JUNE 2017 MUSCLE & FITNESS 93MARK GILBERT
is an expert in sports
nutrition and has
worked with elite level
athletes and formu-
lated supps for many
of the industry’s
biggest companies.
See the MuscleDiet
YouTube channel for
more information.having a high-sodium diet for several
days and if there is little change, this
will confirm your suspicions).
For the sodium sensitive types,
the first course of action should be
to figure out your potassium intake
(approximately) from food and try to
ensure that it is between 4.5 and 6
grams per day. Just getting your
potassium right will improve your
water balance and ensure that
sodium fluctuations can’t cause such
dramatic shifts in water retention.
If you are going to mess with your
sodium intake, potassium intake
should be somewhat lower when
your sodium intake is low and higher
when your sodium intake is high. You
see, just as with low or inadequate
sodium intake, too much potassium
triggers an increase in the hormone
aldosterone, which signals the
kidneys to hold onto sodium and
water — exactly what you are trying
excess water and further
improve vascularity.
5.Vitamin CTake 1000mg every
fourhoursforthelast12hours.
Thismayhavemilddiureticeffects.
Ensure you’ve used it before as
it can cause diarrhoea.
6.Lipoic acidProbably not very
useful for lean, fit competitors
who already have very good
insulin function.
7.Dark chocolateHave 30 to 50
grams,twotothreehoursbefore
theshootandno,don’tworryabout
thefatandsugarcontent.Dark
chocolate is one of the most potent
vasodilatorsyoucangetanditwill
makeyoulookfullerandmore
vascular—goforachocolatethatis
at least 85% cocoa... and no, milk
chocolate doesn’t work.
8.AsparagusHave about 12
medium to large spears the night
before—friedinabitofbutterisbest.
9.DoNOTaddany“new”foods
whichyouhaven’ttriedbeforein
thelastthreedays.Avoid wheat
but rice, sugar, chocolate, sports
drinks, potatoes and sweet
potatoes are good choices.- Rest Lie down, try to sleep
or at least clear your mind and
stay relaxed on contest day!
Virtually everyone looks harder
and leaner in the morning.
So there you have it — effective
strategies, how to implement them,
new info that hasn’t been touched on
before, a few myths busted and the
top 10 tips to squeeze a little bit more
leanness and muscularity out of your
hat in your final prep. Good luck!to avoid. So extreme manipulations
in these two crucial electrolytes can
be counterproductive!OTHER TIPS
AND TRICKS- Sweet potatoes These are
extremely high in potassium and
yet contain almost no sodium. - Glycerol Use 4 tablespoons
2 hours before pre-judging and
before contest time. This stuff
can really help fill out muscles
and increase vascularity. - Caffeine Have 200 to 600mg in the
four to six hours before — depending
upon your tolerance. Tablets are best.
This will have a mild diuretic effect
making you look harder. - Red wine If you have a normal or
high tolerance for alcohol, drink one
to two glasses the night before and
drink a glass or two in the two to four
hours pre-contest. This will remove
“BAD” FATS
If your diet and training has been solid,
fat will go straight into the muscle and not
under the skin. In fact, this is one reason
why most guys say that they look better
on the Sunday after 24-hours of pizzas,
burgers and cheesecake!
CONTEST PREP