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When the hottest time of the year - summer - comes, many athletes lose weight. This process is not always pleasant for them because the weightloss doesn’t just come from liquid and subcutaneous fat, but also from precious muscle.

I would like to share some tips and lifehacks to help you keep muscle mass in the summer.

When the air temperature outdoors is above 30 ° C (86°F), we sweat more, and thus lose water from our bodies due to fluid evaporation through our skin. Osmoreceptors located in the small vessels as well as the thirst center in the brain that makes the person look for water become activated. Since the thermoreceptors and the hunger / thirst receptors are almost neighbors, the appetite is frequently suppressed and the body does not seek food when the temperatures soar.

Skipping meals or replacing them with water contributes to a decrease in the total daily calorie intake. Therefore, summer is a prime time for weightloss not only for those who adhere to certain diets, but also athletes.

Have your meals in a room set for the most comfortable temperature for your body, which is 18-22°C (65-72°F). You will feel hungry faster in a cool room.

Some whole meals should be replaced with "liquid food". For example, you can prepare a nutritious cold smoothie of banana, nuts, coconut cream, oatmeal and berries with ice. This will preserve both caloric and nutritional values, but due to the cold temperature of the food itself, it will be much easier for an athlete to digest such a meal during a hot season. It may sound strange, but in order to preserve muscle and increase appetite in the summer, you should eat less vegetables and fiber. Of course, fiber is an important component of any diet, affecting the gastrointestinal tract work and promoting the correct microbiome composition. But at the same time, this product gives satiety and fills the stomach with a minimum amount of calories.

Your hunger won’t quickly return after such meals and your muscles will not get enough calories for their energy supply. Add vegetables in small amounts to the main meal to counteract this effect.

Do not take liquids during main meals. You can drink something with your food, of course, but it's during food consumption that water and other liquids saturate much faster and suppress the appetite. In summer, it is better to take liquids half an hour before meals and an hour after. In this way you will satisfy your hunger with a full-fledged meal, and not just fill up your stomach. The appetite can be also increased by certain spices. Add mint, coriander, a mixture of peppers, ginger or cinnamon to your dishes.

In order to keep in your best shape all year long and not lose muscles, and adhere to a fully balanced diet, keep these lifehacks in mind. They will positively affect not only the appearance of the athlete, but also keep you healthy and happy.

1. CARBS

2. PROTEINS

3. WEIGHTLIFTER’S NUTRITION BEFORE AND AFTER THE TRAINING SESSIONS