While most people go to the gym just to get trimmed, some have goals that go far beyond that. There are athletes, models, and competitive bodybuilders, who have fitness goals that are a couple of notches higher than the average joe. Even with the perfect diet and intense, regular weightlifting, these goals may not be achieved at all without a little extra help. Thus, anabolic steroids are born.
If you are considering to take steroids, it’s important to consult a doctor first to know the possible health risks for you. Moreover, there are a couple of things you need to remember when planning your diet. Most diet advice on the internet are meant for natural bodybuilders, so you need to get information that’s suited especially for your needs. Here, we discuss the difference of a high-protein diet when you’re a natural vs. non-natural bodybuilder.
What are Anabolic Steroids
But first things first: what are steroids? Anabolic steroids are derived from the male sex hormone, testosterone. They are used to accelerate muscle growth and improve the appearance of muscles. It does so by helping the body absorb and retain protein, and decrease the rate of protein breakdown.
Steroids have been around since the 1930’s. Initially, they were used to treat men who can’t produce enough testosterone naturally. As you could imagine, these men don’t have most physical characteristics associated with masculinity, such as body hair, deep voice, broad shoulders, and of course, a muscular physique.
Natural vs. Non-Natural Weight Trainin
Soon after, trainers realized that their athletes can also benefit from anabolic steroids. Nowadays, steroids are commonly used by athletes and weightlifters to help them achieve an impeccable shape.
Aside from the enhanced muscle growth, steroids can also help you recover faster. While natural bodybuilders need at least 48 hours to recover before they can start working out again, steroids enable weightlifters to recover in just about a day. If natural weightlifters can work out 3-4 times a week, non-natural bodybuilders can train up to six times a week. That makes a an enormous difference in terms of the speed of muscle growth.
However, don’t get into thinking that steroids are a magical sera that you can inject so you can grow without having to exert effort. If you think that steroids are a ‘lazy’ way to gain muscle, you couldn’t be further from the truth. Steroids can accelerate muscle growth, but it only works if you also double your efforts in the gym and pay close attention to your protein intake.
Protein Requirements for Natural Weight Trainer
Unlike steroids-users, the rate protein synthesis fluctuates throughout the day if you go natural. You have to time your protein intake when your body is more ready to absorb and use it to build muscle. Thus, the ‘Protein Pulse’ approach can be more beneficial for you. This simply means that you time your protein intake around your workouts.
The purpose of this method is to create that spiking effect by taking higher amounts of protein before, during, or after workouts, and keeping protein intake relatively low for the rest of the day. The faster the protein is absorbed while your body is ready to absorb the nutrients, the greater the peaking effect.
A word of caution: too much protein for natural lifters will not really help in muscle building. Excessive protein makes the body turn protein into energy (via Gluconeogenesis). Instead of building muscle tissue, you might create an energy surplus, which in turn will trigger your body to store fat.
The rule of thumb for natural weightlifters is that you need to take 1 gram of protein per pound of your body weight per day.If you’re already in a calorie deficit, you can increase your protein intake to 1.2 to 1.4 grams per pound of body weight. Going any further than that will no longer be beneficial for you.
Protein Requirements for Non-Natural Weight Trainer
As you might expect, bodybuilders who use steroids need to eat more protein. Steroids increase your protein requirements for muscle building and, as well as the rate of protein synthesis itself. Moreover, you can benefit from a high protein intake throughout the day, since the rate of protein synthesis in your body is pretty high around the clock. You can also benefit from slow-release, high quality protein from casein-based shakes.
It is well accepted that during anabolic or growth hormone stage, protein intake should be around 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. The number also varies depending on the type of steroid that you are taking.