If you're primary goal right now is to build muscle, you need to really be paying attention to what you are eating right around the time you work out.
If you're smart in how you go about eating during this period, you can really maximize your muscle building, ensuring that you get the most from your workouts.
One of the big problems that many of the guys who can't seem to gain weight have is that they are depleting themselves so much during a workout that their body does not have enough reserves to 'catch up' afterwards, thus they are sacrificing their recovery.
Even if you do eat a pre-workout meal, if you are still doing very intense sessions, you could run the risk of running low on stored muscle glycogen, when then translates into less fuel for your muscles to utilize to perform the heavy lifting required to build muscle.
So, what's the solution to this? During Workout Nutrition One way you can overcome this issue is to start consuming food during your workouts.
You need to keep this food easily digestible though because otherwise it will cause too much blood flow to the stomach and digestive organs, making it harder to maintain intensity during your workout.
For the most part this meal should also consist of carbohydrates because if you're taken in protein before the workout and ensure you are taking in some after the workout, this should be enough that you don't need to worry about suffering from catabolism or anything of that nature.
Carbohydrates though, that is what your body is going to use as fuel while you are performing your workouts, thus what you should be focusing on.
How Much Carbohydrates To Consume Two options that seem to work the best for most people is either getting these carbohydrates into their system in the form of a liquid or small candies that are made of pure sugar/glucose (rather than fructose).
Fructose is best to be avoided during this time as that will not help to fill muscle glycogen stores as effectively as glucose does.
If you choose to go with a beverage, Gatorade is one option as this does contain carbohydrates as well as the electrolytes that are necessary to maintain muscular contractions.
These types of energy drinks are a little more tailored towards those who are into endurance related activities, which bodybuilding most definitely is not, so finding another option might be better.
If you're really looking for a cheap alternative, consider cool-aid, as this is made with sugar and will do the job nicely.
You can mix dextrose with protein powder if you prefer, just be aware that the protein content is really needed all that much while you are working out.
So, if you really want to pump up your ability to build muscle, consider consuming some carbs during your workout.
Every little bit of extra calories you can get in when your body is most likely to turn them into muscle is going to definitely be a step in the right direction.