The desire to gain muscle mass is understandable and completely justified: first of all, sculpted muscles make the figure more beautiful and harmonious. In addition, larger muscles allow you to be stronger. And finally, a muscular person has more active blood circulation and metabolism, which allows him to quickly adapt to changes, work more productively, think better, cope with infections faster and gain excess weight more slowly. This is why sports nutrition for weight gain is so popular.
All the best for children - the influence of nutrition on physical condition
An athlete, like a child, needs a balanced diet. His well-being, physical activity, and future achievements depend on this. Adhering to a healthy lifestyle and nutritious nutrition means contributing to future victories.
Any athlete knows that to properly maintain physical fitness, it is necessary to find a balance in 3 areas:
- training;
- recovery period;
- nutrition.
Under the supervision of experienced trainers, the intensity of the load and the fullness of rest are strictly observed. Difficulties often arise precisely in the correct selection of diet and nutrition.
There is no need to rely on generally accepted rules in this matter, because there have been many years of battles about this issue. Often opinions differ, causing athletes to doubt and search for a true solution.
Recently, baby food has become especially popular among athletes. The composition of this product is in no way inferior to sports protein complexes. At the same time, gaining weight with baby food is no worse than specialized food.
Prohibited Products
Harmful foods disrupt the functioning of the digestive system, impair metabolism, provoke the development of allergic reactions, and worsen dental health.
The diet menu of a 2-year-old child should not contain the following products:
- fatty fish and meat;
- processed meat products (sausages, sausages, frankfurters, etc.);
- meat broths;
- seafood;
- blue cheeses, sharp cheeses;
- natural coffe;
- products containing dyes, flavors, flavor enhancers;
- instant dry juices;
- sweet soda;
- dry concentrates for preparing side dishes;
- canned food;
- products with fructose;
- pickled, spicy foods;
- sauces (including ketchup, mayonnaise);
- spices;
- barley cereals;
- pastries, cakes;
- mushrooms;
- puff pastry;
- chocolate;
- gum.
What affects muscle growth
Anyone who is superficially familiar with sports is convinced that muscle growth is associated solely with the intensity of training. This statement is considered true with a small caveat: physical activity is only part of the process.
An athlete on a strict diet who performs active training runs the risk of becoming exhausted in the shortest possible time. Beautiful muscle relief in this case is an unattainable dream.
Proper growth of muscle mass is possible only if the body receives a healthy, balanced diet. Adequate protein content in the diet is essential. Based on these criteria, infant formula is a good choice.
In addition to them, the daily diet should be supplemented with foods rich in protein components:
- meat (low-fat varieties are desirable: beef, chicken, rabbit);
- cereals;
- eggs;
- dairy products.
Eating natural foods without adding processed proteins to the menu does not have the expected effect. Therefore, it is impossible to do without the use of special additives, such as sports or infant formula.
Does early complementary feeding cause excess weight gain?
They say that complementary feeding for low birth weight babies should start with cereals. Is it so? Read how complementary feeding affects a child’s weight, what kind of food worsens metabolism and can lead to obesity rather than normalizing weight. Elena Viktorovna Deryabina, Ph.D., Associate Professor of the Department of Pediatrics at Ulyanovsk State University, pediatrician, gastroenterologist, nutritionist and chief physician of the multidisciplinary medical center in Ulyanovsk, tells the story.
— Elena Viktorovna, at what age do pediatricians recommend introducing complementary foods?
— The optimal age is from 4 to 6 months, regardless of the type of feeding.
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— I recommend introducing the first complementary foods at the age of 5-5.5 months, since the next vaccination is given every six months according to the national calendar, and in connection with this, the start of complementary feeding may be delayed.
Despite all the recommendations, many families still have questions about the timing of complementary feeding. The problem has arisen largely due to the characteristics of pediatric and pedagogical complementary feeding.
Pedagogical complementary feeding
| Pediatric complementary foods
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— With the beginning of the introduction of new products, the child will become familiar with the process of eating. New foods are introduced slowly over time, and efforts should be made to introduce all food groups. Pediatric complementary feeding takes all this into account if you follow the timing and individual needs of the baby.
— Is early complementary feeding dangerous?
— Before four months, the child’s body is not ready to accept food that differs from mother’s milk or an adapted formula. The enzyme system, intestinal permeability, and stomach acidity have not yet been adapted to accept other foods. At this age, the spoon-pushing reflex gradually fades away, psychological maturation occurs, and the child approaches a semi-sitting position.
The baby must be ready to start complementary feeding, and if the mother starts feeding him earlier, this can have certain consequences. Thus, an excessive load of antigens can lead to a breakdown of the immune system and pathologically abnormal reactions, including allergic ones. The recommended time intervals must be observed. Feeding too early is ineffective and dangerous to health.
— Poor weight gain in infants is considered by mothers to be a serious reason for early complementary feeding. Is this justified?
“This is a wrong position, which even pediatricians sometimes adhere to.” Complementary feeding in the second trimester of a child’s life does not yet perform nutritional and energy functions. This is only the first stage of getting to know the process: psychological, as well as from the point of view of digestion. The baby does not yet receive the dose of the product that would bring him calories and weight gain.
A mother’s independent decision about early complementary feeding is unjustified, just as there are no medical indications for introducing complementary feeding before 4 months. Feeding a low birth weight baby early can disrupt the gastrointestinal tract and worsen weight gain problems.
— If you do not gain enough weight, you should consult a doctor. The pediatrician determines the degree of body weight deficiency, whether it fits into individual norms, as well as the cause of this condition, on which the treatment of malnutrition in infants depends.
Degree of underweight
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— Is it necessary to focus on the child’s wishes when introducing complementary foods?
Give earlier if he asks, or delay if he doesn’t eat well.
“Everything is individual, so there is a wide time range from 4 to 6 months for starting complementary feeding. If desired, the timing can be shifted up a couple of weeks, up to 6.5 months, if the child has no interest in food. When a baby covers his mouth, refuses to eat, cries and is hysterical, it will not be possible to feed him.
But it is important for parents to meet the designated deadlines and stimulate the baby’s food interest even before his first acquaintance with solid food:
- eat in front of the child with a spoon, from a plate, or with a cup;
- show that food is tasty and interesting;
- If the child reaches out with his hand to a dish or spoon, allow him to touch and play with them.
Programming a child to repeat after adults will awaken his interest in food.
Late start of complementary feeding
- You cannot start feeding your baby from 7-9 months - there is a risk that he will not want to eat at all. It is important to include new products in the process of mental maturation and against the backdrop of the baby’s readiness. In addition, under the influence of solid food, further development of the gastrointestinal tract will occur, including stimulation of the child’s enzyme system: if you do not provide an irritant for the production of digestive enzymes, they will not be produced, which may affect the further introduction and absorption of complementary foods.
The period from 4 to 6-7 months is called the golden window for the immune system to form tolerance (correct tolerance) to food, which reduces the likelihood of food intolerance.
In addition, when delaying complementary feeding, you will have to quickly catch up: get acquainted with the range of products, train the skills of chewing and swallowing food of different consistency. Therefore, it is better to start on time and introduce your baby to new food gradually.
Advantages and disadvantages of baby food for an athlete
Nutrition for muscle mass should consist of more than just pure protein. For full development, any organism needs a complex of nutrients. Infant formulas contain exactly the right proportions of the most important elements for growth and development.
The production of products for children is under strict control, so purchasing a low-quality product is not as easy as in the case of sports nutrition.
It is athletic mixtures for gaining muscle mass that often become the most falsified (demand and price are high, but there is no proper control over production).
The “overloading” of the product with all sorts of elements is often cited as a disadvantage of baby food. In addition to the necessary protein, the athlete receives a lot of other substances (not always needed in such quantities by the body).
Infant formula is designed to completely replace a child’s entire diet, but for an adult athlete, this product alone is not enough to maintain vital functions. Therefore, it is difficult to maintain the necessary balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
If the athlete has a fragile build, baby food can be a good ally, but if he has a tendency to be overweight, it can be harmful.
Regime and feeding schedule for a 2 year old child
A 2-year-old child's nutritional intake includes four meals a day. Pediatricians recommend feeding the baby at approximately the same time, with equal intervals of 4 hours between meals. If the child has breakfast at 8 o’clock in the morning, then he should have lunch at 12 o’clock, at 16 o’clock, after a nap, a light afternoon snack is necessary and at 19:00 a full dinner.
An example of a child's nutrition at 2 years old:
- Breakfast. This is the basis of a healthy diet. In the morning, it is best to give your child porridge with the addition of a small amount of fruit or butter. For dessert, you can give cookies or a sandwich.
- Dinner. The first course is usually soup, the second is a vegetable side dish, meat or fish dishes, and you can wash it all down with dried fruit compote.
- Afternoon snack. An excellent option would be cottage cheese dishes, cookies, milk, fruit salads, juices, yoghurts.
- Dinner. You can prepare pasta, porridge, boiled or stewed vegetables, and meat casserole for your child.
The above nutritional schedule is designed for healthy children. If a child grows poorly, often gets sick, or his body is weakened, then increased nutrition is necessary. In addition to the main meals, you can add a second breakfast, as well as a healthy snack before bed.
A complete replacement or a waste of money
Switching to infant formula to gain muscle mass should be considered carefully. Preliminarily calculate the feasibility of this action. First of all, you need to summarize the amount of protein required for an athlete and compare it with the content of the mixture.
It often turns out that you have to consume the product 1 pack per day, which is very expensive. Even expensive sports nutrition will cost less in this situation.
In addition, a properly composed menu becomes a good basis for regulating physical fitness. Chicken breast as a main course, egg or milkshake for a snack. A nutritious diet of regular foods can protect you from unnecessary spending.
Food recipes for children 2 years old
Potato casserole with meat filling
Take half a kilogram of fresh veal, cut it into small pieces, put it in a pan, add water, lightly salt it and cook. Next, take a kilogram of potatoes, one onion, one carrot, wash them, peel them. Cut the potatoes into pieces, boil, drain the water, make a puree, add butter and milk, and cool.
Chop the onions and carrots, simmer in refined vegetable oil until soft. Grind the boiled meat in a meat grinder and mix with stewed vegetables. Take a glass container, grease its bottom with butter and place half a portion of potatoes. Pour the minced meat mixed with vegetables on top, cover this layer with the remaining puree, and brush the top of the casserole with sour cream. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
Soup with fish balls and potatoes
To prepare this dish, take 300 milliliters of fish broth, put on fire, bring to a boil, add pre-cut potatoes (50 grams), onions (10 grams), carrots (15 grams), parsley root (5 grams). Cook until the vegetables are ready, then add meatballs made from fish fillets to the soup (60 grams of fillet + 1/2 chicken egg + 20 milliliters of milk + 10 grams of white bread crumb). After the meatballs float, season everything with fresh dill. The soup is ready.
How to use infant formula for athletes
When deciding on the use of infant formula, the standard diet should be completely reconsidered. It is necessary to remove components containing carbohydrates from the menu, because... There are a lot of them in mixtures.
The photo of baby food for the masses shows the most popular products among athletes.
The mixture is recommended to be taken before or after training. The dry product is diluted with drinking water.
Do not consume the mixture at the same time as other foods. It is necessary to calculate the protein proportions in advance. The daily norm for an athlete is 150 g.
Any sane person should understand that baby food is intended for the growing body of a child, and therefore is not a complete replacement for an adult’s diet.
