Which is Not a Bodybuilding Food? The Ultimate Guide

December 8, 2025 •

4 min read

According to sports nutrition experts, up to 80% of your bodybuilding success is dictated by your dietary choices, not just your time in the gym. Understanding which foods are not a bodybuilding food is as important as knowing what to eat, as poor choices can significantly hinder progress, promote fat gain, and impede recovery.

Quick Summary

This guide reveals the main categories of foods that hinder muscle growth and body composition goals. It explains why these items are counterproductive and compares them with nutrient-dense, muscle-building alternatives for optimal results.

Key Points

Avoid Empty Calories: Foods high in sugar and unhealthy fats provide little nutritional benefit for muscle growth and often lead to unwanted fat gain.
Prioritize Recovery: Consuming junk food and excessive alcohol promotes inflammation and impairs muscle protein synthesis, directly hindering recovery.
Fuel Smart with Carbs: Opt for complex carbohydrates like oats and brown rice for sustained energy, instead of refined carbs like white bread that cause energy crashes.
Choose Whole Foods: Focus your diet on whole, nutrient-dense foods, limiting ultra-processed and deep-fried options which offer minimal muscle-building support.
Hydrate Wisely: Stay hydrated with water instead of sugary beverages like soda, which contain empty calories and hinder performance.
Consider Macronutrient Balance: Unhealthy foods throw off the crucial balance of protein, carbs, and fats needed for optimal muscle growth.

The Worst Offenders: A Bodybuilder's "Do Not Eat" List

For anyone serious about bodybuilding, the nutritional strategy is built on a foundation of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. The antithesis of this are foods that offer empty calories, unhealthy fats, and excessive sugars. These items actively work against the hard-earned progress made in the gym by promoting inflammation, hindering recovery, and encouraging fat storage. Below is a breakdown of the primary culprits.

Sugary Foods and Drinks

One of the most obvious non-bodybuilding food categories is anything loaded with added sugars. This includes:

Sugary Beverages: Soda, sweetened teas, sports drinks, and fruit juices (which often contain as much sugar as soda) provide a rush of simple carbs that cause insulin spikes and are quickly converted to fat if not burned immediately.
Candy and Sweets: Donuts, cookies, cakes, and ice cream offer little to no nutritional value for muscle growth. They are high in calories and contribute to fat gain rather than muscle synthesis.
Breakfast Cereals with Added Sugar: Many seemingly harmless cereals are loaded with sugar, leading to a quick energy crash and poor nutrient profile.

Highly Processed and Fried Foods

These foods are detrimental due to their high content of unhealthy fats, sodium, and lack of micronutrients.

Deep-Fried Items: French fries, fried chicken, and onion rings are full of unhealthy trans and saturated fats that contribute to inflammation and can impede muscle recovery.
Processed Snacks: Chips, pretzels, and packaged pastries are calorie-dense but nutritionally sparse. They are engineered to be hyper-palatable, making it easy to overconsume empty calories.
Processed Meats: Hot dogs, sausages, bacon, and deli meats often contain high levels of sodium, preservatives, and unhealthy fats that are counterproductive to a lean, muscular physique.

Excessive Alcohol Consumption

While a single drink may not ruin progress, excessive alcohol consumption is a proven enemy of muscle growth. Alcohol can negatively affect your ability to build muscle by impairing muscle protein synthesis (MPS), reducing testosterone levels, and promoting fat storage. It also provides empty calories and can disrupt sleep, which is critical for recovery.

Refined Carbohydrates

Unlike complex carbohydrates from whole grains, refined carbs lack fiber and nutrients, leading to rapid blood sugar spikes.

White Bread and Pasta: These refined grain products offer little to fuel a demanding workout and can contribute to unwanted fat gain when consumed in excess.
Bagels: Some store-bought bagels can be incredibly high in calories and consist almost entirely of refined carbohydrates, with negligible protein or fiber.

Comparison: Non-Bodybuilding vs. Muscle-Building Foods


Feature	Non-Bodybuilding Food (e.g., Donuts)	Muscle-Building Food (e.g., Oatmeal)
Nutrient Profile	High in empty calories, added sugars, unhealthy fats. Low in protein and fiber.	Rich in fiber, complex carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Can be paired with high-quality protein.
Energy Release	Fast-releasing simple sugars causing rapid energy spikes followed by crashes.	Slow-releasing complex carbohydrates for sustained energy throughout the day and workouts.
Muscle Growth Support	Contributes to fat gain and hinders protein synthesis.	Provides fuel for intense training and aids in muscle glycogen replenishment.
Recovery Impact	Can promote inflammation and slow down muscle repair processes.	Supports optimal recovery and muscle repair due to its nutrient density.

The Science Behind Poor Choices

Foods that are not suitable for bodybuilding impede progress through several mechanisms. Processed and fried foods, for example, are a primary source of inflammation-causing compounds. This chronic, low-grade inflammation can slow down muscle repair and overall recovery. Sugary foods and drinks lead to significant insulin spikes, which, while beneficial immediately post-workout with the right macros, are more likely to promote fat storage during other times of the day. Additionally, the empty calories found in junk food often displace the nutrient-dense calories that are required for protein synthesis and tissue repair. Bodybuilders require a specific macronutrient ratio, and consuming foods that throw this ratio off with excessive amounts of unhealthy fats and sugars will compromise their physique goals. For more detailed information on a balanced bodybuilding meal plan, a comprehensive resource can be found on the ISSA blog.

Conclusion

Achieving a lean, muscular physique requires more than just lifting weights; it demands a strategic and disciplined approach to nutrition. Identifying and eliminating foods that are not a bodybuilding food, such as highly processed snacks, sugary beverages, excessive alcohol, and refined carbohydrates, is a foundational step. By replacing these items with nutrient-dense alternatives rich in protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats, you can ensure your diet is an asset, not a liability, in your quest for a stronger, more defined body. The right fuel allows your muscles to recover, grow, and perform at their peak, making your efforts in the gym truly worthwhile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sugary snacks are not ideal because they offer empty calories and cause rapid insulin spikes. When not used for immediate energy, this excess sugar is stored as fat, hindering a bodybuilder's goal of building lean muscle.

Deep-fried foods are high in unhealthy trans and saturated fats, which promote inflammation. This inflammation can slow down muscle recovery and increase overall fat mass, working against muscle gain.

Yes, excessive alcohol consumption is bad for bodybuilding. It can impair muscle protein synthesis, decrease testosterone levels, and provide empty calories that promote fat storage, all of which hinder muscle growth.

Refined carbohydrates lack fiber and essential nutrients, leading to blood sugar spikes and subsequent energy crashes. This provides poor fuel for workouts compared to complex carbohydrates and can contribute to fat gain.

Yes. Processed meats are often high in sodium, preservatives, and unhealthy fats. These additives are not conducive to a lean physique and can negatively impact overall health and recovery.

For sustained energy, opt for a balanced meal with complex carbohydrates like oatmeal or sweet potatoes a few hours before a workout. Post-workout, a blend of quality carbs and protein, like in a protein shake, is more beneficial.

Focus on eating satiating, nutrient-dense meals with sufficient protein and fiber throughout the day. Using liquids like a protein shake between meals can also help combat cravings for unhealthy snacks.