Body builders need protein - research continues to demonstrate that having an adequate supply of protein in your body is essential if you are to build muscle. While estimates vary, the general consensus is that bodybuilders need approximately twice as much as an average diet supplies.

Interestingly, diets such as Atkins and the GI diet have drawn attention to the fact that diets that are high in this essential nutrient (and therefore low in carbohydrates) are also very effective for those looking to burn body fat and lose weight.