Nutrition for Strength and Muscle Building
Get the most out of your weight training!
Fuelling yourself for weight training
Who’s getting ready to smash our next challenge, Weights for Winter? It's going to be so much fun, and we'll have you feeling stronger and more confident than ever before with some nutrition know-how!
Energy
For muscle building and strength to improve, energy intake is the most important aspect of nutrition. Energy intake means the amount of calories you eat because calories give you... you guessed it, energy! Our bodies use this energy to fuel workouts and fuel our busy lifestyles. Everything from breathing to doing laundry requires energy. It is important that we eat enough energy to cover all of those needs and to have enough left over to build new muscle tissue. When lifting weights this winter, remember it's natural to feel hungry and you may need to eat a bit more energy to support your strength and muscle gains. Sounds like a win-win situation!
Protein
Proteins are essential for the repair and maintenance of all cells in the body. In addition to muscle, it is the building block of many tissues. In order to repair, maintain, and build muscle tissue, especially after weight training, we need protein. Protein requirements typically increase the more active you are, as well as if you are a newbie to weight training, as your body tries to adjust to your new workout regimen. Protein is found in foods such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, beans and legumes. Incorporate protein into every meal and add it as a snack to support muscle growth. Bonus: this will also help you to manage appetite as weight training can be hungry work!
Carbohydrate
The energy from carbohydrates is stored in the muscles and is readily available to support movement and exercise. During high-intensity exercise, carbohydrates are particularly valuable because they can be broken down into energy very rapidly, much more quickly than fat, our other favourite fuel source. Carbohydrates provide energy for heavy work, explosive movements, and interval training, such as when we use weights. Carbohydrates are found in all plant-based foods including fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, oats, beans and legumes. These fibrous carbohydrate options can be a game changer in fueling exercise, and if you need an extra boost consider having a carbohydrate snack pre workout e.g. a banana, oat bar or toast.
Creatine
In order to benefit from weight training, as well as to gain strength and muscle mass, you do not need to take supplements. However, there is one supplement that has been backed by so much research and found to be so beneficial to overall health that it definitely deserves a mention. Creatine is a compound found naturally occuring in muscle. During exercise, it accelerates the production of energy, which is great for your performance during interval-style workouts, commonly done during weight training. Additionally, creatine has been found to support muscle growth and strength gains. If you were interested in supplementing with creatine to boost your own natural levels of muscle creatine, you can take 3-5g per day, at any time. You will often see changes in performance and recovery after about 4 weeks.
Let's Sum It Up!
Weights for Winter here we come! If you're looking to smash this challenge, increase strength and build muscle, getting your nutrition on track is a huge leap in the right direction. Start by ensuring you are eating enough energy to support your body’s needs as well as your additional exercise. Protein will help you to build new muscle tissue, so be sure to incorporate this in every meal and add snacks if necessary. Carbohydrates provide readily available energy for muscle, to avoid fatigue include fibrous carbohydrates in each meal and use carbohydrate based snacks as a pre-workout pick me up. You definitely don’t have to use supplements to see gains, but if you were to take a supplement, creatine is one of the most researched and safest supplements that actually works.
Want to hear more in depth discussion on topics of nutrition? Listen to Amy's Eat Great Chats! Members can find this under 'Nutrition Chats' on DediKate!
