Gaining lean muscle requires a traditional combination of diet and exercise. Careful planning and self discipline are necessary to develop strong muscles and a toned body. Long before supplements were mass marketed to fitness fanatics, some old fashioned foods were used to build solid muscle mass.
Beef
It is no surprise that beef is one of the most crucial foods that should be incorporated into any muscle building diet. The "Journal of the American Dietetic Association" states that lean beef enhances protein synthesis and promotes the growth process within muscular cells.
Cheese
Cheese is rich with calcium and vitamin D---two important nutrients for building lean mass. A research study performed by "Nutrition Research" followed subjects who adhered to a high sugar, high fat diet rich in vitamin D and calcium. This study group had greater increases in muscle mass than another group who had the same type of diet but with lower levels of vitamin D and calcium.
Watermelon
Watermelon helps build lean muscle by increasing the body's production of amino acid arginine. "Muscle and Body" magazine states that this encourages the production of nitric oxide. This gas helps blood circulation. Because nutrients reach the muscles during increased circulation, muscles have better growth and faster recovery time.
Eggs
Eggs have had a bad rap over the years for causing high cholesterol even though no research has sufficiently proven this statement. However, one egg has 6g of quality protein and this is necessary for muscle gain. One egg also contains approximately 5g of fat, so moderation is important.
References
- American Dietetic Association: A Moderate Serving of High-Quality Protein Maximally Stimulates Skeletal Muscle Protein Synthesis in Young and Elderly Subjects
- Muscle & Body Magazine: Big Eats
- Nutrition Research: Dietary intervention with vitamin D, calcium, and whey protein reduced fat mass and increased lean mass in rats
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