Bodybuilder vs. Aerobic Athlete Diets I chose to compare the diets and nutritional needs for Professional Bodybuilders Jay Cutler and Arnold Swertzenegger, as well as Marathon runners Hal Higdon and Ryan Hall’s diet. My findings with the Bodybuilders diets are they are both very similar to one another. First off both diets consist of many meals throughout the day that are very high in protein (about 30-50g every 3 hours). Although Arnold Stays away from eggs, Jay eats 10 eggs a day. And as far as other protein sources they are very similar as they both use Whey Protein drinks and eat only lean meats including Chicken, Fish, and steak. Both Jay and Arnold stick to eating carbohydrates early in the day before workouts and try to stay away from them later in the day. Both diets consist of 15%F/40%P/45%C. As for the two Marathon runner’s diets, while training Ryan eats close to 6,000 calories a day which consists of a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein. Hals diet on the other hand is a little different and consists of 20%F/30%P/50%C. While Ryan’s diet is a lot higher in carbohydrates and lower in protein they are very similar to one another in that they both drink close to 3 gallons of water a day to stay hydrated pre, during, and after running. They also both find it very important on the time of the day they eat their meals and make sure to eat 5-6 smaller meals per day. Both diets are adequately supplied with vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes. As for my findings of both Bodybuilding and Aerobic type diets. The biggest difference between the two is obviously higher consumption of protein for bodybuilders to build more muscle. And Aerobic athletes have a higher consumption of carbohydrates for storing energy. Both groups find it very important to eat at least 5-6 smaller meals per day to keep glucose levels balanced
