Written by Vera Coetsee, Health and Nutrition Coach
3 June 2024
Nutrition plays a crucial role in building muscles and achieving optimal muscle growth. Proper nutrition provides the essential nutrients and energy needed to support muscle strength, recovery, and growth. A balanced diet rich in protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals is essential for building and maintaining muscle mass. By paying close attention to your diet and ensuring you are consuming the right foods in the right quantities, you can effectively support your muscle-building goals and achieve maximum performance in your workouts and physical activities.
Longevity & Muscle Mass
As we age, our muscle mass naturally begins to decline. This process, known as sarcopenia, is a normal part of the aging process but can also be exacerbated by factors such as a sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, and certain medical conditions. Maintaining muscle mass is important for overall health and function, as muscles are responsible for strength, balance, and mobility.
Muscle Building Foods
While protein is a key ingredient to muscle maintenance, it is not the only thing to consider. We should take a holistic approach and focus on an overall healthy diet pattern. By including complex carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats in your daily diet, you can ensure that your body is receiving the nutrients it needs to maintain and build muscle.
- Lean proteins: Foods such as chicken, turkey, fish, lean beef, tofu, and eggs are excellent sources of protein that can help build and repair muscles.
- Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt is a great source of protein, calcium, and probiotics that can help promote muscle growth and recovery.
- Quinoa: Quinoa is a complete protein that also contains essential amino acids and carbohydrates, making it a great choice for fueling muscles during workouts.
- Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds are excellent sources of healthy fats, protein, and fiber that can support muscle growth and repair.
- Beans and legumes: Foods like lentils, chickpeas, black beans, and kidney beans are rich in protein, fiber, and carbohydrates that can help fuel muscles and support recovery.
- Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes are a great source of complex carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals that can fuel muscles and support recovery.
In conclusion, nutrition plays a crucial role in muscle building. Consuming an adequate amount of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats is essential for fueling workouts, repairing and building muscle tissue, and supporting overall health and fitness. It is important to remember that every individual is unique, and it may be beneficial to work with a functional medicine doctor or nutritionist to create a personalised plan that supports your muscle building goals. Make an appointment at our clinic here.
Sources:
Jeukendrup AE. Nutrition for endurance sports: marathon, triathlon, and road cycling. J Sports Sci. 2011;29 Suppl 1:S91-9. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2011.610348. Epub 2011 Sep 15. PMID: 21916794. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21916794/
Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement. Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016 Mar;48(3):543-68. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000000852. Erratum in: Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2017 Jan;49(1):222. PMID: 26891166. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26891166/