September, 2010
August 11th, 2009
February 4th, 2010
YouTube ChannelThe best muscle building foods
Everyone knows that intense and carefully chosen workouts are essential to achieving muscle gains – but if you don’t choose the right protein rich foods you won’t see the gains you deserve.
Making sure you pick the right high protein muscle building foods is not only the most important part of your diet, is also a very important part of your bodybuilding program. The right foods will not only contribute to increased muscle, but also increase your overall health.
It is extremely difficult to gain weight and achieve the results you want without the right high protein foods. This is because the body relies on the nutrients from the foods you eat to repair muscle and connective tissue,
Not eating muscle building foods can directly effect your body’s ability to build muscle tissue, and recover from stressful weight training workouts.
So you should aim to give your muscles a regular supply of protein rich foods throughout the day. It is recommended you consume protein – either from regular food or sports supplements – between five and six times per day. This way your muscles will have a constant supply of amino acids to help recovery and growth. When it is difficult to eat regular food during the day – or night – the best way to consume protein is to take protein sports supplements. Many sports supplements contain protein from different sources – whey protein from milk is favoured by many bodybuilders as it is digested quickly by the body and provides a rapid supply to muscles. Other protein sources, such as casein protein is best taken before workouts or at night time as it is digested more slowly and has a time-release effect.
With so many food choices – what should you include in your bodybuilding diet?
There are only a handful of muscle building foods that are high in protein worthy of consumption by the bodybuilder.
The best high protein foods are those that are relatively low in saturated fat, and contain high amounts of quality protein. These foods are called "complete proteins" because they contain all of the amino acids that the body requires to build muscle.
As well as being complete proteins, the best muscle building foods have a high biological value (BV) rating, meaning that the protein that they contain can be more easily utilized by the body due to the configuration of the amino acids.
Top Five Muscle Building Foods
• Eggs
Eggs should be at the top of your list. They are fast and easy to prepare and have a highest biological value -- important to bodybuilders, since foods with a high biological value are most easily utilized by the body for protein synthesis. Eggs contain very few carbohydrates, and although they are relatively high in fat, only two grams are saturated fat. If the fat content is an issue, the yolks can be removed provided you with essentially pure protein. They are a good source of vitamins B and A, and also contain vitamins D and E in smaller amounts. Eggs are an excellent source of iodine, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, calcium and iron.
• Lean Red Meat
Lean cuts of red meat are a very high protein food. You don't have to stick to beef alone, as buffalo and venison are also excellent choices. Although still a top contender, lean beef contains the most saturated fat of any of the top muscle building. It has an extremely high protein content – higher than the other top muscle building foods in calories per serving. A good choice for the hardgainer. Good source of B vitamins, iron, phosphorus, selenium, zinc and copper. When it is difficult to prepare or eat lean red meat – for example if you are rushing lunch or dinner – protein rich sports supplements such as protein shakes and protein bars are ideal as small meal replacements. Whey protein sports supplements do not contain the same quantities of saturated fat as lean red meat and so can be a great replacement when you are looking to consume less.
• Fish
Fish is an excellent high protein food that should be a regular part of your diet. Fish contains very high amounts of quality protein, virtually no carbohydrates, and little saturated fat. Perhaps the most beneficial fish to eat are those of the cold water variety such as salmon, trout and sardines. These fish are not only an excellent source of protein, but also high in omega 3 fatty acids.
Cold water fish species like salmon, sardines and tuna contain omega 3 fatty acids - very important to the bodybuilder. Fish is easy to digest compared to other meats like pork or beef and is highly nutritious, containing ample amounts of minerals like iron, zinc and calcium.
• Chicken and turkey
Chicken and turkey are excellent high protein foods, as they contains high amounts of quality protein, and little fat. The white meat of chicken and turkey are the most economical and popular choices. If you would like to try something different, consider ostrich. Although expensive compared to chicken and turkey, it is very lean and delicious. Chicken and turkey are available all year round almost everywhere and a rich source of tryptophan, B vitamins, selenium and phosphorus.
• Low fat cottage cheese, yogurt, and milk
All are excellent high protein foods. Each contain high amounts of usable protein. They are all relatively easy to prepare, and are available all year round. Yogurt offers the additional benefit of live bacterial cultures, which are very good for your digestive system.
As long as you do not have any allergies to dairy products, they should be including in your diet. In addition to being high in protein, yogurt offers the benefit of various live bacterial cultures that contribute to a healthy digestive system. Most dairy products have a high biological value and are excellent sources of iodine, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin B, potassium and zinc.
Most popular sports supplements are made from milk proteins. Multipower’s Formula 80 Evolution for example contains a mix of proteins. Formula 80 Evolution is a 4 component protein complex – a blend of 4 proteins for fast, medium and slow release of protein. This product is ideal for those dieting as it keeps you feeling fuller for longer whilst delivering all important protein to develop muscle mass.
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