The Best Foods for Muscle Building

Monday, February 22nd, 2010 at 2:28 pm

To build muscle muscles you need to consume specific nutrients throughout the day and at specific intervals. You will have to eat high quality protein, natural/unrefined carbohydrates, and a small amount of healthy fat.

The best foods for muscle building are the ones that give a balance mixture of quality proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. You may already know this: proteins are the best foods for muscle building. You need to eat quality protein at each meal, and healthy sources such as fish, lean cuts of meat, low-fat dairy, and protein powders are good choices.

Boneless, skinless turkey or chicken breasts are also good foods for muscles building. Protein is an essential part of any bodybuilder’s diet because it directly contributes to the building of muscle fibers. Your muscle gains will be negatively affected if your diet is low in protein.

While it depends on how much muscle mass you want to build, your diet should consist of 30 to 40 percent of protein.

Carbohydrates are equally important foods for muscle building; they trigger an insulin response, which, in turn, allows for excellent cell growth by putting nutrients into cells.

Carbohydrates also add four calories per gram to your diet. Many carbohydrates also have essential vitamins and minerals. Starchy vegetables (such as baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams); whole grains; oatmeal; and fresh fruit are some good sources of carbohydrates.

Highly processed sources of carbohydrates like doughnuts, white bread, and other baked goods provide only empty calories and are high in trans-fats (a type fat which is extremely unhealthy for you); thus, it’s best to stay away from these.

It may be hard to believe that fats are also necessary foods for muscle building, but they should be consumed in moderation in a healthy bodybuilding diet.

Fats that contain high numbers of essential fatty acids, which must be taken in the food we eat because the body cannot manufacture them, are the healthiest.

Linolenic acid and alpha linoleic acid are the two most common essential fatty acids; these are also known as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, respectively. They are usually founds in oily fish like salmon and in fats from some vegetables.

You can also get the essential fatty acids that you need by consuming a tablespoon of flaxseed oil and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil twice a day.

These are good foods for muscle building as they are high in essential fatty acids.

For complete meals plans with foods for muscle building visit The Muscle Gain Truth.