Diet Plan For Gaining Muscle Mass

Men and women experience anywhere from a 20 to 40 percent increase in muscular strength following several months of resistance training, according to the American Council on Exercise. Certain dietary strategies can enhance your results. Whether you seek to compete in body building competitions or just want to improve your body composition, gaining muscle mass takes time and dedication.

Calories

You need to eat more calories to support the energy expended during your strong workouts and to feed your muscles repair and growth between workouts. Anthony Ellis, a fitness expert with Iron Magazine, recommends eating calories that equal between 18 and 20 times your bodyweight in pounds. So, if you weigh 160 lbs., you need to consume between 2,880 and 3,200 calories per day. You can also think of eating about 500 calories more than you burn off in a day.

Quality Foods

Eating junk foods to add calories will only make you fatter, not more muscular. Your muscles need nutrition to grow. Choose unprocessed foods low in sodium, added sugars and refined flours. Whole foods that are close to nature and with ingredients that you can pronounce are your best options.

Protein

You should intake a slightly higher amount of protein than is recommended by standard diet plans. Ellis encourages about 1 g of protein per pound of bodyweight. For that 160-lb. person following a 3,000 calorie a day diet, this is equivalent to 21 percent of daily calories from protein. Spread those protein servings out over the course of the day. A study in the Spetember 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that while 30 g of protein improves muscle synthesis by 50 percent, eating more than that in one sitting imparts no further gains. Your body cannot store up protein for later use, so any extra you eat is simply excreted.

Carbohydrates and Fats

Just because protein enhances muscle development does not mean you should eat it exclusively. Carbohydrates are necessary to fuel your daily activity. Choose healthy, nutritionally dense carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Gaining muscle also requires you to take in adequate amounts of monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids. These fats help you to produce hormones that support muscle growth and keep you feeling satisfied. Champion body builder Mike Francois recommends olive oil as a dense source of calories in a March 2005 issue of Muscle and Fitness Magazine. Other healthy fat sources include salmon, safflower oil, nuts, avocados and flax seeds.

Sample Meals

Strive to consume at least three meals and two hearty snacks during the day. Try to eat every three to four hours to maximize nutrition absorption and to be sure you take in all the calories you need to promote muscle mass growth. Start your day with oatmeal or whole grain toast along with a serving of protein in the form of egg whites or lean, ground turkey. At lunch, eat five to six ounces of grilled chicken with brown rice and steamed broccoli. For dinner, try broiled salmon served with a sweet potato and a green salad tossed with olive oil dressing. Snacks should be hearty---for example, a handful of walnuts with a banana and Greek yogurt or a cup of cottage cheese with raisins and almonds. Support your strength training efforts by consuming a protein-rich meal immediately after a workout. Whey protein and soy protein are both effective in enhancing resistance training-induced lean muscle mass, reports a study in Nutrition Journal in 2004.