Teens naturally have high levels of muscle building hormones like testosterone and growth hormone. Building muscle is merely a matter of doing a growth-stimulating workout and taking in enough nutrition for muscle repair. Many teenagers also have naturally fast metabolism, meaning they will need to take in plenty of food to trigger growth. Find your daily maintenance calories and add 500 or more to provide adequate nutrients for muscle mass gains.
High-Protein and High-Carbohydrate
A diet high in carbohydrates and proteins gives the body ample nutrition to gain muscle mass, according to the "Muscle & Fitness" article Your 10 Pound Diet Plan by Jim Stoppani, PhD and Joe Wuebben. Taking in 1.5 to two grams of protein per pound of your body weight supplies plenty of amino acids for muscle recovery and growth. Examples include beef, fish, chicken, turkey, whey protein and eggs. Consuming two to three grams of carbohydrates per pound of your body weight provides adequate nutrients for energy and glycogen-replenishment, an important stage of muscle recovery. Get most of your fat calories from olive oil, peanut butter and avocados. This equates to about 0.5 g of fat per pound of body weight, says Jordana Brown in the "Muscle & Performance" article Help For the Extreme Hardgainer.
Moderate-Carbohydrate
For teens who participate in sports that require keeping a leaner physique, like wrestling or endurance training, a moderate-carb approach may be more suitable for gaining muscle. Carbohydrates provide energy for the body, but overeating them can lead to gaining body fat. "Xtreme Lean" authors Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman recommend timing all of your daily carbs around your workouts. For example, you might have some low-glycemic carbohydrates like fresh fruit, oatmeal or wheat toast before your workout. After your workout, you should take in between 60 and 100 g of high-glycemic carbs. These include dextrose, maltodextrin, waxy maize, table sugar or fruit juices. Lawson and Holman recommend keeping the protein high, at one to 1.5 g per pound of body weight. Fats can be increased slightly, but should still come from healthy poly and monounsaturated sources
Low-Protein
A protein deprivation diet can be useful after at least three weeks of following a high-protein diet, says "Optimum Anabolics" author Jeff Anderson. Cycling your diet this way helps to cleanse the body of toxins and promote muscle gain. On a protein deprivation diet you abstain from eating food sources that are rich in protein, such as meats, dairy, eggs and protein powders. The only exception is that you have one whey protein shake per day, which amounts to about 30 g of protein. Take this immediately after your workout session to promote faster recovery. The rest of your daily meals come from low-glycemic carbohydrates like brown rice, sweet potatoes and vegetables, as well as healthy fats. According to Anderson, this diet forces the body to naturally increase production of the muscle building hormones testosterone and growth hormone. After three weeks of protein deprivation, you switch back to high-protein, with one extra protein meal before bed. You can repeat the cycle every six to nine weeks, says Anderson.
References
- "Muscle & Fitness Presents 2010 Edition The Ultimate Supplement Handbook;" Your 10 Pound Diet Plan;" Jim Stoppani PhD and Joe Wuebben; January 2010
- "Muscle & Performance;" Help For the Extreme Hardgainer; Jordana Brown; June 2010
- "Xtreme Lean;" Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman; 2005
- "Optimum Anabolics;" Jeff Anderson; 2004
Member Comments