“It is health that is the real wealth, and not pieces of gold and silver.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Are you a female powerlifter who wants to gain strength? Perhaps you’re a newbie, and you want to start on the right foot. Female weightlifters must gain nutritional support through food and supplementation plans to support the specific needs of women.
So what should a female powerlifter’s diet look like? This can depend on a few things, including your fitness goals and body type. Before making any changes to your diet, seek the expertise of a specialist in performance nutrition. In Brisbane, you’ll find specialists that will help you get strong while keeping a healthy body. Nemesis Powerlifter coach in Brisbane is an excellent example of an expert who can provide this guidance.
Here you can get wide-ranging nutritional coaching and support to achieve your goals through positive lifestyle change. You’ll also receive prioritised advice to complement your powerlifting regimen.
Monitor Your Calorie Intake
As a powerlifter, you have to intake more calories than the average individual due to your augmented body muscle mass, weight, and the energy cost of your workouts. As a female weightlifter, you will have higher-calorie needs than the general population.
Consume the Right Amount of Carbohydrates
“How much protein does my body need?
The answer is quite simple: about 1 gram per pound of body weight, maybe a little less/more. After that, you should probably focus on the finer components of things with carbs, which athletes tend to push to extremes.
Here is a list of healthy carbohydrate sources to add to your grocery list. This list includes oats, fresh fruit, potatoes, legumes, brown rice, whole grain pasta, plain dairy products, and buckwheat.
On training days, aim to consume 50% carbs in your daily calories. For non-training days, make it 30% calories. If your workouts tend to last longer than 90 minutes or even close to 2 hours, consider adding carbs during the training in a drink or a snack like crispy protein rice treats.
Healthy Supplements for Performance Nutrition
Diet plays a vital role in any athlete’s routine, providing the fuel needed to execute. But diet alone may also not always provide everything your body needs. Often women experience deficiencies during different periods of life, including low iron, particularly during periods. There are also instances where your body isn’t able to absorb certain nutrients, and this is where supplements are beneficial.
Supplements provide what you can’t get through your usual nutrition routine, whether vitamins and minerals or performance enhancers. Supplements that may help you improve your performance include:
- Creatine
- Glutamine
- Fish Oil
- Calcium
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Glucosamine and Chondroitin
- Omega3
- Multivitamins
It is recommended that you seek help from a powerlifting nutrition coach for supplement guidance and a meal plan. Don’t forget to consult your doctor.
Drink More Water
Everyone can benefit from hydration, especially strength athletes. Even a tiny amount of dehydration can enormously degrade your performance during a workout and lead to much stress on your body. Aim for 64 ounces or 8 cups of water throughout the day before your workout. Depending on your body size, weight, and daily schedule, you may need more or less. However, you do need to drink water to maintain optimal health.
Get the Proper Guidance
So, you want to be a powerlifter? You’ve been admiring another woman’s sheer strength and determination at the gym, and you want to try it for yourself. Before rushing into it alone, it is always better to learn from the pros. A powerlifting trainer will show you the correct starting weights and lifting technique, and they will cover proper diet plans, workouts, and supplements. They will ensure you’re supporting and protecting your body. Having a trainer will give you the best chance to grow and offer you ways to excel in your strength, whether you’re a powerlifter or just interested in general strength.
Where do you find such a valuable coach? Nemies Performance educates clients about performance nutrition and how to implement long-term, sustainable changes. Learning from the experts is the best way to reach your strength goals.
