Dietary Strategies for Your Body Type
By
Ann C. Grandjean, Ed.D., The International Center
of
All-Stater Sports
The
pursuit of a desired body weight, physique, or specific percentage of body
fat are the main reasons why athletes try to gain or lose weight. To reach
their body composition goals, athletes should focus on three basic
principles: the proper training program, a well-balanced diet, and
adequate rest.
Sounds easy enough. But achieving the desired results of lean body mass
gain or fat loss is far from easy. One reason many athletes struggle with
body composition change is that they are fighting genetics.
What's your somatotype?
We inherit specific body types known
as somatotypes. The three basic somatotypes are ectomorph, mesomorph, and
endomorph. Athletes usually exhibit a predominance of one body type with
aspects of the other two.
Ectomorphs typically are lean and slightly muscular. Their genetic
makeup does not lend itself to easy weight gain. Mesomorphs are naturally
muscular and strong. They can increase muscle size and strength quickly,
especially with the right training and nutrition program. Endomorphs
exhibit a stocky build; they have a wide chest and hips and short bones.
For the endomorph, weight gain is easy and fat loss is difficult.
Before embarking on a program to change body composition, athletes
should have a general knowledge of their somatotype. Once the athlete
recognizes his or her genetic foundation, progress toward the goal can be
judged more realistically and frustration can be minimized.
Weight gain
The rate and amount of weight gain and the
specific muscles that are developed depend on the athlete's training and
nutrition program, body type, and other genetic factors. Research shows
that body build has an impact on how much lean body mass an athlete is
able to gain. Although it is possible for any athlete to gain muscle, the
athlete with a solid build can expect to gain more lean body mass than the
athlete with a slender build.
Weight training
Certain principles of weight gain apply to
athletes, regardless of body build. An appropriate strength training
program is the essential foundation of any program for increasing muscle
size or strength. Muscular development occurs only when the overload
principle is applied. Simply put, overload forces a muscle to work beyond
its current capability, and the muscle will respond by adapting to the
work imposed.
Caloric needs
In addition to weight training, athletes need a
well-balanced diet that supplies adequate calories and protein to produce
the desired gains. The exact number of calories needed varies as to body
compartment affected. It has been estimated that it takes approximately
2,500 calories of energy to develop 1 lb. of muscle.
To avoid gains in body fat, weight training is essential, and the
weight gain should be slow and gradual. Assuming 2,500 calories are needed
for 1 lb. gain, and assuming 1 lb. of lean body mass can be added in 1
week, an extra 350 calories will be needed per day.
