"Nutrition- The programmatic use of nutrients."

All the work in the gym will not matter if you don't back it up with sound eating habits. You can do 1,000 sit-ups a day and still not get the outline of your abs to show unless your tracking what you put in your mouth. Meaning, if your going give only 80% by going to the gym and working out consistently why not push for that extra 20%. It will make all the difference in the world. To add muscle or improve athletic performance I would recommend a minimum of as many grams of protein as you weigh. So if you are 200lbs then you need 200 grams of protein a day. And those grams need to be portioned threw out the day in 5-6 meals.

Big meals cause a distention of the midsection which is not desirable for a body builder or an athlete. Fish is a very good source of protein because, it's much easier to digest. Beef is a known great source because you can get it much leaner. I'd recommend fibrous vegetable for carbs and proteins at the end of the day because they are harder to digest and very low carbs. Use easy to digest vegetables such as spinach and collar greens.

Great complex carbs that are long lasting are whole wheat bread. Just watch adding any additional treats such as the peanut butter, butter spread and mayo. Good simple carbs are fruits. Grape fruit is a great fat burner. Chicken, and turkey breasts are also good sources of protein.

Eat your higher glycemic carbs which include sugar and white flour before and after workouts  Try to add to your diet low glycemic carbohydrates such as oats, brown rice, and sweet potato's. Drink 3 cups of green tea per day to keep your metabolism in high gear.

At Austin community college, I took a course called Cotemporary issues in nutrition. My instructor told me that to much protein absorption was very hard on your kidneys and that any diet containing an caloric intake of 30% or more containing fat is to high. If continue to be high even with a lean natural ectorphic body type your HDL's and LDL's will continue to increase. Fat adds fat.  If you want to add supplemental protein I would recommend whey protein because, it gets in your blood stream the fastest. Supplemental egg protein is good because egg is the best source from food. Remember though to get majority of your protein sources from food. Food is the most anabolic thing to help you grow and add dense muscle mass that you will hold.

Try my sample meal diet for any athlete or body builder
Meal 1
1 cup of oatmeal with strawberries and 4 egg beaters and 1 whole egg
Meal 2
Can of tuna with 15 low fat wheat thins and a small garden salad with ranch dressing on the side
Meal 3
Supplemental whey or egg protein with a banana and 2 tbs. of natural organic peanut butter added with a 1/2 pint of heath choice low fat ice cream
Meal 4
1/2-1/3 pound of fish, turkey, or flank steak with a grape fruit
Meal 5
2 cups of green beans with 6 oz. grilled chicken breasts
Snacks
5 rice cakes with jelly added