sexy body you want.

But ask a bodybuilder what keeps their muscles strong and you know what they'll tell you? They'll say that 80% of the gain is from eating right.

Burn the fat but keep the muscle

Nutrition is just as important as exercise. When muscle is not fed it breaks down. So when you try to diet to lose weight the muscle tends to break down. There is a word for this breakdown -- it is called "catabolism."

Catabolism means the breakdown of lean muscle tissue. You don't want that to happen.

Let's say you took two groups of people and put them on a diet. The first group ate their food in large meals. And the second group ate the same food, but ate more often. The second group would get just as much to eat, but spread throughout the day.

What would happen?

The first group would lose fat and muscle. Their metabolism would plummet. And they'd end up weak, tired, and hungry.

The second group would would hang on to more of their muscle. They wouldn't get "starved" between meals and start breaking down muscle. They keep their lean mass.

This is important in weight loss. You don't want to be "catabolic" -- breaking down your muscles. You are trying to lose fat, not muscle. Muscle is what gives you a nice figure, a nice build. You want to keep that.

The right protein and the right carbs

When you eat protein you flood your bloodstream with amino acids, and amino acids are the building blocks of protein. And if you have a little good carbohydrate with it you release a little insulin. Then the insulin stimulates your body to rebuild itself.

Lean protein with good healthy carbohydrate is the one-two punch. But that is lean protein, not greasy drive-through food.

And that is high-quality carbohydrate, not soda, candy and cookies.

So come on, eat your chow, hit the gym, and you will get lean and healthy.

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