When it comes to building lean muscle mass, there are a number of things you need to get right. There’s diet, training, supplements, and so forth. One often-overlooked factor is food; what not only to eat but when. When trying to build muscle mass quickly, the timing of your meals is very important indeed for lots of reasons.
Here we’ll look at the best foods to eat for muscle growth and why you should be eating them as part of your muscle building diet.
Isoleucine
This is an amino acid that plays a role in repairing damaged muscle tissue and assisting with the formation of new cells. It’s also useful for preventing catabolism, which is where your body starts to break down muscle tissue for fuel. It’s an essential amino acid, so you need it in your diet. Isoleucine can be found in numerous foods including meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, and soybeans.
Whey Protein
Protein shakes are often used by bodybuilders trying to build muscle – but why? Well, protein shakes are fast-acting when it comes to muscle growth. They digest quickly and flood the muscles with essential amino acids. This makes them an ideal supplement after workouts when your body is ready to accept all the nutrients it can get in order to build new tissue.
As well as whey protein, you might also want to check out casein protein and soy protein.
Animal Protein Sources
Red meat is a great source of the amino acid leucine which has been shown to stimulate muscle growth. Other sources include pork, chicken, turkey, and fish. It goes without saying that you should try to avoid eating too much red meat if you’re trying to lose weight, but if you’re trying to put on muscle mass then it’s ideal.
Eggs are also a great source of protein and have even been labeled “the perfect protein” by some fitness experts. This is because they contain all the essential amino acids your body needs to function properly. They’ve also got plenty of vitamins and minerals which will give you a boost of energy and help with recovery after workouts.
Cottage Cheese is high in casein protein, one of the two types of protein found in milk that’s used by our bodies to build tissue. It’s digested slowly so it releases these proteins over time which is perfect if you’re not planning on having any more meals for a while.
Tuna is extremely high in protein and contains lots of omega-3 fatty acids which can actually help with your muscle recovery after workouts. Tuna also contains selenium, magnesium, calcium, and vitamin B6; all of which are essential nutrients that you’ll need to be able to build muscle mass and stave off fatigue.
Vegetables
Vegetables are often overlooked as a muscle-building food source but they’re actually great for you – especially if you’re trying to build lean muscle mass quickly. Not only do vegetables provide essential nutrients, but they also contain very few calories so they won’t slow down your fat loss efforts at all. Vegetables such as broccoli, kale, spinach, and other green leafy vegetables are also rich in iron which is essential for hemoglobin production (red blood cells).
Asparagus is another great source of nutrients including Vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, potassium, and Vitamin B6. The fiber found within asparagus has also been shown to help reduce cholesterol levels.
As you can see, there are lots of great foods you can eat in order to help build muscle quickly. They’re all easy to find and they’re relatively cheap too – which is always good news.