Bodybuilder Victor Martinez goes into detail about the benefits of seafood in a bodybuilding diet… and the leakage problems that can occur if you go too far.
Seafood has often been touted as a positive addition into a bodybuilding diet. This is especially true for salmon due to it’s high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids. But with summer in the air and seafood on many people’s minds – what other seafood options can be beneficial to bodybuilders? Could a bodybuilder go into an all-seafood diet for their protein? In our latest episode of the Generation Iron Podcast, Pro Bodybuilder Victor Martinez explains the pros and cons of a seafood bodybuilding diet – and the biggest mistake that bodybuilders make when they eat too much seafood.
Diet and nutrition is one of the most important aspects of building a sculpted physique. In a sense, food becomes fuel that needs to be perfectly optimized for the best results in how your body reacts and grows. This can sometimes become a chore – with your meals becoming the same bland foods over and over again. As Jay Cutler once famously said, “I don’t eat for taste, I eat for function.”
However there are ways to mix up a bodybuilding diet – especially when it comes to your protein source. The key is to eat lean proteins, whether it be beef, chicken or fish. With the summer in full spring, Victor Martinez received a fan question asking about switching over to a seafood diet for protein sources. Is this a good idea? Or will it hurt this person’s physique.
Salmon has long been a recommended protein source in bodybuilding diets – but typically as an inclusion to a variety of other different meats. Could a bodybuilder go on an all seafood diet and maintain an impressive physique? And which kinds of seafood are best to recommend? Which are to avoid? Victor Martinez breaks it down. Let’s jump into it.
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The biggest bodybuilding mistake with seafood – too much will lead to smelly leakage
Upon being asked if a bodybuilder can succeed on an all seafood diet (for protein sources) – Victor Martinez stresses that not all seafood is created equal. The key is always to ensure you eat lean protein sources. While bulking can often include dirty fats to build up size, it’s always best to clean bulk so that the cutting phase becomes less challenging and more optimized for best results.
Salmon, catfish, halibut, and cod are all great sources of seafood protein. However, Victor Martinez does warn against going into a complete seafood diet for all of your meals. Not only will this deny you other sources of protein and nutrients that have added benefits. It can also lead to a quality of life issue that will drive your friends and family crazy.
Victor Martinez points out that many fish are high in oily and fatty acids. If you eat all three meals including seafood and fish – you’ll start to notice that your sweat becomes more oily. This leads to oilier skin and also leads to a “smelly leakage” that others will distinctively smell when you train at the gym.
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Touching on the WHO’s latest statement on aspartame and how it may affect the fitness industry
This past week, the WHO’s cancer agency is preparing to announce that the artificial sweetener aspartame, is a possible carcinogen after reviewing the results of many long term studies on the substance. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener often found in zero sugar products. Most commonly known by the mainstream public to be in diet soda.
But aspartame is also in many other zero sugar processed foods. It has been a staple of mainstream diet habits (however ineffective it may actually be in losing weight). Diet drinks and zero sugar products are big business. This kind of claim can completely change the industry. This also includes fitness.
The GI crew finds the results of this study unsurprising, as it is clear that items like diet soda were not healthy for those looking to be in extremely good shape. However, the suggestion that aspartame can directly cause cancer is a big deal.
Soon guidance will be released as to how much of this substance can be safely consumed – this may lead to changes in regulations by the US government. It may also lead to an overall change in habits by consumers.
However, Victor Martinez also notes that he has lost faith in WHO after the rollout of guidance during the pandemic. He believes that these kinds of long term studies change every few decades. While changes in science are normal – Martinez will withhold how this plays out in the fitness industry and in the public as more time passes.
Wrap Up
Victor Martinez and the GI crew discuss many other topics that we didn’t have time to recap here – such as the ingredient taurine and how it can be beneficial to bodybuilders. They also discuss the importance of training calves and forearms despite not being directly judged in mandatory poses. You can see their full discussion by watching the Generation Iron Podcast above. Don’t forget to check back every Tuesday for new episodes only on the Generation Iron Fitness Network or wherever podcasts are downloaded.
