Body Type and Nutrition

We are all different and have different nutritional needs. Some of this has to do with the exercise we get or do not get. For example, a world competitive cyclist has much different nutritional needs than an Olympic gymnast than a coach potato. And a bodybuilder is going to have different nutritional needs as well.

A serious competitive bodybuilder will also have far more stringent and different food and nutritional requirements than an average Joe bodybuilder like me. I like being big and ripped, but I will probably never compete nor stress out over it!

One (but just one) determinant of the nutritional needs of a bodybuilder depends on their body type: are they a natural skinny and lean person or natural large and bulky or what?

In the 1940s the concept of somatotypes was developed by an American psychologist named William Herbert Sheldon. We will not go into enormous detail on all his work of course, but we need to understand the three basic somatotypes to better understand nutritional requirements.

First we have the Ectomorph, or naturally thin person. Muscles tend to be long and thin, and they are often called  “hardgainers.” Hardgainers do not have a disposition to natural gain fat or muscle.

An ectomorph/hardgainer can build an impressive physique, but it requires a lot of effort. In particular they need to eat an incredible amount of food. Problem is, they usually do not like to eat a lot! Counting calories for a while may be necessary as they may think they are eating a lot when in reality it just ain’t that much!

A mesomorph naturally has wide shoulders and a thin waist, and easily builds muscle but does not easily gain fat.   Most mesomorphs are natural athletes and are muscular. They certainly build muscle easily. Life is relatively easy for a mesomorph bodybuilder!

An endomorph typically has a large bone structure and easily stores fat. They are naturally round and soft. They easily gain fat, but also easily gain muscle. For an endomorph, eating healthily and not too much is the issue, as fat is always a problem. Diet and nutrition are often more important than the workouts.

Of course someone can have a combination of body types as well. For example, someone can be an ecto-mesomorph, having characteristics of both body types.

Now any body type can build a great body, but the nutritional (and workout) concerns are different for each.

It’s pretty easy to summarize. If an endomorph, you need to eat far more than you imagine. If you are an endomorph, eating healthier is more critical than your workouts, and if you are a mesomorph, well, we are jealous! You will still need to pay attention to your workouts and nutrition however!