A: Two major necessities for increasing muscle mass are:

• an appropriate resistance training program.
• consuming enough calories to support muscle growth

To gain a pound of muscle, the human body needs at least 2,500 calories over its basic daily caloric requirements. When trying to add mass, most athletes must eat at least four or five times per day - some may need to eat as many as nine meals and snacks every day.

Is eating fatty food a way to develop muscle mass and strength?

A: For athletes with a low fat intake and athletes already eating as much food as they can, adding extra fat calories can be an easy and practical way of gaining needed calories. If an athlete plans to raise fat intake to as much as 30 percent of total calories, however, it is important to consider blood cholesterol level and family history of heart disease. Discussing the change with an appropriate health professional is recommended.

Adding extra fat is only one strategy for developing muscle mass; extra calories, from any source, can be channeled into muscle growth. However, developing muscle requires appropriate resistance training; without it, the extra calories will be stored as body fat!

Are protein drinks necessary?

A: Protein intake is very important for athletes, but using protein drinks is not necessary to ensure adequate protein intake. A well-rounded diet can meet the complete protein needs of most athletes.

Athletes on low calorie diets often have inadequate protein intake and may consider a protein drink to correct the problem.

For athletes following a strict vegetarian diet, grains, legumes, soy products and vegetables provide differing amounts of protein. Eating a variety of these foods throughout the day can provide a good source of complete proteins.

What are the best foods to eat prior to competition?

A: Two critical decisions athletes make about pre-competiton eating are what to eat and when to eat it.

The content of the pre-competition meal will vary from athlete to athlete depending on food preference, tolerance, beliefs and availability. Athletes who need to achieve maximal glycogen levels and blood glucose levels should eat carbohydrate-rich foods like, pasta, rice, potatoes, bread, juice, fruit, and cereal.

Athletes who participate in day-long events may choose to eat a fairly large pre-competition meal that provides carbohydrate, fat and protein. Athletes who battle hunger can slow the rate of digestion and stomach-emptying by adding fat and protein to their meal.

Other athletes may feel nausea or discomfort competing on a full stomach; they should eat a low-fat or liquid pre-competition meal. Liquid meals empty from the stomach faster than solid foods. Regardless of the foods selected, adequate fluid intake is essential to ensure hydration before competition.

The timing of pre-competition eating is an individual choice. Athletes preparing for a day-long competition may choose to eat one to two hours prior to the competition to avoid hunger. Athletes who dislike the feeling of fullness and/or feel nauseous may choose to eat no later than three to four hours before competition.

How long does it take the body to recover after weight cutting weight?

A: Rapid weight loss or "making weight" by dehydration can severely decrease body water levels and impair electrolyte balance.

Athletes often mistakenly associate post-eating and post-drinking scale weight with complete recovery. Although weight increases as athletes eat and drink immediately after weigh-ins, it takes 24-48 hours to replace muscle glycogen and several days to achieve fluid and electrolyte balance.