You may have heard about the principle of dividing people into body types. Your body type affects how your body builds muscle mass.
Daily Calorie, Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrate Intake
What are macronutrients? They are calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Proteins, fats and carbohydrates are three types of nutrients that are essential for your body to function.
Carbohydrates include sugars, grains, starches and fibre. When digested in the body, they are broken down into glucose. Carbohydrates are the main and most preferred source of energy for our body. One gram of carbohydrates contains 4 calories.
Fats are the most energy-dense macronutrient, which means they are the most caloric. One gram of fat contains 9 calories. Fats are found in nuts, fish, oils, dairy products, and seeds. A diet for gaining muscle mass for men will differ in fat content from the option for women. Women should not restrict their fat intake too much.
A healthy diet involves limiting saturated fats and recommends replacing them with unsaturated fats.
What should you eat to gain weight? Protein! Protein is mainly found in meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, fish, legumes, and in slightly smaller amounts in nuts, seeds, and some vegetables.
One gram of protein contains 4 calories.
Athletes and those who frequently engage in strength training should consume 1.5-2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. This recommendation is universal and can be adjusted depending on the individual characteristics of the athlete, usually upwards.
When calculating, it is necessary to pay attention not only to the number of calories consumed, but also to the ratio of macronutrients.
To build muscle mass, you need to include enough protein in your diet. Calculating macronutrients will allow you to plan your diet so that your gym workouts contribute to muscle growth rather than loss. This way, you will maintain and increase muscle mass while burning fat.
An easy way to figure out how much fat and carbohydrates you should consume to gain muscle mass is to start with your total calorie intake and subtract the number of calories that come from protein consumption.
What’s left is how many calories you have left to spend on fats and carbohydrates.
Calculate how much protein you need per day. A good, scientifically based figure is 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For example, if you weigh 80 kilograms, you need 160 grams of protein per day. Count the protein in everything you eat and drink. If your basal metabolic rate is 2,000 calories, 160 grams of protein is 640 calories. 2,000 minus 640 calories equals 1,360. No more than 20% should come from fat — approximately 400 calories — and the remaining 940 calories are for carbohydrates.
Athlete’s drinking regime
Modern research highlights the importance of adequate hydration for athletes to train effectively.
It is recommended to drink at least 2-3 litres per day, and more on days when protein intake is particularly high.
You can drink before, during and after training.
The best drink is plain water. If training lasts more than two hours, sports drinks can be consumed to maintain electrolyte balance.
Insufficient fluid intake can lead to oedema and kidney problems.
Meal times
Some studies show that the timing of protein consumption may be important.
Before training
Your pre-workout meal should include both protein and carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are necessary for energy, and it is best for the body to get them from glycogen stores. Protein will supply amino acids to the muscles that are actively working during training. It is best not to eat fatty foods before training, as they can make you feel heavy.
What should you eat to gain muscle mass before training?
Good options include oatmeal, egg whites, a small sandwich with wholemeal bread and turkey or tuna (without fatty sauce or mayonnaise!).
After training
If your goal is to gain muscle mass, you need to eat immediately after training. Preferably within the first 20 minutes.
To help your muscles recover and replenish glycogen stores, eat foods that contain carbohydrates and protein.
Before bedtime
Growth hormone is particularly active at night, actively participating in muscle growth and fat reduction, so a small protein snack before bedtime will help you recover faster after training. Amino acids, which make up protein molecules, are essential for muscle growth.
It is important to note that nutrition for muscle growth should be correct not only on training days, but also on all other days.
Menu for gaining muscle mass
Focusing on the menu and calculating the balance of macronutrients often leads to monotony in the menu, and a loss of variety can lead to nutritional deficiencies. To avoid this, it is worth planning your menu in advance, including a variety of foods, especially different sources of protein and vegetables.
To plan your diet, you should calculate the balance of the main nutrients — proteins, fats and carbohydrates. To gain muscle mass, men should maintain the following ratio:
- Proteins — 20-30%
- Fats — 10-20%
- Carbohydrates — 50-60%
That is, about 2 g of protein per kilogram of your weight and about 4 g of carbohydrates per kilogram. For women, these figures are 1 g and 2-3 g per kg of weight, respectively. At the same time, it is better if the protein in your diet is predominantly animal-based.
The foods for building muscle mass are the same for men and women.
Proper nutrition for building muscle mass requires sufficient protein from various sources:
- Lean poultry — turkey or chicken
- Fish and seafood
- Tofu
- Various legumes: lentils, peas
- Eggs
- Nuts
Conclusion
What should you eat to gain muscle mass? Consume enough calories.
You won’t be able to gain mass if your diet is deficient. If your diet is not nutritious enough, you won’t have the strength for intense workouts at the gym. Of course, you shouldn’t overdo it either, otherwise you’ll gain fat instead of muscle.
Include enough protein in your diet — at least 1.6 grams per kilogram. Your goal should be 2 grams, and this figure can be increased if you are cutting.