Many athletes strive to gain muscle to improve their performance and body composition. Muscle can improve speed, strength, and power, but it is important to avoid adding fat, which can weigh you down and slow your movements. These tips will help you gain safely and healthfully.
Nutrition Goals for Building Muscle Mass
- Eat balanced meals rich in carbohydrate and moderate in lean protein and fat to supply your body with the energy and nutrients needed to build lean tissue.
- Include and extra 300-500 calories a day above current calorie needs by adding snacks or increasing your portion sizes.
- Fuel strength training sessions with foods containing carbohydrate and protein to provide energy for muscle contraction, spare protein from use for energy, and supply amino acids for building and repair.
- Eat every 3 to 4 hours to ensure optimal nutrient availability.
- Have your body composition assessed by a professional before weight gain to ensure that the added weight is muscle mass, not body fat.
Snack Ideas to Add Calories and Protein
- Chocolate milk
- Nut butters and crackers
- Granola or muesli
- Cottage cheese
- Trail mix with dried fruit and nuts
- Post-workout shakes
- Yogurt
- Cheese and crackers
- Sports bars
Extra Tips
- Excess protein will not build muscle. Training hard and adding extra calories are keys to muscle growth.
- Proper timing of meals and stacks fuel recovery from training sessions and promote muscle growth.
- Eat a snack rich in carbohydrate with 10-20 grams of protein before and immediately after strength training sessions.
- Set realistic weight gain goals.
No comments:
Post a Comment