If you want to build your muscles, then you need to know the best food options that support muscle growth. There are some foods that are especially good at building muscles, and you must consume them regularly to get the most benefit.
There’s no magic formula for building muscle but to follow a strict diet and a regular exercise regimen. Perhaps, you’re already focusing your muscle-building efforts on lifting weights. Still, don’t forget about giving your body the right consumables for you to “feed” your muscles and make them stronger and more defined than before. With that in mind, here are three things to eat to help your body build muscle.
1. Fitness Supplements
There are many nutrients that your body requires to build lean muscle, but these can be hard to get from the foods that you eat. You might fall into the category of people who want to build muscle but have little time to prepare healthy snacks and meals. Your “on-the-go” lifestyle makes it challenging for you to cook nutritious foods before you travel to work or school for the day.
Thankfully, you can use fitness supplements to help you build muscle without any lengthy preparation periods. However, it doesn’t mean you should grab any supplement bottle you find on a store shelf. Consider the following ingredients when choosing fitness supplements to build muscle:
- D-Aspartic Acid:
D-Aspartic Acid is an amino acid used for biosynthesizing proteins in the body. This substance tends to be in mammals and classified as a non-essential amino acid because of its abundance. But, don’t let that description fool you into thinking that you don’t need this compound in your system, especially when you’re building muscle. D-Aspartic Acid helps regulate testosterone levels in the body to help improve muscle mass. Other benefits of consuming supplements with this ingredient include enhancing cognitive functions and improving sperm quality in men. - Creatine:
Creatine is a substance found in muscle cells. Introducing additional amounts of this compound in the body can help improve gym performance. So, you can last longer than before when doing cardiovascular and weightlifting exercises.Creatine is stored in the muscle cells of your body until your workout session or physical activity, after which it may be naturally removed through urination. This is the reason why you should replenish the creatine levels that have been depleted due to frequent water consumption during workouts. Taking creatine supplements enables you to increase the amount of creatine that has been naturally produced or stored by your body. This allows your muscles to be worked out longer and harder, leading to larger gains in size and strength.Another benefit of creatine is that it helps keep your muscles in an active and healthy state. If your muscles become inactive and lie idle for a period of time, they begin to wither and lose their strength. But, if you enhance your workout with creatine supplements, your muscles will stay healthy longer.
Creatine supplements are popular among athletes and sports enthusiasts because it’s proven to help build muscle mass and enhance physical performance.
- Protein:
Many people equate muscle-building with protein and with good reason. This nutrient presents significant benefits for metabolic health and weight loss for humans. Moreover, protein is the building block of muscles. Consume adequate amounts of protein daily to help promote muscle growth and maintain muscle mass.
2. Steak
If you’re wondering when’s the best time to eat steak, the answer is now. Steak isn’t only delicious, but it can also help lead your muscles to better health.
Steak has an abundant amount of protein that helps build and maintain muscle mass and strength. However, it doesn’t mean you should eat any steak on the menu. Here’s a quick list of steaks for better muscles that you should add to your next shopping list:
- Top Sirloin:
This beef tends to have a 5:1 protein-to-fat ratio, and it offers excellent flavors and relatively tender meat. As a bonus, many groceries and meat shops sell top sirloin at reasonable prices. But, be careful when cooking this particular steak. Top sirloin tends to be quick in becoming tough during cooking. So, unless you want to eat a texture like a shoe leather, it’s best to keep a close eye on this piece of meat while it’s on the grill or pan. - Skirt Steak:
Skirt steak tends to have a protein-to-fat ratio of 2.5:1. You can pan-sear or grill this beef over high heat, and it should still retain most of its tender texture. - Eye of Round:
If you’re looking for a protein-rich diet, then consider eating an Eye of Round steak sometimes. This meat tends to have a protein-to-fat ratio of 7:1, which means it’s one of the leanest cuts you can find on the market. Furthermore, this cut has a healthy amount of iron to help give you that extra energy boost during weightlifting sessions.
Protein is very important for your body as it’s an essential nutrient for building new muscles and repairing muscle injuries. The best foods to eat to help with your protein consumption include eggs, nuts, and, of course, lean meat. You can also benefit from consuming fish rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, sardines, herring, trout, and mackerel. Remember to keep your meal balanced and your diet clean so you can build strong lean muscles in no time.
3. Vegetables
Perhaps, you’re not a big fan of seeing “green” on your plate. But, if you want to build muscle, now is the best time to add more veggies in your meals and snacks. Many vegetables are low in calories. Some veggie-filled meals will even have “negative calories,” wherein the body will take more effort and time in digesting and absorbing the food than processing the calories inside. Hence, vegetables are excellent choices for maintaining and losing weight. But, weight management isn’t the only benefit of eating veggies.
Vegetables like broccoli, spinach, and cabbage can give your body the nutrients it needs to boost muscle recovery. So, you can get back to lifting weights faster than before instead of complaining about Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).
You can also pair your steaks and vegetables together to form balanced meals to help build muscle. Don’t forget to consume the right supplements to boost the benefits of your exercises. Maintain determination and perseverance, and you’ll soon see progress in your muscle-building goals.