Strength training is an essential type of exercise and a key factor in maintaining a healthy weight. It also helps build muscle, which will help your body begin to burn calories more efficiently. As you gain muscle, you’ll also experience improved balance, flexibility, coordination and bone health.
But aside from kettlebells, resistance bands and running shoes, there’s another essential element involved in building muscle. Diet has the ability to play a large role in how efficiently and effectively you bulk up.
Guess what? Simply adding more protein to your plate isn’t exactly the answer, though it may seem the obvious choice. After all, protein is made up of amino acids, which are essential for building muscle. However, you can’t build more muscle with just amino acids. Your body also needs lots of supporting nutrients, such as certain carbohydrates, heart-healthy fats and even a little H20. It’s the combination of protein, those supporting nutrients and eating adequate calories that will help you fuel your body to reach your goals.
Ready to build more muscle? Here are a few small diet tweaks that can help you:
1. Don’t cut out carbs.
Carbohydrates are especially important when building muscle. Eat carbohydrate-rich foods at breakfast to replenish fuel that’s broken down during sleep. After a workout, eat them to restock glycogen burned during exercise. Carbohydrates are what your body uses for fuel during anaerobic exercises like weightlifting. Additionally, carbs are broken down into glucose, which stimulates insulin, a hormone that transports amino acids into muscle tissues.
It’s best to choose high-quality carbohydrates because refined carbohydrates — like those found in white bread, white rice, white pasta, sugar-filled snacks and cereals — cause a rapid spike in blood glucose, followed by a sharp decline. Energy levels plummet, along with the motivation for strength training. Instead, load up on minimally processed whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits, which deliver fiber, minerals and nutrients but keep blood sugar steady.
2. Boost your intake of heart-healthy fats.
Fat contains 9 calories per gram, more than double that of carbohydrates and protein. But doesn’t that make it twice as difficult to burn off? It depends on how you look at it. When it comes to strength training, fat is doubly efficient in providing your body with energy to fuel your exercise. Fat is also necessary for nutrient absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K). So, if you’re going to be eating fat make sure to choose heart-healthy fats like monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 fats.
3. Spread out your protein intake throughout the day.
Unlike carbohydrates and fat, excess protein isn’t stored for energy, so protein-loading at one meal isn’t beneficial. There’s a limit to how much protein the body can use to build muscle at any given time. A study from the University of Texas looked at protein synthesis efficiency in two groups. The first group ate a moderate 30-gram serving of protein (the amount you’ll find in about 3 ounces of roasted chicken breast), while the second ate a larger serving that contained 90 grams. Despite the second group’s threefold increase in protein, the researchers found no greater boost in muscle synthesis. On average, the group who ate 90 grams of protein got the exact same benefits as those who ate 30 grams — a 50% boost in muscle-building activity. If your goal is to build muscle, you’ll get the most bang for your protein buck by spreading your daily intake out among all your meals.
4. Pick quality protein from real food.
Protein drinks, powders, supplements, chocolates, cereals, bars and beyond are everywhere, but are they necessary? Not if they replace whole, unprocessed foods in your normal diet. Protein from naturally occurring sources, such as seafood, lean meats, nuts and dairy, also contains essential vitamins and nutrients. Protein powders and shakes do not offer any muscle-building benefit above and beyond what real food does. And most people, even athletes, can get everything these products offer by eating natural sources of lean protein. Stick to protein-rich whole foods spread throughout the day.
5. Drink lots of water.
Your muscles are thirsty. Muscle fibers are more than 70% water. When muscles aren’t well-hydrated, protein production is inhibited and sometimes even starts to break down. Dehydration can also impact your performance, slow you down, cause greater damage to muscles and even impact digestion. Water will keep your GI tract healthy, and it helps you feel full.
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