Feed Your Body the Right Foods to Build Muscle
In addition to a regular body building routine to build muscle, you need to feed your body the right foods to build muscle. It’s not enough to just eat a certain number of calories; those calories need to be the right combination of foods to help your body build muscle.
The right foods to build muscle are naturally high in quality protein, so the number one thing you should look out for in your diet plan are protein rich foods. Protein breaks down into amino acids which are necessary to increase muscle mass
With the help of a trainer or online guide you can determine how many calories your body needs to gain muscle mass. Using this number you should divide your daily intake between proteins, carbs and fat as follows: 30% protein, 55% carbs and 15% fat. If you are on a fat loss program as well, you will need to cut back on the carbs.
Your 55% carb intake is adequate for bodybuilding, but you may need to amp up the carbs slightly for intense training. For gaining muscle mass your carbohydrates should be natural, unrefined carbs.
Carbs are important in bodybuilding because they are your body’s energy factory and prevent the breakdown of lean muscle tissue when your energy reserves are low.
Your 30% allocation of protein should be high protein foods, such as lean meats that are baked or broiled. Frying meats adds fat to the protein that you don’t need.
Chicken, turkey, milk, yogurt, cheese and eggs are excellent protein rich food choices for the bodybuilder. You can also pack these in small portions to take with you in order to have your protein available at all times.
Your fat intake should be kept at a maximum of 20%, preferably around 15% of your daily calories. Your body needs some fat, it has been shown that eliminating all fat can actually slow down muscle growth and chop your energy and strength levels.
The fats you include in your diet should be ‘good fats’, such as flaxseed oil for example. Fatty acids are essential to grow muscles, produce energy, gain strength, and improve your overall health.
On the other hand, regular fat intake from cooking meats like beef in a frying pan is bad fat. This bad fat that can actually slow your progress down and cause long term side affects such as high colesterol, clogged arteries, and increases in your fat levels.
Eat The Right Foods to Build Muscle Often
In order to give your body the nutrients it needs in the right proportions without gaining weight, it is necessary to eat small meals very often.
You should eat a small meal every 2-3 hours. If you aren’t able to eat that often, make sure you have available high protein shakes to substitute for the meal.
Eating in small spurts helps to regulate insulin levels in the body. Insulin transports amino acids and glucose to the muscles where they are used for recovery and muscle growth. Small meals every 2-3 hours keeps a steady flow of insulin in the bloodstream.
Feeding your body the right foods to build muscle at the right times can be the difference in gaining muscle mass and gaining weight (fat). Keep a food diary to see how you are measuring up so you can make adjustments if things aren’t quite working out to plan.
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Tagged with: bodybuilding nutrition • food for building muscle • foods to build muscle • high protein foods • muscle building foods • protein rich foods
Filed under: Muscle Building Nutrition
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