Eating to gain lean muscle requires a basic understanding of nutrition and the ability to observe and adjust your diet based on your results. Each individual has a different genetic makeup, body type and metabolism. There is no one-size-fits-all diet when it comes to lean muscle nutrition. However, the puzzle pieces are the same. A diet to gain lean muscle should be made up of poly- and monounsaturated fats, lean proteins and low-glycemic carbohydrates.
Misconceptions
Many trainees use muscle building as an excuse to overeat. You can gain muscle this way, but you will also gain body fat. Others take in too few calories and carbohydrates to avoid gaining body fat. Another common mistake is following the dietary advice of professional bodybuilders, whose use of performance-enhancing drugs makes their nutritional habits obsolete to natural trainees. You do need to take in the right amount of calories for your body in order to gain muscle. However, eating for lean mass is more about what kind of food you eat and when, according to "Xtreme Lean" by Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman.
Significance
Your workout in the gym is only half the muscle-building equation, according to "Elements of a Stack" by Jim Stoppani. In fact, you could end up losing muscle from your workouts if your diet does not supply adequate nutrition for muscle recovery. Taking in too few of any of the macronutrients--proteins, carbohydrates or fats--can inhibit your lean muscle goals. The importance of your post-workout nutrition cannot be overstated. When you finish training, your body is in a state of emergency and the faster you provide the raw materials with which to rebuild muscles, the quicker your recovery.
Considerations
Gaining lean muscle requires evaluating your goals, body weight and body type, genetics and metabolism. Your body weight determines what you eat because a 150-lb man should obviously eat differently than a 100-lb female. Body type can give you a clue as to how to build your nutritional strategy. Ectomorphs tend to have smaller bone structure and they also have faster metabolism, which should be taken into consideration. The larger-framed endomorphs store body fat more readily and must adjust their diets adequately. Mesomorphs are somewhere between the two, building muscle and burning fat readily.
Effects
Eating to gain lean muscle promotes protein synthesis, decreasing muscle breakdown. Frequent meals provide your body with amino acids from protein, which paired with low-glycemic carbohydrates, helps to balance blood sugar, according to "The Abs Diet" by David Zinczenko. Low-glycemic means they digest slowly, releasing sugar into the blood over time to prevent insulin surges that cause body fat storage. Healthy fats ensure optimal levels of important anabolic muscle-building hormones like testosterone, says "Combat the Fat" author Jeff Anderson.
Expert Insight
Lawson and Holman recommend that 25 to 30 percent of your total calories come from healthy fat. These fats include olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds, egg yolks, omega-3 fish oil and natural peanut butter. Anderson suggests a daily protein intake of about one gram per pound of your body weight. Carbohydrates are more personalized because their optimal intake depends on your metabolism. Excess carbs that are not used for energy or muscle recovery may be stored as body fat. Experiment with different carb intakes between one and three grams per pound of your body weight and adjust as needed. In "Optimal Anabolics," Jeff Anderson recommends 30 or more grams of whey protein and up to 100 grams of carbohydrates after your workout.
References
- "Xtreme Lean"; Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman; 2005.
- "Muscle & Fitness Presents 2010 Edition: The Ultimate Supplement Handbook"; Elements of a Stack; Jim Stoppani, Ph.D.; January 2010.
- "The Abs Diet;" David Zinczenko; 2004.
- "Combat the Fat"; Jeff Anderson; 2008
- "Muscle & Fitness Presents 2010 Edition: The Ultimate Supplement Handbook"; The Usual Suspects; Jordana Brown; January 2010.
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