Many dream of being a successful bodybuilder, but few achieve it. The main reason is that it requires a lot of hard work, patience, and dedication. The hard work that is required to become a bodybuilder involves learning the proper form of doing exercises, understanding diet and implementing it, and so many other things.
These factors may also differ in terms of gender. In this article, we are focusing on the differences between the diet of a male and a female bodybuilder.
Diet and Bodybuilding
Proper diet and lifting weights in the gym play a significant role. Exercises contribute to building muscles and strengthening them, but without adequate nutrition, you cannot achieve expected results. Diet can impact losing excess fat gaining muscle mass. Both of these aspects are equally important for being a successful bodybuilder. Both males and females need to follow a proper diet and shed fat to get leaner and gain muscle mass.
Mechanism of Diet for Bodybuilding
Diet for bodybuilding is based on the science of nutrition, which aims to achieve specific results. Diet provides the energy required for your body to perform exercises and other nutrients necessary to repair and recover muscles after workouts. Bodybuilders, both males and females, shed excess fat from their bodies with a combination of diet and exercise. In addition, a combination of protein intake and rest is required for muscle recovery and repair purposes. Diet is essential in achieving results for bodybuilding.
Key Differences in the Diet of Male & Female Bodybuilders
Following are four key differences in the diet consumed by male and female bodybuilders.
- Protein
Every bodybuilder requires high doses of protein to build muscle fibers that get damaged after workouts. It is recommended that bodybuilders take 1-2 grams of protein per pound of their bodyweight to promote the growth of muscles and stay in an anabolic state. The basic difference is the weight at which males and females compete. Since females compete at significantly lesser weight compared to males, the protein requirement is necessary for both but differs due to the different weights.
- Calories
Depending on one’s bodybuilding goals, high calories are needed for maintaining and growing the muscles. This applies to all bodybuilders, but a 250-pound male bodybuilder needs to consume more calories than a 150-pound female bodybuilder. So, the main difference between calories consumed by men and women exists in quantities. Female bodybuilders need to follow a stricter diet because of their higher levels of fat.
- Other Nutrients
Since women require more work than men to burn fat, many women prefer a low carbohydrate diet and look for foods that help enhance metabolism. The intake of carbohydrates and fat must be in proportion with protein, but some females prefer a lower fat intake. Compared to females, males can shed their body fat more effortlessly. Some particular vitamins and supplements for women cater to the requirements of female bodybuilders.
- Supplements
Depending on the bodybuilding goals, males and females have different requirements for supplementation. Female bodybuilders tend to use more fat-burning supplements as compared to males due to their disadvantage in fat metabolizing. Since women carry more fat than men, female fat burners are different. Female bodybuilders do not take natural testosterone boosters since they are not made for the female body. When compared with male bodybuilders, creatine requirements are lower in female bodybuilders.
If you are training to become a professional bodybuilder, you must follow a proper diet depending on your gender. The next step could be helping others achieve the same goal, but you will need to get the right knowledge. The easiest way is to get certified by American Sports & Fitness Association and achieve your goals.
