Dietary Components for building muscle

As part of any exercise program it is important to set out a plan to incorporate the 3 fitness components including aerobic or cardiovascular exercise, resistance and flexibility. With resistance training the focus of this fitness component will be on building muscle. To be successful with building muscle mass it is critical to plan your training and dietary requirements. This blog post will discuss the dietary requirements that should be followed to maximise your resistance training results.

 

 

 

 

 

The dietary components that will be discussed will include the types of foods required to energize the body, the fluids required to adequately hydrate your body and the timing of when meals should be taken. Following these 3 dietary components will enable you to maximise the results from the resistance training and maximise the building of muscle for your body.

 

Types of Foods

 

 

To build muscle in the body your diet should include all the five food groups with an emphasis on maximizing the consumption of Complex carbohydrates and lean proteins. These two types of food will aid you in fuelling your body to meet the strenuous demands of the physical activity required to build bodily muscle as well as repairing he muscle after exercise to build strength.

There are many good sources of complex carbohydrates; however there is a few that are abundant in their natural state. These include bran, wheat germ, buckwheat and oatmeal. Other good sources of complex carbohydrates include: pasta, muesli, lentils and beans. Increasing the levels or volume of these food types will provide ample energy for the body to maximise the training and hence enable the body to build quicker.

 

 

 

 

 

After the workout the body during its rest repairs and grows back stronger. During this phase the body or more specifically the muscles that have just been worked hard require proteins for repair. These can be found in a number of different sources; however the best results come from lean proteins which have a reduced fat content. Foods that are lean and high in protein include fish, chicken and turkey. Meats that are high in protein that have a higher fat content include red meats like steak and pork. These are good for muscle growth however with the fat content not as good as the lean proteins.

 

 

 

 

 

Replenishment of Body fluids  

 

 

 

 

 

During exercise the body through the skin from sweat and from your breath. During and after exercise it is important that this is replaced so as to not fatigue the body.  During intense exercise periods hydration is important as a dehydrated body will reduce the volume of blood that is pumped around the body. This in turn will lead to a decrease in oxygen “carried by the blood” to the muscles that are being utilised. Soon after the body goes into dehydration the workout performance decreases significantly. This then would impact the muscle development process.

 

 

 

 

 

There are many references on the web for how much water to replace the body with during exercise however as a rule of thumb between 15 – 30 minutes during exercise is advisable. Waiting till you are thirsty is not a good measure as it is more likely that you are dehydrated at this stage. The volume of water should exceed 2 litres per day.

 

 

 

 

Number of meals a Day

 

 

 

 

After an intense workout the body requires fuel to starts to recover. If it doesn’t receive the required nutrients it will start to tear itself to repair the muscles. Therefore post a workout or within an hour it is recommended to have a meal high in lean proteins and complex carbohydrates. To maximise the bodily function you should be consuming a meal every 3 hours to replenish the fuel for the body. Therefore assuming that you get the required rest of between 7-8 hours per night 5 – 6 meals a day should be the goal to maximise muscle gain.

 

 

 

 

 

If you are serious about gaining muscle and body mass then the above Dietary Components for building muscle should be incorporated as the dietary component is just as important as the exercise activities in maximizing the results from any muscle gaining exercise routine.