We all know that building muscle requires hard work, both in the kitchen and the gym. Make food your ally by eating foods high in protein to gain muscle mass. To reach your fitness goals, you would have to combine cardio exercises, strength training, weightlifting, and a healthy and balanced diet.
There is no one sure diet when trying to retain muscle mass. The amount of food and protein you need would depend on numerous factors such as your genetics, fitness goals, lifestyle, and many more. Thankfully, some foods are always a great choice to consider. Be sure to evaluate if you’re allergic and if it can work with the factors mentioned above.
Eggs
These small circular things contain healthy fats, high-quality protein, choline, Vitamin B, and other essential nutrients. Eggs also contain an amino acid necessary for muscle gain, leucine. All of these are vital for energy production and various processes in the body.
Powder Supplements
Do you want to get your nutrients on the go? Then you may want to try powder supplements for your gym goals. A branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) supplement is perfect for individuals who are low on protein.
When we work out, it’s expected that we undergo training fasts, or sometimes we skip a meal for no reason. When this happens, you may not be getting the proper nutrients your body needs typically, especially for someone with gym goals.
By design, power supplements are for gym-goers. There are different kinds of supplements on the market that help improve muscle retention, endurance, fat loss, etc. If you aren’t as consistent with your food intake, having powder supplements still ensure that you can get enough nutrients in your body.
Salmon
Salmon is always an excellent choice for overall health and when trying to build muscle. It’s perfect when eating it on its own and with some greens on the side, but you can always modify it to your taste in food.
The omega-3 fatty acids in salmon play an important role in encouraging muscular health among bodybuilders. Just be sure to take exercise programs while eating these to increase muscle gain further.
Chicken Breast
Chicken breast is popular among gym-goers. It’s a staple when gaining muscle since they’re packed with protein! It also has generous amounts of B vitamins, e.g., B6 and niacin. These two are vital when you are constantly exercising at the gym. It usually helps your body function during your gym workout, which is undoubtedly a must-have for muscle gain.
Lean Beef
Like other things on this list, beef is packed with high-quality protein. It also has generous amounts of minerals, creatine, and B vitamins. Beef has numerous cuts, so be sure to purchase and consume one that’s best for muscle gain without providing too many unnecessary extra calories.
Turkey Breast
Turkey breast is also a staple in any gym-goers diet. It’s a good source of B-vitamin niacin. This nutrient helps with processing carbohydrates and fats in the body. It gradually helps the body remember to gain muscle over time by supporting its ability to exercise.
Tuna
Tuna contains high concentrations of Vitamin A and several Vitamin B components such as B6, B12, and niacin. Without a doubt, these are crucial for optimal health, exercise performance, and energy.
Like salmon, it provides large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which can support muscle health and overall optimal health.
Soybeans
Do you want to consume less meat in your workout journey? You can always try adding soybeans to your diet! It contains many minerals and vitamins like iron, phosphorus, Vitamin K, and healthy unsaturated fats.
When working out, you would use oxygen to try and cool off your body when you’re sweating by breathing in and out. It’s a way to regulate your body. Iron’s function in the body is the storehouse and transportation of oxygen in your muscles and blood, which of course, is needed in everyone.
Shrimp
Who doesn’t love seafood? Shrimp is chewy and delicious, and it contains vast amounts of protein. When you look at the food of other gym-goer influencers, you would observe that shrimps are always, or most of the time in the meal.
Of course, be sure to eat shrimp in moderation to avoid adding additional calories to your intake. It’s high in leucine, which, as mentioned above, is needed for muscle growth.
Final Thoughts
When planning out your meal, you would have to consider how much you can spend on food. You should also take into account your genetics. Are you allergic to anything? Can you quickly gain weight by eating? You would have to answer these questions (and more) when balancing out your meal. Be sure to add the things mentioned above to your meal to effectively gain muscle in a few months or weeks!