Diet For Gaining Lean Muscle Mass

Gaining lean muscle mass improves your appearance and the efficiency of your metabolism. While eating more calories promotes weight gain, encouraging lean muscle mass requires a more targeted strategy. Along with a consistent resistance training routine, achieve your goals by choosing the right foods at the right times.

Significance

Body builders and athletes are not the only people who benefit from increased lean muscle mass. The Mayo Clinic writes that efforts that add or preserve lean muscle mass help make up for the loss in muscle that results from the aging process or a sedentary lifestyle. A greater percentage of lean muscle also helps improve stamina, daily functioning and weight management.

Misconceptions

Strength training and diet together lead to the growth of lean muscle. Eating a lot of protein without lifting weights will not promote lean muscle growth. Dieting to lose fat while trying to simultaneously gain muscle is also counterproductive. Gaining muscle requires you to eat more calories than you burn. Following a reduced calorie diet leads to a loss of both muscle and fat.

Types of Food

Increase your daily intake of protein to help stimulate muscle growth. Go for about 1g per pound of body weight, or up to 35 percent of daily calories from protein--the upper limits recommended by the Institute of Medicine. Choose lean proteins like egg whites, fish, white meat chicken and turkey, and whey or soy protein to limit your intake of saturated fat. Even though protein provides the amino acids necessary to stimulate muscle synthesis, do not neglect healthy fats and carbohydrates. Monounsaturated fats found in nuts and most plant oils help with vitamin absorption and hormone production. Carbohydrates provide you with the energy necessary to exercise and stimulate muscle growth. Choose whole grains, fruits and vegetables as your primary sources.

Meal Strategy

The body can only use a certain amount of protein for muscle development at any one time. Lead author T. Brock Symons reported in a study published in a 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association that, while 30g of protein in one sitting enhances muscle synthesis by about 50 percent, eating more protein had no further impact. To maximize the effect of your protein intake, divide it up over the course of several mini-meals throughout the day. At each meal, try to enjoy between 20 and 30g of protein paired with a healthy carbohydrate and a serving of monounsaturated fat.

Timing

Consuming protein before and after your strength training workout encourages the development of lean muscle mass. Eat a small protein snack, such as 3 oz. of deli turkey or two hard-boiled eggs before your workout so your muscles have amino acids to use during the routine. Within 30 to 90 minutes post workout, go for a 20 to 30g serving of protein offering a complete chain of amino acids. Whey protein, mixed in water or a smoothie, makes a convenient and effective choice. The National Dairy Council reports that whey protein is the richest source of the branched chain amino acid leucine, which has been shown to stimulate new muscle growth and prevent muscular breakdown.