Some diet tips for gaining muscle mass include: consuming more calories than you burn, increasing your protein intake, drinking plenty of water and getting adequate rest.
Seeing a registered dietitian can also be beneficial, as a personalized meal plan can help you meet your nutritional and fitness goals.
To gain muscle mass, your fitness routine should incorporate both aerobic exercises and strength training. You are encouraged to see a personal trainer to develop a plan that promote muscle gains that is tailored to your fitness plans.
How can I gain more muscle?
Some diet tips for gaining more muscle include:
1. Consume more calories than you burn
Consuming more calories than you burn is essential for gaining muscle mass quickly, as the excess calories (together with your workouts) will promote muscle building.
To know how many calories you should consume to reach your desired weight, enter your stats below:
2. Do not skip meals
Avoiding meal skipping is important to ensure you are consuming all necessary calories throughout the day. Consuming less calories or prolonged fasting may lead to loss of lean muscle. Ideally, you should have 5 to 6 meals per day, with special attention to breakfast and pre- and post-workout meals.
3. Eat high-carb foods
Eating foods that are high in carbohydrates is recommended for gaining muscle mass, as this nutrient is the main source of energy for muscles when working out and recovering.
Some examples of nutrient-dense foods that you can eat to gain muscle are sweet potatoes, brown rice, bread, oats, lentils, yellow potatoes, whole-wheat pasta and cornmeal.
4. Eat more protein
Increasing your protein intake is necessary to promote muscular growth. You protein sources should be spread out throughout the day, and not concentrated to just 2 or 3 meals. These sources should be mainly animal sources, like meat, fish, chicken, cheese, eggs and dairy, however protein can also be found in good quantities in foods like beans, peas, lentils, peanuts and chickpeas.
In addition, using protein supplements, like whey and casein, may also be beneficial, especially for use following workouts, or to increase protein content in meals with less of it. Check out more examples of animal and plant-based protein sources you can incorporate into your muscle-building diet.
5. Eat good fats
In contrary to what you may believe, consuming good fats actually stimulates the release of fat that is accumulated in the body, and helps to increase the overall calorie required to gain muscle mass. These fats are present in good like avocados, olive oil, olives, peanuts, peanut butter, flaxseed, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts and fish like tuna, sardines and salmon.
These types of food can be added to snacks like organic crackers, yogurts, smoothies and even to meals.
6. Drink plenty of water
Drinking lots of water is important to stimulate hypertrophy, as water is a basic necessity to fill up cells, allowing them to grow. If you do not consume sufficient water, muscle building will be slow and difficult.
A healthy adult should consume at least 35ml (about 1 oz) for every 1 kg (or every 2.2 lb) of weight. For example, a person who weighs 70 kg (154 lb) should consume at least 2450 ml (82 oz) of water per day. Keep in mind that sugary or artificial drinks, like soda and alcohol, do not count toward this fluid intake.
7. Eat at least 2 pieces of fruit per day
Eating at least 2 types of fruit per day is important so that the body has the vitamins and minerals required to promote muscle recovery after working out. Fruit can stimulate a faster muscle regeneration, leading to increased hypertrophy of the muscles.
In addition, the vitamins and minerals present in fruits and veggies are important for muscle contraction, which can reduce fatigue during workouts and boost immune system functioning.
8. Avoid drinking alcohol
Consuming alcohol excessively on a regular basis can reduce protein synthesis, reduce metabolism and reduce the body’s ability to burn fat. This can all compromise muscle growth. Therefore, you should avoid binge-drinking altogether.
9. Avoid ultra-processed foods
Avoiding food that is highly processed is important to prevent the stimulation of fat storage in the body, especially because a muscle-building diet will already involve excess calorie consumption.
To avoid weight gain from fat accumulation, it is important to remove certain food from the diet, like candy, cookies, cake, toast, fast food, hot dogs, sausage, bacon, cheddar cheese, prosciutto and other fatty cold cuts.
10. Take supplements
Taking dietary supplements can be an excellent complement your diet, as they can help tp improve physical performance when exercising and also promote post-workout recovery.
Whey protein, casein and creatine are some supplements that can be beneficial for gaining muscle when incorporated into a balanced diet.
Also recommended: 10 Best Supplements for Muscle Growth (& How to Use) tuasaude.com/en/best-supplements-for-muscle-growthHowever, you are advised to speak to a doctor or registered dietitian before starting any new supplements to ensure you are taking the right types and doses.
3-day meal plan
The following table outlines a sample meal plan that you can follow to gain muscle:
It is important to note that this menu is just an example, and the quantities and types of food may vary from person to person, depending on age, gender, health status and activity level.
Also recommended: What To Eat After a Workout (Carbs, Protein and Snack Options) tuasaude.com/en/what-to-eat-after-a-workoutTherefore, it is important to consult a registered dietitian for an assessment and plan that is suitable for you.