Diet and training according to individual somatotypes | What to focus on?

Can't manage to put on a gram, even though you eat whatever you can get your hands on, while your friend cooks a few extra grams of rice and puts on even more weight than he would like? Then you probably both have diametrically opposed somatotypes. And although this issue is quite complicated at first, once you get to know yours and start to tailor your diet to your body's specific requirements, you'll see that it's not nearly as difficult. Our article today will help you do just that.

Article Content:

• Ectomorph
• Endomorph
• Mesomorph

The most important thing of all is caloric intake and expenditure

Every person is different, and different somatotypes of athletes are also characterized by different requirements for specific dietary composition and individual nutrients. Yet one thing all somatotypes have in common is caloric intake and expenditure. Whether you are an ectomorph, mesomorph or endomorph, you will gain weight in a caloric surplus and lose weight in a caloric deficit. In other words, if you take in more calories from food in a day than you expend through normal daily activity and sport, the excess energy will be stored in fat stores. However, we have written about this in more detail in our multi-part series How to set up a diet and adjust calorie intake? Therefore, if you are deficient in this area, we definitely recommend you to study the issue better.

Even though each somatotype has a different body structure and slightly different requirements, weight loss or weight gain is still determined by calorie intake and expenditure.

Ectomorph

An ectomorph represents a person who has a very thin build, is relatively tall and has difficulty gaining mass. People with this somatotype often feel that although they eat everything they can get their hands on, they are still unable to put on weight. They also often have problems with exercise, because they get results only very slowly - often due to a poor ratio between fast and slow muscle fibres, or a too fast metabolism. Most ectomorphs are suited to light athletics or endurance sports, for example. But even bodybuilding or powerlifting are not unrealistic for them if they follow certain principles.

Diet

The main thing is caloric excess. Although you may feel like you're eating a lot, it's a good idea to count your calorie intake while keeping track of your daily energy expenditure. For ectomorphs in general, it is extremely important to follow the diet fairly strictly, not reaching for nutritionally empty foods, but following everything from a hearty and comprehensive breakfast to a good and nutritious dinner. However, once you have fixed main meals of the day, it's no problem to indulge in a sweet dessert, chips or other junk food from time to time, as the extra calories won't hurt you. It also doesn't hurt to help yourself with a variety of calorie-dense foods - avocados, peanut butter or ghee are good options. We even have a separate article on calorie-rich foods, which we definitely recommend all ectomorphs to read.

While pizza or burgers are a nightmare for endomorphs, as an ectomorph you can reach for them from time to time without regret.

Supplementation

The supplementation of an ectomorph should not differ significantly from that of other somatotypes. The essential basis should be quality whey protein, well utilized vitamins and minerals, pure omega 3 and possibly other dietary supplements mentioned in our article on the most important supplements not only for strength athletes. Ectomorphs, unlike other types of athletes, can theoretically speaking afford to use a gainer. If you choose a really good quality product, you will supply your body with a range of important nutrients - from proteins and carbohydrates to vitamins and minerals. And, given the amount of calories it contains, a good gainer can be an effective aid in the quest for weight gain. Just don't choose a suspiciously cheap one, which is usually just a source of simple carbohydrates. For example, Reflex One Stop Extreme is a great choice.

Training

When it comes to training for an ectomorph, it's good to know that you'll burn more calories with a long workout (assuming you keep the same intensity) than a short workout. And if you can't put on weight, workouts of several hours are not desirable. So try to keep your workouts short but fairly intense in the gym. Use primarily multi-joint exercises and try to minimize other sports activities. The more you do sports, the more you have to eat.

The training of an ectomorph should be relatively fast, intense and based on complex exercises.

Endomorph

You can usually recognize an Endomorph at first sight. People with this body type tend to be overweight or obese, have relatively short but strong limbs, broad shoulders, chest and waist, and of course tend to gain weight easily, although they don't eat that much at first glance. But of course, the aforementioned rule that caloric deficit determines everything applies, and if they gain weight, they must eat more energy than they take in from their diet.

Diet

An Endomorph, unlike an Ectomorph, cannot afford any junk food and so their diet should be set fairly strictly. The ideal is to eat smaller portions several times a day and to concentrate mainly on good quality food sources. There is no need to be too restrictive in the choice of individual foods, but sweets or nutritionally empty dishes are definitely not good. However, beware of calorie-dense foods such as the aforementioned peanut butters and oils, which have relatively little satiating effect and a huge portion of calories.

For endomorphs, it's a good idea to eat plenty of vegetables, which have minimal calories but can still effectively fill you up.

Supplementation

If there's one thing an endomorph doesn't have to worry about too much, it's supplementation. Whey protein, vitamins and minerals, and omega 3s will suffice, and supplementation with branched-chain amino acids is not a bad thing in reduction diets. Gainers are definitely not suitable, as they represent a relatively large portion of calories.

Training

Endomorphs often have quite a lot of fast twitch muscle fibres and gaining muscle is not a difficult task for them. In fact, it's quite common for endomorphs to look like athletes with many years of history after two years of training. Their workouts should be long and intense so that they can burn enough calories. It is appropriate to devote the first part of the training to complex exercises and the second part to isolated ones. It is advisable to include cardio after the workout to help with maintaining a good looking physique.

The physique of typical endomorphs is what most strength athletes have.

Mesomorph

In terms of strength training, mesomorphs are the best, who in layman's terms combine the best of the ectomorph and mesomorph. This is because they gain muscle relatively easily, but also keep fat at a very low level, even assuming they indulge in some not-so-healthy food from time to time. On the street or in the gym, you can often recognise them by their athletic build, broad shoulders and strong legs, but relatively narrow waist.

Diet

Since mesomorphs are better at gaining muscle than fat, they may indulge in some junk food in their diet from time to time. On the other hand, however, it's a good idea to follow a strict diet rich in protein as well as complex carbohydrates and healthy fats for maximum results. A mesomorph can benefit from any frequency of eating - while some people are comfortable eating at regular intervals up to 8 times a day, other mesomorphs are fine with even one large meal a day.

As a mesomorph, you can indulge in almost anything in your diet. It is just good to make sure that your intake of proteins, carbohydrates and fats is optimal.

Supplementation

The supplementation of a mesomorph depends primarily on what sport he or she is focused on. The already introduced trio of whey protein, vitamins and minerals and omega 3 should definitely form the basis, while if you are trying to increase muscle mass, taking creatine is definitely in order and pre-workout supplements are also good for maximizing training performance.

Training

Mesomorphs have quite a lot of freedom in their training, but it is useful to use both complex exercises and isolated exercises. It is good to beware, however, as many mesomorphs are prone to overtraining in the pursuit of the best possible results, which is obviously something to be avoided. You can read how to spot overtraining syndrome in our separate article. Cardio is definitely not a must in the case of this somatotype, but on the other hand, if you do it two or three times a week after training, you won't go wrong.

What somatotype am I?

Based on the descriptions given for each body somatotype, you should know approximately what somatotype you are when you look in the mirror. However, it should be added that very few people exhibit the features of just one body type, very often it is a combination. It is therefore necessary to know at least an estimate of your caloric intake and expenditure and to spend some time observing how your body reacts to different types of training and diet. But once you figure out what works for you, you can be sure that the desired results will come. Ectomorphs are not doomed to failure, just as mesomorphs are not guaranteed success. In fact, hard work and determination play an extremely important role in our sport.