Balanced diet key to building Mr Universe' muscle mass

Many health-conscious men want the body of a Mr Universe, but the idea that muscles are built up by consuming protein before or after training is not entirely correct, according to Professor Ingo Froboese, from the Centre for Health at the German Sport High School in Cologne.

"Of course your body should get a well-balanced diet, with enough protein, during intensive training," he says.

But Froboese says normal, everyday foods contain all the protein you need.

According to Froboese, between 0.8g and 1g of protein per kilogram of body weight a day is enough to cover the needs of the average sportsperson.

"But anyone who goes above that is not only wasting money, they are also 'displacing' their normal metabolic function towards protein-metabolism." That can be a problem, especially for the kidneys. "The best thing to do is to eat a balanced diet. Ordinary food will have enough protein in it," says Froboese.

"Only when your body has been exposed to an extremely high form of strain, such as running a marathon or during a very intense period of muscle training, should you increase your protein intake - and then only for a maximum of between two and four weeks," says Froboese.

In that period you are allowed 2-3g of protein per kilogramme of body weight.

After that phase you should quickly reduce intake to a normal level.

Froboese says taking muscles to the edge of their capacity is the best method for increasing muscle mass.

"This form of training determines what happens next.

"Without this, we could take in as much protein as we want, but the only thing that would grow on our bodies are our stomachs," he says.

"That's because excess protein is converted into fat."