Ectomorph nutrition: tips for choosing a diet

There are athletes whose genetics are not designed to build muscle and strength. They are called ectomorphs. Nature ordered that metabolic processes take place in them at a very fast speed, because of this, it is extremely difficult to achieve muscle hypertrophy.

By the way, the subcutaneous fat layer in ectomorphs also grows reluctantly. We will try to help athletes with this type of physique and tell you what nutrition should be for an ectomorph so that, while exercising, you can build beautiful muscle reliefs.

So, what regime and diet for an ectomorph will be most effective in the fight for a beautiful muscular body?

Diet

You need calories to grow. For endomorph, mesomorph and ectomorph, their daily rate will be different. It often happens that a slender novice ectomorph needs more calories and macronutrients for a set than an experienced mesomorph. This is explained by the fact that due to the rapid metabolism, the body immediately converts all consumed food into energy. It is thanks to this that ectomorphs are more easily given aerobic exercise, for example, long-distance races. Food turns into fuel, carbohydrates (in the form of glucose) do not have time to accumulate in subcutaneous fat or glycogen.

Calorie requirement calculation

In order to slightly reshape metabolic processes to fit your needs, you need to correctly compose a diet. Proper nutrition of an ectomorph for weight gain implies a high-calorie diet with a lot of carbohydrates. And we are not talking about simple carbohydrates derived from sweet or starchy foods. The basis should be natural healthy products. They should comprise at least 90% of the diet, the rest, if desired, can be “finished off” with your favorite junk food.

When calculating your daily calorie intake, use the following formula:

60 calories x body weight x daily activity level = calories

In this formula, 60 calories is optimal for ectomorphs and hard gainers. For mesomorphs, this figure will be around 45, for endomorphs - 40.

Activity level calculation

It is important to calculate your activity level correctly. Take this value as 1 if you are an office worker and lead a predominantly sedentary lifestyle, or 1.5 if your job involves hard physical labor. The higher your daily employment rate, the more nutrients you need for recovery and growth.

The bulk of the diet should be carbohydrates. Remember that 1 gram of carbohydrates equals 4.1 calories. To gain muscle mass, ectomorphs may require 6 to 9 grams of carbohydrates per 1 kilogram of body weight.
Protein is the second most important for ectomorph athletes. One gram of protein is equivalent to 4.1 calories. Muscle growth is impossible without it, the body simply will not have time to recover. Protein should be consumed about 2 grams per kilogram of body weight. Try to eat so that protein enters the body in uniform portions every 2.5-3 hours, then you will constantly maintain protein synthesis and prevent yourself from catabolism.

Fat should be less, about 1 gram per 1 kilogram of body weight. One gram of fat contains 9 calories. This amount is enough to maintain health, because in moderation, fats are useful for the hormonal, digestive and cardiovascular systems.

Ectomorph diet

As already mentioned, about 90% of the diet for an ectomorph should consist of healthy products of natural origin. Preference should be given to products, which we will discuss in more detail.

Protein

Protein is found in high amounts in chicken, turkey, beef, fish, egg whites, dairy products, and seafood.

Here are some helpful tips for choosing protein-rich foods:

1. When buying beef, try to choose the least fatty cuts, such as rump or tenderloin. If desired, beef can sometimes be substituted for lean pork (loin). Red meat must be present in the diet.
2. The fish can be eaten both red and white. They are both rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus, and omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids. The same goes for seafood.
3. Dairy products should also be included in your diet. They have a fairly good amino acid composition. It is better to buy milk, kefir, cottage cheese and cheese with a low percentage of fat.

Carbohydrates

Optimal and inexpensive sources of carbohydrates are buckwheat, rice, durum wheat pasta, oatmeal, potatoes, vegetables, and fruits.

Preference should be given to foods with a low glycemic index, so as not to provoke strong insulin spikes. Otherwise, you not only run the risk of gaining excess fat, but also harm your pancreas.

Cereals should be selected with minimal processing. For example, round grain rice is not the best choice. It is better to buy unprocessed basmati rice or another variety. It's a little more expensive, but much more useful. Also pay attention to the cooking time of the cereals. If it is less than 10 minutes, then there is no benefit in this product.

You can eat vegetables without any special restrictions. They are rich in vitamins and fiber, which will improve digestion. But with fruits you need to be careful. Many of them, like bananas, are very high in sugar. One banana contains up to 30 grams of sugar. It's easy to get carried away. It is better to leave simple carbohydrates for those periods when the body needs a source of quickly absorbed energy: after waking up, before, during and after training.

Fats

Egg yolks, vegetable oil, nuts, avocados, peanut butter contain a large amount of fat.

The difference between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids should be clearly understood. Saturated fat is harmful to health, causing obesity and raising bad cholesterol. This leads to diseases of the cardiovascular system and atherosclerosis. Unsaturated fat, in turn, is beneficial for health in moderation. They lower the level of "bad" cholesterol, normalize cellular metabolism, and minimize the risk of atherosclerosis.

Saturated fats are vegetable fats. Their consumption should be minimized. Trans fats are also dangerous to your health and should be avoided altogether.

Sports nutrition for ectomorph

It is often difficult to get a daily intake of proteins, fats and carbohydrates with only natural food. Then sports nutrition for an ectomorph comes to the rescue. Let's take a look at the main products.

Protein

Quality protein is the foundation of any diet. Protein makes it much easier to get your daily protein intake. It is especially important to take it after training, between meals and before bed (we are talking about casein). During the period of muscle gain, there is no point in spending money on an expensive isolate or hydrolyzate, whey protein is enough. Choose products of any Western brand, whose pricing policy suits you.

Gainer

Gainers, they are also protein-carbohydrate mixtures, are the most controversial product of sports nutrition. Some consider them a meaningless product, and some do not see their progress without it. The truth, as usual, is somewhere in the middle.

Most of the weight gainers on the market are made up of two main components: whey protein and simple carbohydrates (sugar, maltodextrin, dextrose, etc.). Buying this is really not entirely reasonable, the same mixture can be made at home without spending extra money.

But there are other gainers, which include complex carbohydrates, and cheap and useless components like sugar are replaced with expensive amylopectin. Amylopectin is a fast carbohydrate that does not cause an insulin spike, which does not lead to fat accumulation, only fast energy. Such a product is the best fit for ectomorphs for use before or after training. Also, amylopectin is great for use during exercise - it constantly energizes and enhances pumping.

BCAAs and amino acids

Any athlete taking BCAA (leucine, isoleucine, valine) will only benefit. These are the three amino acids with the highest concentration in muscle cells. Here is a short list of their useful properties:

1. increased protein synthesis;
2. decrease in catabolic processes in the body;
3. improving the breakdown of adipose tissue;
4. acceleration of recovery after training;
5. stimulation of insulin production.

The optimal time to take BCAAs or complex amino acids is immediately after waking up, before, during, after training and before bed. However, the daily dosage of amino acids should be large enough, not less than 30 grams. From the dosage stated on the packaging by the manufacturer of 5-10 grams, the ectomorph will feel absolutely nothing. It is advisable to use BCAA together with another amino acid - glutamine. Glutamine is essential for the body to maintain immunity.

Pre-workout complexes

This sports nutrition for gaining muscle mass for ectomorphs will be extremely useful. Thanks to the intake of this supplement, the mental attitude to training improves, the blood circulation of the working muscles increases, and more energy is consumed.

Many pre-workout complexes contain various stimulants (DMAA, DMHA, ephedrine, etc.). For ectomorphs, their intake is undesirable, as they "force" you to work in the gym until you sweat and spend too many calories. This will make it harder to gain muscle mass. In addition, they should be consumed on an empty stomach to get the full effect. Formed too long break between meals (about 4 hours). This is undesirable for an ectomorph. Therefore, it is better to opt for complexes with a small amount of stimulants (100 mg of caffeine will be more than enough) and working components for pumping like arginine, agmatine or yohimbine.

Vitamin and mineral complex

Exercising in the gym leads to a large waste of vitamins and minerals. This leads to a weakening of the body's immune system. For this reason, every athlete often suffers from colds. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to consume a vitamin and mineral complex all year round, so you will be sure of your health.

Creatine

Creatine is widely regarded as one of the most effective supplements around. It promotes the buildup of ATP molecules in the muscles, which allows for more reps and more weight. The most common form is creatine monohydrate, which can be bought at any sports nutrition store at an affordable price. Numerous studies show that creatine actually promotes muscle gain and strength. Many people advise doing the loading phase when starting creatine intake, but recent research refutes this myth. It is enough to consume about 5 grams per day, and it is better to break this amount into several small doses.

Recommendations for diet and menu design

1. Focus on total calories. It's okay if there is sometimes a slight imbalance in nutrients, but the total calories should always be about the same.
2. Keep your fast food consumption to a minimum. For ectomorphs, regular intake of their favorite “junk” food in small quantities is quite acceptable. However, it is better to find a healthier alternative to this. Burgers, pizzas and pastries can be made at home using healthy ingredients.
3. Drink plenty of water. This is necessary for normal hydration and maintenance of water-salt balance. A person needs to consume at least 1 liter of water per 30 kg of his own weight.
4. Don't overeat. You should be slightly hungry every 2-3 hours, then you can easily eat the required amount of food. If you gorge yourself every time, then 6-8 meals will not fit in you.
5. Do fasting days. This will improve the functioning of the entire gastrointestinal tract. Try fasting every two weeks, consuming only water or kefir, and you will see the result.

Nutrition program for gaining muscle mass

Based on the above, an ectomorph nutrition program for gaining muscle mass for the day should look something like this:

It is not necessary to thoroughly follow this ectomorph nutrition plan, you can always add, remove or replace something. The main thing is to eat healthy food, consistently adhere to the daily calorie content, train hard in the gym and remember to recover.

Watch the video: Eating For Your Body Type ECTOMORPHS Gauge Girl Training (November 2024).