Super starters: for maximum gains, begin your day with our muscle-building breakfasts

Flex, May, 2004 by Chris Aceto, Steve Stiefel

you've certainly heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That maxim is particularly true for bodybuilders. After you've spent several hours fasting while you sleep, your body begins to feed on your muscle mass for amino acids and energy to keep things ticking. Providing your body with these nutrients when you rise is the best way to combat the effects of this catabolic process. First thing in the morning, give your body foods with readily available sources of aminos and carbs so that you can quickly get back into an anabolic muscle-building state.

The best bodybuilding breakfast to do this, though, depends upon your needs and goals. If you're a hardgainer, you may need more calories and carbs than other bodybuilders. Those who put on bodyfat easily may need to emphasize protein and slow-burning carbs. And if you're dieting, regardless of your bodytype, you will need to reduce calories somewhat, mostly from carbohydrates (don't take them too low or your energy may dip drastically).

Read our list of preferred bodybuilding foods--both carbs and protein sources--to help determine your needs. Then, turn to our sample breakfasts to guide you to building the best possible start to your day.

BREAKFAST CARBOHYDRATE SOURCES

* Oatmeal Eating this slow-burning carbohydrate is a great way for mass-seeking bodybuilders who struggle to control bodyfat to start their day. Slow-burning carbohydrates last longer in the stomach, helping to prevent overeating at later meals. They also keep insulin levels low and steady; bodybuilders who have higher bodyfat levels can benefit from tempering insulin surges to help prevent gaining more bodyfat. For dieters, oatmeal is the best carbohydrate source, due to its slow-burning nature. Gram for gram, oatmeal exerts a more satisfying effect on appetite control and is less likely to be deposited as bodyfat than many other carb sources.

Serving size: 1/2 cup dry

Calories: 150

Protein: 5 grams (g)

Carbs: 27 g

* Breakfast potatoes Potatoes digest at a moderate rate, making them a good mass-building carbohydrate and a great carb source to start your day. If bodyfat is not an issue, mass-building bodybuilders ought to combine midburning carbohydrates, such as potatoes, with faster carbohydrates, such as fruit juice, jam, jelly or fat-free muffins. For those trying to control bodyfat, eat fewer total carbs (especially later in the day) and emphasize slow-burning carbs over their fast counterparts. Cooking diced potatoes in a small amount of olive oil provides you with healthy fat and slows down digestion, keeping you satisfied longer.

Serving size: 1 medium potato

Calories: 100

Protein: 2 g

Carbs: 22 g

* Pancakes with syrup Here's an example of a fast-digesting carbohydrate food. When carbohydrates rapidly flood the bloodstream, they can completely shut down the catabolic process within minutes of eating. So, for building muscle, they're great. If you're on the lean side with a fast metabolism, you could make this your daily standard at breakfast. Better yet, go with honey, which is slower burning than syrup. Combining a fast and a slower-burning carbohydrate is a great approach for lean trainers. The fast carbs kick in right away, and the slow-burning carbohydrates provide a longer-lasting energy source. Keep in mind that this is not the best choice for mass builders struggling with bodyfat.

Serving size: 3 medium-sized pancakes + 1/4 cup light syrup *

Calories: 200 + 100 = 300

Protein: 5 g + 0 g = 5 g

Carbs: 40 g + 25 g = 65 g

* Buckwheat pancakes Although buckwheat pancakes are a much slower carbohydrate source than regular pancakes, you can include syrup to make them a slow/fast combo, which is excellent for building mass. If you're on a diet, skip the syrup; instead, top the pancakes with Equal and cinnamon. Cinnamon helps regulate blood-sugar levels and is a mild thermogenic, helping to boost calorie burning.

Serving size: 1 cup dry mix (add values of other ingredients, such as milk and eggs, to the amounts listed here)

Calories: 415

Protein: 13 g

Carbs: 87 g

* Cream of Rice This is an easy-to-digest fast-acting carbohydrate, so it's a good mass-building food for lean bodybuilders. In general, they respond to carbohydrates very differently than heavier bodybuilders do. Unlike heavier trainers, who typically have a slower metabolism, lean bodybuilders tend to release less insulin, which means that fast-digesting carbohydrates break down at a more moderate pace. If you're struggling to control bodyfat, stick with oatmeal, oat bran or buckwheat foods--they contain more fiber, which slows the absorption of the carbohydrates, an important issue in controlling bodyfat. However, leaner bodybuilders often need faster carb sources such as this to help build muscle mass.

Serving size: 1 cup

Calories: 127

Protein: 2 g

Carbs: 28 g

* Fruit Some argue that fruit isn't a good carbohydrate, but we don't buy it. While other types of carbohydrates are predominantly deposited as muscle glycogen, fruit, which contains fructose, increases liver glycogen. The benefit is that when liver glycogen stores are full, you're more apt to remain in an anabolic state. Every mass-seeking bodybuilder ought to have a serving of fruit for breakfast--bananas, apples, applesauce, blueberries or strawberries--to help with recovery. The bad rap on fruit likely comes from the fact that saturated liver glycogen stores increase the fat-storing machinery in the body. Truth be told, once muscle or liver glycogen stores are full, the fat-storing machinery always increases. However, to build, to grow and to add muscular bodyweight, you have to keep glycogen stores as close to full as possible.