Top 10 Foods to Build Muscles
If you want to add more muscle mass to your body frame, muscle strength exercises are essential. Regular workouts will stimulate your muscles to grow bigger and help build the type of muscles you want.
But vigorous workouts alone will not get you to your goal. You also need to eat the right foods. The foods you eat for meals, snacks and immediately after workouts have a huge impact on how your muscles are building.
Here are the top 10 foods to build muscles.
1. Eggs
Egg whites contain protein, which is the building block of muscles. In fact, they contain high quality protein with all nine essential amino acids needed for optimal muscle recovery and building, as well as valuable minerals like calcium, zinc and iron.
Egg yolks are a rich source of vitamins, including A, E, K and a range of B vitamins like B12, riboflavin and folic acid. All these nutrients are essential for speeding up your metabolism and turning fat into energy.
2. Chicken Breast
Another superfood to get lean muscle is chicken breast. It is a great source of lean protein, which is easily synthesized to repair muscle tissue and other cells damaged during hard training.
It also has a host of other bodybuilding-friendly nutrients like niacin, vitamin B6, iron, selenium and zinc.
3. Milk
Milk is another good muscle food. It has two high quality proteins – whey and casein. Whey protein is quickly broken down into amino acids and absorbed into the bloodstream. Casein, on the other hand, is digested slowly, giving the body a steady supply of smaller amounts of protein for a longer period of time.
Milk is also loaded with vitamins and minerals, good carbohydrates and fats that your body needs to build muscles. Plus, being an electrolyte, milk helps replenish what is lost in sweat during workouts and keeps your body hydrated.
4. Salmon
Fish, especially salmon, is considered one of the best foods for muscle building. Salmon can help you build lean muscle and burn fat because of its unique combination of long-chain omega-3 fats EPA and DHA, B vitamins and high quality protein.
5. Quinoa
As quinoa is high in protein and low in calories, it is an ideal food for building lean muscle. The protein it contains is made up of all nine essential amino acids, which means it’s a complete protein that will help build and repair muscles.
Quinoa also is high in fiber, riboflavin, calcium, vitamin E, iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, folic acid and beta-carotene.
6. Legumes
If you are serious about building muscle, you must include more legumes in your diet. Legumes of different kinds are highly nutritious sources of protein, complex carbohydrates and fiber.
Protein helps build and maintain muscle strength. Fiber is essential for proper insulin response, which aids in absorption and use of various nutrients. Complex carbohydrates provide a more stable and longer-lasting supply of energy for working out.
7. Spinach
Spinach is also one of the best lean muscle foods that help build strong, ripped muscle. Researchers at Rutgers University (2008) found that the phytoecdysteroids present in spinach help increase muscle growth up to 20 percent.
Also, the calcium in spinach helps relax the muscles to prevent cramping during training. Plus, it is high in iron content that is important for muscle building.
8. Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds contain many nutrients that are important for losing body fat and building muscle. Flaxseeds are one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 essential fatty acids, which help reduce inflammation. Reducing inflammation in the body is important when building muscle. This means the muscles will not be sore after intense workouts and the body will be able to heal muscles faster.
9. Almonds
Another healthy choice for those who want to build muscles is almonds. The protein, fiber and vitamin E in almonds are beneficial for your muscles.
The powerful antioxidants in almonds help fight free radicals and help you recover quicker from your workouts. They also contain energy-boosting manganese and copper.
Almonds may even help you burn fat and lower the risk of high cholesterol and heart disease.
10. Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes are also considered good for a bodybuilding diet due to their high fiber, potassiumm and vitamin content. They can be taken as a post-workout snack. They are high in complex carbohydrates that replenish your glycogen stores after a workout.
Additionally, they’re packed with carotenoids, vitamins B6, C, E, D, iron, copper, magnesium, and quercetin that are important for a healthy body. Being loaded with fiber, sweet potatoes also help control appetite, burn fat, and maintain healthy digestion.
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