Top 10 Foods for Building Muscle

When trying to gain muscle it is important to remember that exercise and lifting weights is only part of the winning formula. It is essential to have a healthy balanced diet, not only to provide the protein to build muscle, but also to supply the body with energy and nutrients necessary to complete workouts. Although it is common belief that protein is the key nutrient required to build muscle, it is by no means the only component that contributes to a diet optimum for muscle growth. To build and maintain muscle, the body requires nine essential amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins in the body. When we eat protein containing foods, these proteins are broken down to amino acids in the body, where they can then be used to form new proteins, such as those in muscle cells. Amino acids therefore aid recovery and repair of muscle fibres after workouts, as well as allowing the creation of more muscle cells. The body can produce some amino acids itself, but the nine that cannot be produced need to come from dietary sources. To increase lean muscle mass, The American Dietetic Association recommends 1 to 1.5g of protein per pound of body weight. To obtain all the amino acids needed, it is essential to eat complete proteins that contain a good profile of all nine essential amino acids. Animal products are generally complete sources, or you can obtain a complete profile by combining foods. Rice and beans, for example, are not complete proteins alone, but when eaten together they contain the complete range of amino acids.