Lean muscle benefits your body by creating a lean and toned appearance, boosting your metabolism and improving your strength. Your diet is intrinsic to supporting the development of lean muscle created through weight-bearing exercises. Choosing quality foods and controlling your portions keeps your weight in check and diminishes weight gain in the form of fat.
Step 1
Increase your calorie intake. Feed lean muscle growth by eating between 250 and 500 calories more than you burn in a day.
Step 2
Divide your calories up into several small meals to be consumed every three or four hours. Provide your muscles a constant supply of amino acids through proteins and energy through healthy carbohydrates. Go for five to seven meals daily, depending on your total calorie goals.
Step 3
Choose quality foods only. Select whole, unprocessed foods containing minimal sugars, saturated and trans fats, refined grains and preservatives. Good choices include skinless poultry, eggs, low fat dairy, vegetables, lean meats, fish, fruits, nuts, whole grains and plant oils. These foods contain ample nutrients that promote muscle growth and discourage the accumulation of fat.
Step 4
Up your protein intake to about 1 g per pound of body weight. Encourage muscle growth by providing muscles with foods containing a complete amino acid profile like soy, egg whites, meats, fish and poultry. In a review of over 30 papers studying the relationship of protein intake and muscle growth, D.J. Weinert of the Palmer College of Chiropractic concluded that muscle growth depends on the type, amount and timing of protein consumption. Remember to distribute your protein intake over the course of your mini-meals, as the body can only utilize about 30 g in a sitting.
Step 5
Take in a 20 to 30 g serving of protein immediately following your strength building routine. Choose whey protein combined with casein if available because, as shown in a study of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in 2006, this combination promotes the greatest increase in fat-free mass when combined with resistance training.
Tips and Warnings
- If you are a vegetarian, choose soy, nuts, quinoa and beans for your protein intake.
Things You'll Need
- Lean protein
- Low fat dairy
- Monounsaturated fats
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Whole grains
References
- Muscle and Fitness: Start Smart
- International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism: The effect of whey isolate and resistance training on strength, body composition, and plasma glutamine.
- Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association: Nutrition and muscle protein synthesis: a descriptive review.
- Harvard School of Public Health: Protein
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