Building more strength and muscle can often be a long-winded and frustrating task, especially if you are just starting up. One secret tip many seem to overlook is the use of diet to gain more strength and muscle. Below is 7 nutrition habits for you to build more strength and muscle.
- Eat More Protein
- Limit Carb Intake
- Drink More Water
- Eat More Veggies and Fruits
- Intake Good Fats
- Eat Frequently
- Get Enough Sleep
Eat more protein
Protein is an essential component in our diet, for both maintaining cell structure and to enhance muscle building. The more protein you, the stronger you get? Kind of. Ensure you are eating quality sources of protein, these include chicken, eggs (dairy products) and fish, fish is especially good as it contains essential oils. Gymequipment have outlined in their infographic the importance of protein, and recommend 1.8-2.3g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day in order to increase muscle definition, strength and muscle.
Limit carb intake
Although carbs fuel our everyday tasks, and even our workouts, they will not help us to reveal our muscles and gain that six-pack you’ve been lusting after. Limit your carbohydrate intake in order to better utilise fats as an energy source, revealing greater muscle definition and optimising your bodies fuel sources. Food Spring suggests 1-1.5kg of carbohydrates per kilogram of in order to enter this state. Instead of eating traditional carbs such as white rice, pasta and white bread try wholemeal long-lasting carbs such as brown rice, brown pasta and wholemeal bread. These contain more fibre, resulting in feeling full for longer periods of time, preventing snacking whilst keeping the digestive tract healthy.
Drink more water
Drinking more water is a good habit to get in to. Water is essential for moving nutrients around our body, especially for shifting the negative toxins away. Secondly, our muscles are primarily made of water, slight dehydration can cause muscle cramps preventing you from finishing your session, ultimately reducing your capacity to increase muscle and strength. Ensure you are frequently hydrated to prevent dehydration and maximise your gains. One way to drink more water is to drink a glass with every meal, this is especially true if you are eating 6 meals per day. Bupa recommends a minimum of 8 glasses of water per day, however, it should be noted if exercising or working out then you will need to consume more water in order to prevent dehydration and increase bodily functions to flush out negative toxins without the blood post-exercise.
Eat more veggies and fruits
It is a common fact that in order to put on weight and increase both muscle size and muscle strength we need to eat more, right? Yes, this, unfortunately, applies to eating fruit and vegetables aside with your workouts. These contain vital vitamins and fibre, keeping you healthy by preventing diseases as well as maintaining and keeping your digestive tract clean and healthy, resulting in increased micronutrient absorption which is optimal for muscle gain and muscle size. Try a meal such as a stir fry, include lean meat such as chicken or steak with plenty of vegetables such as tender stem broccoli, green beans, cauliflower and peppers (just to name a few!). With a wide variety of vegetables available, stir frys are a versatile meal which can be catered to everybody.
Intake good fats
People often think fats are the enemy, this is kind of true. If you intake what is known as ‘good fats’ then you are placing yourself in a very good place. Eating dairy products like eggs contain vitamin B all whilst containing a strong source of protein, fish like salmon includes omega-3 which has previously been shown to increase muscle health and muscle strength. Ensuring you eat healthy foods occasionally will keep your cell structure strong throughout your body, preventing illnesses whilst keeping you strong.
Eat frequently
It is important not to over-restrict yourself when it comes to eating food. Snacks are okay, however, try and keep healthier options on you, for example, a protein bar once you’ve finished your workout. To accompany this, try eating 4-6 meals a day instead of 3 by gradually working up to it. This will increase your bodies capacity to build more efficient lean muscle. Making your portions smaller is one way to achieve this, allowing you to feel fuller throughout the day whilst teaching your body the optimal way to build efficient lean muscle.
Get enough sleep
Sleep is a vital process to lead a healthy lifestyle, and not just for your average Joe trying to build strength and muscle. It helps protect your cognitive function, allows you to recharge your batteries and helps you think straight. Too little sleep and you’ll likely to experience insomnia, your body will have difficulty responding to insulin (which can result in gaining weight) and reduce testosterone levels in males (impacting your ability to lift more). Sleep is essential for recovery, no other form of recovery comes close to it. Aim for a minimum of 8-9 hours of sleep per day, the more you get, the better.
Author’s Bio :
Barry White is the Professional writer at Gymhut. He has a background in writing an article for blog When not working, Barry enjoys rugby and swimming.
