Your diet plays a vital role in sculpting your muscles. Eating protein is an important factor when repairing muscle tissue torn down by your workouts. However, this is not the only nutrient you should include in your muscle-building program.
Eggs
Eggs have the optimal mixture of essential amino acids compared with any other food source, according to McArdle, Katch and Katch in the journal Essentials of Exercise Physiology. Eggs are the gold standard against which other proteins are measured for composition of essential amino acids and digestion. The yolk contains rich vitamins and minerals, plus fat and cholesterol, so limit your yolks to three or four times per week.
Cold-Water Fish
Much attention has been given to omega-3 fatty acids in reducing cardiovascular disease. The omega-3 fatty acids in cold-water fish such as salmon improve your ability to use fat for energy and deliver nutrients to your muscles. According to a study in the journal Advanced Sports Nutrition, omega-3 fats' anti-inflammation properties can be extended to muscle recovery and the transport of nutrients to muscles through blood thinning.
Potatoes
Baked potatoes rank high on the glycemic index (how quickly a food will raise your blood sugar). John Ivy and Robert Portman say in their book "Nutrient Timing" that your muscles' response to insulin and pressing need to replenish glycogen stores after a workout are critical to building muscle. During the anabolic window (time when building muscle is easiest), potatoes will rapidly break down into blood sugar and feed hungry muscles. This can help provide fuel for your next workout to consolidate strength gains.
Red Meat
Red meat is a natural source of iron. Many athletes whose sports depend on meeting a weight class could be iron-deficient because of poor eating habits and frequent snacking, according to the book "Nutrition in Exercise and Sport" by Ira Wolinsky. Iron helps red blood cells transport oxygen to muscles. If you're short on iron, your body is not producing energy as efficiently as possible and hindering your performance. Eating lean cuts of beef such as sirloin, flank steak and tenderloin will provide iron and are low in fat compared with other red meats.
Water
Nearly 70 percent of your body weight is water, which acts as a medium to carry nutrients and wastes to and from your muscles. Many people do not think of water as a food source to increase muscle mass. During strength training, your loss of water increases due to the heat of exercise, according to Catherine Raskin Jackson in her book "Nutrition and the Strength Athlete." Water allows heat to escape from your body, so that you can continue to lift. Dehydration can limit your lifting ability because your blood volume is lowered. Blood is shuttled to organs, then muscles, so if you are dehydrated, your muscles lose out.
References
- "Essentials of Exercise Physiology (volume 1)"; William McArdle, Frank Katch and Victor Katch; 2006
- "; "Advanced Sports Nutrition"; Dan Benardot; 2006
- "Nutrition in Exercise and Sport"; Ira Wolinsky; 1998
- "Nutrition and the Strength Athlete"; Catherine G. Raskin Jackson; 2001
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