Table of Contents
Nutrition for Muscle Gain
Introduction:
By doing body building, there is beauty in the structure of the body, but doing body building is also very beneficial for health. Because of this, you take special care of your health, your food and exercise, etc. Bodybuilding keeps our body healthy and fit. Due to which you stay free from all diseases and lead a healthy and prosperous life. If you are also a bodybuilding enthusiast and are thinking of joining a gym for your muscle growth, let me make it clear that just joining a gym and exercising is not enough. For this you have to use the best nutrition as well.
Exercising without nutrition is just a waste of time. Optimal nutrition is essential for muscle growth. It doesn’t matter if you exercise under the supervision of an experienced trainer. Whether you are new or experienced, the best nutrition can greatly improve your results. In this topic, we know how to improve muscle growth and what are the foods that you can use to improve your muscle growth.
Understanding the Muscle Growth:
The process of muscle growth is called hypertrophy. When you exercise, the muscle fibers are torn. At this time, your muscles grow and this process is called hypertrophy. Nutrition plays an important role in rebuilding and strengthening muscle mass if you use the best nutrition along with exercise. So this nutrient repairs your muscle fibers, and gives your body the energy it needs. So that your muscles grow better. Exercising trains your body’s strength, while nutrition plays an important role in muscle growth. When your body lacks energy after a hard workout, a good diet then acts as fuel for your muscle repair, growth and strength.
Nutrients for Muscle Growth:
To build muscle, your body needs food that is rich in calories. So that the calories burned by your body during exercise and the torn muscle fibers are repaired and the deficit of these calories is met. Therefore, during the process of building muscle, you should eat foods with high calories, such calories are called sir plus. When you consume excess calories, meaning you eat more calories than you burn, this increase provides your body with optimal energy, allowing your muscles to grow faster.
Daily calorie goal:
You should make a proper time table before you start working out and join the gym. According to which you can achieve your muscle growth target in a certain number of days.
For muscle growth, it’s best to eat 250 to 500 more calories.
For example, if you need 1500 calories to maintain your weight. So it would be better to consume a little more calories than you need i.e. 2000 to 2500 calories should be taken. So that your body can easily provide the energy it needs for muscle repair and growth.
Beware of extra calories:
Remember that calories are essential for exercise and muscle growth. But consuming too many calories can cause problems for you.
There are two types of calorie rich foods:
- A calorie-rich food that tends to accumulate in the body. As a result, the fat increases and you become obese.
- Other such foods are high in calories. Which are quickly digested and quickly absorbed in the body and provide us with energy.
So we should be careful while consuming caloric food and take extra calories in moderation. So that your weight increases in the form of muscle growth and not in the form of fat.
Macronutrients:
There are three types of important macronutrients used for muscle growth that are very helpful in muscle growth.
Protein:
Protein acts as a basic building block of muscle. It is an important macronutrient that repairs and develops your muscles during exercise. Consuming protein helps maintain a positive balance in muscle growth.
Daily intake of protein:
You can use protein in your daily routine according to your body weight ie if your weight is 70 or 80 kg then you should take protein per kg of your weight. A person weighing 70 kg should consume 112 to 154 grams of protein per day. Consuming 6.1 to 2.2 kg of protein per kg of body weight per day is more beneficial for muscle growth.
Food rich in protein:
Chicken, fish, curry, chicken, turkey, beef, tuna, fish, eggs, milk, curd, cheese, lentils, gram, tofu, etc. All these foods are rich in protein, which is very helpful for muscle growth.
Carbohydrates:
Its consumption acts as fuel for exercise. By using it, your body accumulates all the necessary energy. When you consume carbohydrates, they are broken down into glycemic glucose and stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. Glycogen plays a very important role in exercise and muscle growth. Its function is to provide basic energy during strength training and high-intensity exercise. Which makes your performance even better.
Daily Intake:
Consume carbohydrates according to your body weight. 3 to 7 grams per kilogram of body weight per day may be more effective. When you exercise daily and consume carbohydrates at the same time, those carbohydrates fill glycogen stores and provide fuel for exercise.
Sources of carbohydrates:
Cereals, rice, oats, sugar, pita, squash, fruits such as bananas, berries, apples, pulses, lentils, chickpeas, or whole grain pasta or bread, etc. All these things are rich in carbohydrates.
Fats:
Fat plays an important role in the general health of our body. Fat consumption is not only important for building muscle, but it is also important for our overall body. Consuming fat makes you healthy and plays an important role in the production of hormones in your body. In particular, it supports testosterone hormones for better muscle growth.
Daily intake:
A typical diet consists of 20 to 35% of calories from fat.
Source:
Fatty foods include avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, coconut oil, and flaxseeds.
Micronutrients for Muscle Growth:
Micronutrients consist of vitamins and minerals. It works for muscle recovery and overall health improvement.
There are two types of micronutrients
Vitamins:
You can use different vitamins for muscle building, which can make your muscles healthy as well as physically.
Vitamin D:
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. The use of vitamin D improves the performance of your muscles. It also keeps your immune system healthy. Vitamin D can be obtained in a variety of ways, such as exposure to sunlight or by using vitamin D supplements.
Vitamin C:
Eating vitamin C fills up the lack of collagen in your body and at the same time increases the production of collagen. Vitamin C can be beneficial for both your muscle repair and growth. You can get vitamin C by eating citrus fruits like berries or capsicum and broccoli.
Minerals:
Below are various minerals for muscle growth.
Magnesium:
It is a special mineral that is beneficial to us in every way. It works to reduce muscle contraction, energy production and muscle spasms. Green leafy vegetables such as nuts, seeds and whole grains can be used to get up Magnesium.
Zinc:
Zinc’s job is to help us build protein and repair muscles. Meat, seafood, and seeds are excellent sources of zinc.
Iron:
The function of iron in our body is to supply oxygen to the muscles during exercise. Iron is found in red meat, pulses, spinach and fortified cereals.
Meal Timings and Frequency:
Overall calorie intake is most important though. But there is a proper method of doing each work, which we can follow to get better results in less time. Eating meals and snacks at the right time has a positive effect on muscle building, while untimely exercise has a negative effect. So it is best to consume up calories in a specific time table and quantity. Because calories provide nutrients to the body continuously throughout the day.
Pre-workout Nutrition:
Consuming carbohydrates and moderate protein 1 or 2 hours before starting exercise serves as fuel for exercise. They both do different things. Which leads to better muscle growth. Carbohydrates are used to replenish glycogen stores and protein is used to provide essential amino acids to muscles.
A bowl of oats, chicken breast or sugar patties with a banana and protein powder is a great pre-workout meal every day. Apart from this, brown rice can also be used with vegetables.
EXAMPLE
post-workout Nutrition:
After exercise, your body needs a lot of nutrition, and in such a condition, nutrition shows more effect. If you consume protein and carbohydrates within 30 to 60 minutes after exercise, it will start the repair process of your ligaments.
EXAMPLE
Grilled Chicken, Vegetables, Protein Shake with a Banana.
Frequent Meal Throughout the Day:
Make sure to eat light, small and balanced meals every 3 to 4 hours. This will ensure a constant supply of nutrients in your body, which will improve your muscle building process. Each meal should have a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats according to the body’s needs.
About Author
I’m Ayesha Iqbal, a student studying MBBS at Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS) Lahore. I write about health for “GenZ Cares” because they care a lot about young people staying healthy. I do research and try new things to learn more about how to keep everyone feeling good. My articles focus on topics like nutrition, exercise, mental well-being, and ways to lead a healthier lifestyle. Through my writing, I aim to share valuable insights and practical tips that can make a positive difference in people’s lives.
Reviewed By
This article is reviewed by “Nashit Aliyan“, a certified Surgical Technologist from Government College University Faisalabad under section 2017-2021. I am 17A medical officer as well as Strategic and financial planning expert and Proficient in surgical field. Me and my team use the latest technology to perform complex surgical procedures. I recommend to “GenZ Cares” because they are really hardworking in their work and care a lot about youth to staying healthy.
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